MONDAY, JULY 11, 1983
8
PROPOSAL FOR MAXICABS TO REPLACE BUS ROUTES
******
RECENT STUDIES HAVE PRODUCED EVIDENCE THAT TWO BUS ROUTES IN A SPARSELY-POPULATED AREA NEAR YUEN LONG SHOULD BE REPLACED WITH MAXICABS - IN LINE WITH ESTABLISHED TRANSPORT POLICY. IN SUCH CASES.
A REPORT PUBLISHED BY THE KOWLOON MOTOR BUS REVIEW GROUP SAYS THE TWO ROUTES - NUMBERS 57 ND 58,
58,- ARE AMONG THE SERVICES WITH THE BIGGEST LOSSES. THEY SERVE THE COASTAL AREA RUNNING TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT OF LAU FAU SHAR THE 57 RUNS DOWN TOWARDS PAK NAL AND THE 38 UP TO TSIM BEI TSUI,
→
ONE OF THE TASKS OF THE REVIEW GROUP, WHICH CARRIED OUT A STUDY OF THE COMPANY'S OPERATIONS, WAS TO LOOK AT UNECONOMIC ROUTES.
DETAILED STUDIES WERE CARRIED OUT BY THE GROUP'S ROUTE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME SUB-GROUP WHICH COMPRISED MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE REPRESENTATIVES AS WELL AS TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS.
THE 57 AND 58 ROUTES WERE AMONG THOSE LOSS-MAKERS LOOKED AT THE SUB-GROUP, AFTER DETAILED CONSIDERATION, RECOMMENDED THAT THE TWO ROUTES BE REPLACED BY MAXICABS.
A TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SUMMED UP THE SITUATION SO FAR AS FOLLOWS
1.
BECAUSE OF THE NARROW ROADS, SMALL ALBION BUSES WITH LIMITED CAPACITY HAVE TO BE USED. THERE ARE FEW OF THESE BUSES LEFT IN SERVICE WITH KMB AND THOSE ON THE 57 AND 58 ROUTES ARE 18-21 YEARS OLD - NEAR THE END OF THEIR SERVICEABLE LIVES.
2. BUS PATRONAGE IN THE AREA IS VERY LOW AND DEMAND DOES NOT JUSTIFY THE OPERATION OF THE PRESENT SERVICES.
IT WAS INITIALLY PROPOSED THAT THE TWO ROUTES SHOULD BE WITHDRAWN AND SERVICE TO PASSENGERS PROVIDED BY MAXICABS. THIS WAS RAISED AT THE YUEN LONG DISTRICT BOARD IN OCTOBER LAST YEAR.
AT THE BOARD'S REQUEST A SPECIAL MEETING WAS HELD THE FOLLOWING MONTH TO DISCUSS THE PROPOSAL. DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS SAID THEY WISHED TO SEE THE BUSES RETAINED INDEFINITELY.
THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT, IN FEBRUARY, CARRIED OUT A DETAILED SURVEY OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN THE AREA TO INVESTIGATE THE CURRENT DEMAND PATTERN. PASSENGER DEMAND ON DEEP BAY ROAD, BETWEEN FUI YIU, PAST PAK NAI, AND SHA KIU AND LAU FAU SHAN ROUNDABOUT WAS RECORDED. EACH BUS WAS BOARDED AND CHECK POINTS WERE SET UP TO RECORD PATRONAGE OF HIRE CARS. ILLEGAL HIRE CARS, GOODS VEHICLES WITH EXCESS PASSENGER PERMITS, TAXIS AND PRIVATE CARS.
THE SURVEY RESULTS SHOWED THAT THE KMB BUSES CARRIED ONLY ABOUT 25 PER CENT OF PASSENGERS GOING TO OR FROM THE PAK NA! AREA AND ABOUT 33 PER CENT OF THOSE GOING TO OR FROM THE SHA KIU AREA.
/THE PROBLEM