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MONDAY, JULY 23, 1984
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PLBS ARE A USEFUL TRANSPORT MODE, PARTICULARLY IN SERVING AREAS AWAY FROM THE MAXIMUM DEMAND CORRIDORS, WHICH MAY BE INADEQUATELY SERVED BY OTHER PUBLIC TRANSPORT OPERATORS BECAUSE OF THE RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBER OF POTENTIAL PASSENGERS OR THE PHYSICAL NATURE OF THE ROADS;
* PLBS ARE A RELATIVELY EXTRAVAGANT USER OF ROAD SPACE,
BECAUSE OF THEIR LOW PASSENGER CARRYING CAPACITY, COMPARED WITH BUSES OR RAILWAYS.
IN RECOGNITION OF THE ROLE OF THE PLB AS PART OF HONG KONG'S TRANSPORT SYSTEM, THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY HAS BEEN NOT TO ISSUE ANY MORE PLB LICENCES SINCE 1976, AND TO ENCOURAGE MORE PLBS TO SERVE AREAS AWAY FROM THE MAXIMUM DEMAND CORRIDORS BY CONVERTING THEM INTO MAXICABS.
SOME PLB PROHIBITIONS HAVE BEEN IMPOSED IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE MAXICAB SCHEME: WHEN A NEW MAXICAB SERVICE IS
INTRODUCED, IT IS USUAL TO IMPOSE PROHIBITION ON RED PLBS IN THE AREAS IMMEDIATE TO THE TWO TERMINAL POINTS OF THE MAXICAB SERVICES. MAXICAB SERVICES ARE SUBJECT TO GOVERNMENT CONTROL OVER ROUTING, TIMETABLE, FARE AND VEHICLE ALLOCATION= AND WITHOUT THIS KIND OF PROTECTIVE MEASURE IN THEIR MAIN CATCHMENT AREAS, FEW MAXICAB SERVICES COULD SURVIVE. IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE WHENEVER A MAXICAB SERVICE IS INTRODUCED AND ASSOCIATED PLB RESTRICTIONS ARE IMPOSED, THE NUMBER OF RED PLBS OPERATING IN THE AREA DECREASES.
WHERE PLB RESTRICTIONS (1.E. NO PICKING UP/SETTING DOWN OF PASSENGERS) ARE CONCERNED, THESE ARE NORMALLY BROUGHT IN AS PART OF LOCAL TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SCHEMES, FOR THE PURPOSE OF IMPROVING ROAD SAFETY AND TRAFFIC FLOW. IN RECENT YEARS, FEW RESTRICTIONS HAVE BEEN IMPOSED TO REGULATE KERBSIDE ACTIVITIES OF PLBS ONLY; MOST RESTRICTIONS AIM AT REGULATING GENERAL TRAFFIC (1.E. ALL KINDS OF VEHICLES). MOREOVER, IT IS THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT'S PRACTICE TO PROVIDE ALTERNATIVE STOPPING PLACES FOR PLBS WHENEVER SUCH RESTRICTIONS ARE IMPOSED. PLB RESTRICTIONS ARE ALSO BEING CONSTANTLY REVIEWED IN THE LIGHT OF THE CHANGING ENVIRONMENT. AS A MATTER OF FACT, A NUMBER OF RESTRICTIONS HAVE BEEN RELAXED RECENTLY AS A RESULT OF DISCUSSIONS AT THE PLB OPERATORS' CONFERENCE, WHICH IS A REGULAR MEETING HELD BETWEEN PLB OPERATORS' ASSOCIATIONS AND THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT.
I HOPE THE ABOVE WILL HELP TO INFORM THE HONG KONG ASSOCIATION FOR THE PROMOTION OF PUBLIC JUSTICE OF THE FACTS AND YOUR READERS TO UNDERSTAND THE GOVERNMENT'S PLB POLICY.
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