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WEDNESDAY, JULY 30, 1986
LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT NOT A MONOPOLY
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THE LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT (LRT) SHOULD NOT BE REGARDED AS A MONOPOLY AS OTHER MODES OF TRANSPORT WOULD STILL BE ALLOWED TO OPERATE WITHIN THE TRANSIT SERVICE AREA (TSA).
THE HON F.K. HU TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY THAT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AD HOC GROUP STUDYING THE KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY (AMENDMENT) BILL 1986 HAD REACHED CONSENSUS ON THIS POINT.
SPEAKING DURING THE RESUMED DEBATE OF THE BILL, AS THE CONVENER OF THE AD HOC GROUP, MR HU ALSO LISTED OUT A NUMBER OF OTHER POINTS THAT THE GROUP HAD AGREED ON:
* THE GROUP SUPPORTED KCRC'S ZONAL INTEGRATED FARE SYSTEM
AND WOULD ENCOURAGE KMB TO NEGOTIATE WITH KCRC ON THE PROVISION OF FEEDER BUS SERVICES;
* THE GROUP WAS SATISFIED WITH KCRC'S EXPLANATION AND
ASSURANCE THAT SHORT TRIP FARES WOULD BE MORE OR LESS THE SAME AS FOR BUSES WHILE MEDIAN TRIP FARES WOULD BE 20 OR 30 CENTS MORE THAN FOR BUSES; AND
*
THE EXISTENCE OF THREE-TIER SYSTEM OF MONITORING LRT FARES WOULD ENSURE ADEQUATE PROTECTION FOR RESIDENTS.
MR HU SAID MEMBERS WOULD MOVE THREE AMENDMENTS TO THE BILL IN THE COMMITTEE STAGE.
FIRSTLY, THE GROUP CONSIDERED THAT A TIME LIMIT OF 20 YEARS SHOULD BE IMPOSED ON THE GRANT OF EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS TO KCRC FOR OPERATING FEEDER BUS SERVICES IN THE TSA.
SECONDLY, THE GROUP NOTED THE PUBLIC CONCERN ON POSSIBLE OPEN-ENDED EXPANSION OF THE TSA AND WANTED A CLEAR STATEMENT THAT VARIATIONS TO TSA BOUNDARIES PUBLISHED IN THE GAZETTE WOULD BE SUBJECTED TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL'S SUPERVISION.
THIRDLY, THE GROUP CONSIDERED THAT THE BILL SHOULD PROVIDE THAT PASSENGERS WHO HAD BOARDED AN EXTERNAL BUS IN THE TSA SHOULD, IN AN EMERGENCY, BE ALLOWED TO ALIGHT IN THE SERVICE AREA.
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ELABORATING ON THIS, MR HU SAID THE GROUP WAS IN FAVOUR OF THE WORDING WITH REASONABLE CAUSE+, INSTEAD OF +IN AN EMERGENCY+. HOWEVER, THE ADMINISTRATION WAS WORRIED THAT SUCH WORDING MIGHT CREATE TOO MANY LOOPHOLES.
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THEREFORE,