THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1983
17
NEW KAITO SERVICE FOR VILLAGERS
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A NEW KAI TO SERVICE WILL LINK THE LANTAU VILLAGES OF TAI O. SHA LO WAN AND TUNG CHUNG WITH TUEN MUN. THIS IS IN RESPONSE TO VILLAGERS' DEMANDS FOLLOWING THE CURTAILMENT OF THE HYF CENTRAL TO TAI O FERRY SERVICE.
THE NEW SERVICE WILL OPERATE TWO DAYS A WEEK ON A TRIAL BASIS.
AGREEMENT TO INTRODUCE THE NEW KAI TO SERVICE WAS REACHED TODAY (DECEMBER B) AT A MEETING BETWEEN THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT, KAITO OPERATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES OF TAI O'S NEIGHBOURING VILLAGES, THE MEETING WAS HELD TO REVIEW THE PRESENT KAI TO SERVICES IN THE AREA.
MR JAMES SO, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT, TOLD VILLAGE REPRESENTATIVES AT THE MEETING THAT THE MARINE DEPARTMENT WILL SHORTLY BE ASKED TO ARRANGE TEST SAILINGS FOR THE NEW SERVICE.
THE KAITO COULD CARRY 56 PASSENGERS,
SINCE JUNE LAST YEAR, KAI TO SERVICE HAD BEEN BROUGHT UNDER THE CONTROL OF TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT TO ENSURE THAT SERVICES PROVIDED BY KAI TO OPERATORS FOLLOW THE TIMETABLE SET BY THE DEPARTMENT.
COMMENTING ON THE CURTAILMENT OF REGULAR HYF SERVICES MR SO EXPLAINED THAT VERY CAREFUL CONSIDERATION WAS GIVEN BY BOTH THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL BEFORE APPROVING THE CANCELLATION OF THE ROUTE ON WEEKDAYS AND SATURDAYS. BUT THE FERRY SERVICES ON SUNDAYS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS WILL CONTINUE TO BE OPERATED.
MR SO RECALLED THAT UMELCO MEMBERS HAD ALSO TAKEN A TOUR OF THE ROUTE BY FERRY LAST MONTH TO SEE FOR THEMSELVES THE STATE OF THE SERVICE. UMELCO MEMBERS AGREED THAT THE SERVICE SHOULD BE CANCELLED AND REPLACED BY SUITABLE KAITO OPERATION TO MEET LOCAL NEEDS.
IN RESPONSE TO VILLAGE REPRESENTATIVES WHO REQUESTED THAT REGULAR HYF SERVICE BE RESUMED, MR SO SAID ALTHOUGH THIS SERVICE UNDER PRESENT PATRONAGE LEVÉL COULD NOT BE JUSTIFIED, THE DEPARTMENT WOULD PURSUE THE RESUMPTION OF THE CENTRAL TO TAI O SERVICE ON SATURDAYS WITH THE COMPANY.
MR SO ALSO EMPHASISED THAT RESIDENTS OF TAI O ARE SERVED BY BUS TO MUI WO AND FROM THERE THEY COULD TRAVEL TO CENTRAL BY FERRY.
MR SO NOTED THAT IN THE LONG TERM, RESIDENTS OF SHA LO WAN WOULD BE BETTER SERVED BY A DIRECT ROAD LINK WITH SHAM WAT ROAD AND OTHER PARTS OF LANTAU ISLAND, STEPS ARE BEING TAKEN TO IMPROVE THE ROAD SYSTEM LINKING THE OTHER VILLAGES TO PROVIDE BETTER ACCESS TO THE BUS NETWORK.