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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1985
FOR STAR FERRY SERVICES, A SEVEN PER CENT PATRONAGE LOSS WAS RECORDED IN JUNE COMPARED WITH MARCH FIGURES, BUT IN JULY THE DECREASE WAS ONLY TWO PER CENT. MEANWHILE, PATRONAGE ON TRAMS CLIMBED BACK TO THE PRE-ISLAND LINE OPENING LEVEL IN JULY AFTER EXPERIENCING A SIX PER CENT LOSS IN PASSENGERS IN JUNE.
THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF DAILY PASSENGERS CARRIED BY GREEN MINIBUSES ON HONG KONG ISLAND FELL BY THREE PER CENT IN JUNE WHEN COMPARED WITH MARCH. PATRONAGE LOSS WAS HEAVIEST ON THOSE ROUTES WHICH PREVIOUSLY CARRIED A SIZABLE PROPORTION OF THE ISLAND CORRIDOR TRAFFIC, ESPECIALLY THAT BETWEEN ADMIRALTY AND CAUSEWAY BAY. HOWEVER, FEEDER MINIBUS SERVICES MANAGED TO ATTRACT NEW PASSENGERS.
AS FOR RED PUBLIC LIGHT BUS OPERATIONS ON THE ISLAND, AN INITIAL SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE DEPARTMENT SHORTLY AFTER THE ISLAND LİNE OPENING FOUND A DROP IN BOTH THE NUMBER OF PLB TRIPS OPERATED AND PASSENGERS CARRIED.
THE DECLINE IN PASSENGERS WAS HIGHEST ON WESTBOUND TRIPS DURING THE MORNING PEAK AND A GENERAL LOWERING OF PLB FARES RANGING FROM 50 CENTS TO $2 WAS ALSO OBSERVED. THE COMBINATION OF LOWER FARES AND FEWER VEHICLE TRIPS HAD ENABLED PLB OCCUPANCY RATES TO BE MAINTAINED AT ROUGHLY THE PREVIOUS LEVELS.
A TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE DEPARTMENT WOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE ACTUAL AND LONGER-TERM IMPACT OF THE ISLAND LINE ON OTHER PUBLIC TRANSPORT MODES. ON FUTURE TRENDS. HE DID NOT EXPECT THE RETURN OF SCHOOL TRAFFIC IN SEPTEMBER TO BRING BACK A DRASTIC INCREASE IN BUS PASSENGER FIGURE IN VIEW OF THE COMPETITIVE CONCESSIONARY FARES FOR STUDNETS OFFERED BY THE MTR.
THE SPOKESMAN ADDED THAT THE SUBSTANTIAL PATRONAGE DROP IN BUS SERVICES ALONG THE NORTHERN CORRIDOR OF THE ISLAND HAD PROMPTED THE DEPARTMENT TO LOOK INTO THE NEED OF REVISING THE AFFECTED SERVICES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
SECOND QUARTER EXPORTS STATISTICS RELEASED
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IN TERMS OF THE VALUE OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF 1985, THE SIX MOST IMPORTANT INDUSTRY GROUPS WERE ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS, WEARING APPAREL, TEXTILES, PLASTIC PRODUCTS, PROFESSIONAL AND OPTICAL EQUIPMENT, AND BASIC METALS AND FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS.
THEY TOGETHER ACCOUNTED FOR 83 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL VALUE OF MERCHANDISE DOMESTIC EXPORTS.
/INDUSTRIES HAVING .............