WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 1983
22
FARE RISE, ONE-MAN OPERATION FOR LANTAU BUS
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THE GOVERNMENT HAS APPROVED A FARE INCREASE FOR THE NEW LANTAU BUS COMPANY, TOGETHER WITH THE COMPANY'S PROPOSAL FOR A ONE-MAN OPERATION PROGRAMME. IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THE VIABILITY OF THE BUS SERVICES ON LANTAU.
THE FARE RISE, AVERAGING ABOUT 35 PER CENT, WILL TAKE
EFFECT FROM APRIL 20.
THE NEW LANTAU BUS COMPANY, WHICH LAST RAISED ITS FARES IN APRIL 1980, APPLIED IN JULY LAST YEAR FOR AN AVERAGE INCREASE OF ABOUT 44 PER CENT WITH EFFECT FROM OCTOBER THAT YEAR.
THE GOVERNOR-IN-COUNCIL FOUND THAT WHILE THERE WAS A NEED FOR AN INCREASE, BECAUSE OF THE RISE IN OPERATING COSTS SINCE 1980, IT SHOULD BE RESTRICTED TO AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT 35 PER CENT.
A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED THAT ACCORDING TO THE COMPANY'S FINANCIAL FORECAST, THE COMPANY WOULD SUFFER A LOSS OF ABOUT $300 000 FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 1983. THE REVISED FORECAST INDICATED EVEN BIGGER LOSSES FOR THE YEARS 1983-84 AND 84-85 IF THERE WAS NO FARE REVISION.
TO HELP REDUCE OPERATING COSTS AND STABILISE BUS FARES IN THE LONG TERM, THE GOVERNMENT HAS ALSO APPROVED A PROPOSED PROGRAMME OF ONE-MAN BUS OPERATIONS TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN STAGES BETWEEN JUNE 1, 1983 AND APRIL 1, 1984. HOWEVER, THIS WILL BE SUBJECT TO THE VIEWS OF THE ISLANDS DISTRICT BOARD, WHO WILL BE CONSULTED ON THE PROPOSAL AT ITS MEETING TODAY.
THE PROGRAMME INCLUDES THE INTRODUCTION OF A SHORT-DISTANCE ROUTE BETWEEN MUI WO AND PU! O, AND THE RETENTION OF TWO-WAY SECTIONAL FARES ON ANOTHER ROUTE BETWEEN MUI WO AND TAI O SO THAT COMMUTERS TRAVELLING SHORT DISTANCES WILL NOT HAVE TO PAY FULL FARES.
THE FOLLOWING ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF THE APPROVED FARE SCALE ON MAIN ROUTES FROM MUI WO:
EXISTING
NEW
MONDAYS TO SATURDAYS
PUI O
$0.80
$1.00
TONG FUK
$1.50
$2.00
ΤΑΙ Ο
$3.00
$4.00
SUNDAYS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
SHEK PIK
$3.00
$4.00
TUNG CHUNG
$4.00
$5.50
NGONG PING
36.00
$5.00
I