TUESDAY, AUGUST 6, 1985
TRAVEL HELP FOR STUDENTS PROPOSED
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TRAVEL ASSISTANCE FOR STUDENTS, ESTIMATED TO COST SOME $293 MILLION DURING THE NEXT ACADEMIC YEAR, WILL BE ONE OF THE TOP IES FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE FINANCE COMMITTEE TOMORROW (WEDNESDAY).
THE ESTIMATE IS BASED ON STUDENT TRAVEL PATTERNS AND FORECASTS OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT OPERATORS' TOTAL FARE INCOME.
ACTUAL PAYMENT WILL BE BASED ON THE LATEST AVAILABLE MONTHLY REVENUE FIGURES REPORTED BY THE OPERATORS. WHERE NECESSARY, ADJUSTMENTS WILL BE MADE ON THE BASIS OF AUDITED FIGURES.
THE STUDENT TRAVEL SCHEME, REVISED IN 1981, ENABLES FULL-TIME STUDENTS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 12 AND 25 TO TRAVEL AT CONCESSIONARY RATES ON ALL MAJOR FORMS OF FRANCHISED PUBLIC TRANSPORT, THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY AND THE KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY.
UNDER THE SCHEME, STUDENT TRAVEL CARDS ARE ISSUED TO ELIGIBLE STUDENTS ON APPLICATION. THE CARD ENTITLES THE HOLDER TO TRAVEL AT REDUCED RATES AT ALL TIMES ON ALL ROUTES, WITH A FEW EXCEPTIONS, AND IS RENEWABLE ANNUALLY.
SOME 481 300 CURRENT CARD HOLDERS ARE EXPECTED TO BENEFIT UNDER THE SCHEME, THEY ARE: 34 600 POST-SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS, 435 600 SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS, AND 11 100 PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT OPERATORS TAKING PART IN THE SCHEME ARE: KOWLOON MOTOR BUS, CHINA MOTOR BUS, THE MTR AND THE KCR, HONG KONG AND YAUMATE FERRY COMPANY, STAR FERRY, HONG KONG TRAMWAYS, AND THE NEW LANTAU BUS COMPANY.
IN RETURN FOR THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THE SCHEME, GOVERNMENT PAYS THEM GRANTS CALCULATED ACCORDING TO A FIXED PERCENTAGE OF THE IR TOTAL FARE INCOME.
THIS PERCENTAGE IS REVIEWED ANNUALLY IN THE LIGHT OF ALL AVAILABLE INFORMATION, PARTICULARLY THE RESULTS OF STUDENT TRAVEL SURVEYS AND UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION ON PATRONAGE AND REVENUE FOREGONE SUPPLIED BY THE OPERATORS.
OTHER ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION AT TOMORROW'S MEETING INCLUDE
* A $1.5 MILLION DONATION TO THE SIR DAVID TRENCH FUND
FOR RECREATION
* A PROPOSED REVISION OF THE LIMITS OF ADVANCE PAYMENTS
FOR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT PROJECTS
/* THE VEGAGEMENT