TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1986
TAC RECONSIDERS KMB FIVE-YEAR PLAN
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THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE TODAY (TUESDAY) RECONSIDERED THE LATEST DRAFT FIVE-YEAR PLAN OF THE KOWLOON MOTOR BUS COMPANY IN THE LIGHT OF FURTHER INFORMATION CONCERNING THE COMPANY'S PROPOSED BUS PURCHASE PROGRAMME AND DEPOT REQUIREMENT.
THE COMPANY'S FIVE-YEAR PLAN, COVERING THE PERIOD FROM 1987 TO 1991, WAS EXAMINED BY TAC MEMBERS AT THEIR LAST MEETING ON OCTOBER 28. MEMBERS AT THAT TIME REQUESTED FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE PLAN.
AT TODAY'S MEETING, TAC MEMBERS NOTED THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT'S PROPOSAL TO AGREE KMB'S PLAN IN PRINCIPLE. THEY WELCOMED A REDUCTION BY THE DEPARTMENT IN KMB'S PROJECTED FLEET REQUIREMENT IN LINE WITH MODIFICATIONS TO KMB'S ROUTE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME TO REFLECT THE PHASED WITHDRAWAL OF LOCAL KMB BUS SERVICES FROM THE LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT AREA.
OTHER MODIFICATIONS WOULD ENSURE THAT ANY NEW ROUTES WERE CONSISTENT WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF PROVIDING A CO-ORDINATED NETWORK OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES.
AS REGARDS KMB'S DEPOT EXPANSION PROGRAMME, THE TAC AGREED WITH THE ASSESSMENT OF THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT THAT THERE WAS DEFINITELY SCOPE TO TRIM THE RATE OF EXPENDITURE ON DEPOTS IN THE LATER YEARS OF THE PLAN, BUT APPRECIATED THE URGENT NEED TO PROCEED WITH THE PROJECTS AT KOWLOON BAY AND TSING YI AS PROPOSED BY KMB.
IT WAS THE VIEW OF THE DEPARTMENT THAT THE SCOPE AND TIMING OF THE FURTHER DEPOTS PROPOSED BY KMB WOULD REQUIRE ADDITIONAL STUDY, PARTICULARLY IN THE LIGHT OF THE PROPOSED MODIFICATION TO KMB'S PROPOSED FLEET REQUIREMENT AND THE AVAILABILITY AND CAPACITY OF ACCEPTABLE TERMINI FOR OVERNIGHT PARKING.
IN THIS REGARD, THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT WOULD HOLD FURTHER DISCUSSIONS WITH KMB IN THE CONTEXT OF THE COMPANY'S PREPARATION EARLY IN 1987 OF THE NEXT EDITION OF THE FIVE-YEAR PLAN.
A SUB-COMMITTEE WAS FORMED WITH DR STEPHEN TANG, MR STEPHEN CHENG, DR C.K. LEUNG AND MR FAN SAI-YEE TO STUDY IN DETAIL THE FLEET EXPANSION REQUIREMENTS AND THE IMPLICATION OF THE SCHEME OF CONTROL. THEY WILL REPORT WITHIN THREE MONTHS TO THE TAC ON THEIR
RECOMMENDATIONS.
THE ROUTE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME IS SUBJECTED TO YEARLY REVIEWS AND THE TAC MAY DELIBERATE FURTHER ON THE ISSUE IN A YEAR'S TIME.
/MEMBERS