TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 1983
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COACH LINK FOR OUTLYING DEVELOPMENTS
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THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT TODAY (APRIL 19) GRANTED SEVEN RESIDENTIAL COACH LICENCES TO QUALIFIED OPERATORS.
ISSUING THE LICENCES THIS MORNING, MR RICHARD SCURFIELD, ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT (NEW TERRITORIES) SAID THE PROPOSAL TO INTRODUCE RESIDENTIAL COACH SERVICES OFTEN CAME FROM LOCAL RESIDENTS,
HE ALSO DESCRIBED THE AGREEMENT TO RUN THE COACH SERVICES AS +A MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE+ BETWEEN THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE LOCAL RESIDENTS AND THE EXPERTISE OF THE PRIVATE BUS OPERATORS.
+RESIDENTIAL COACH SERVICES ARE PARTICULARLY USEFUL FOR PROVIDING PEAK HOUR SERVICES FOR LOWER DENSITY HOUSING AREAS, PR SCURFIELD POINTED OUT.
THE NEW ROUTES WILL LINK TAI YUEN ESTATE WITH.KWUN TONG 1 TUEN MUN TEMPORARY HOUSING AREA WITH KWUN TONG; CITY ONE SHA TIN WITH KOWLOON TONG MTR STATION AND HUNG HOM FERRY PIER: CHI LOK FA YUEN WITH MEI FOO SUN CHUEN, TSUEN WAN AND TSIM SHA TSUI EAST.
THEIR SCHEDULES OF SERVICE AND METHOD OF OPERATION ARE STIPULATED BY THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT. THE FARES LEVIED VILL RANGE FROM $1.5 TO 25 PER TRIP.
ALTOGETHER, THERE ARE NOW 15 RESIDENTIAL COACH ROUTES OPERATING IN THE TERRITORY.
+MOST OF THESE ARE BEING PROVIDED WITHIN THE NEW
TERRITORIES,+ MR SCURFIELD SAID.
+THIS IS TO BE EXPECTED AS DEVELOPMENT IS RAPIDLY GOING ON IN THE AREA,+ HE ADDED.
FIVE MORE ROUTES ARE BEING ORGANISED AND OPERATORS WILL BE GRANTED LICENCES SOON.
MR SCURFIELD WENT ON TO SAY THAT THE DEPARTMENT WILL NOT BE INVITING LARGE SCALE APPLICATIONS FOR RESIDENTIAL COACH SERVICES IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
+HOWEVER, APPLICATIONS FROM LOCAL RESIDENTS MAY STILL BE SUBMITTED ANY TIME TO THE DEPARTMENT,+ HE SAID.
*WE WILL CONSIDER ISSUING ADDITIONAL LICENCES WHERE IT CAN BE SHOWN THAT EXISTING PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES DO NOT ADEQUATELY SATISFY THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE LOCAL RESIDENTS DURING PEAK HOURS.+
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