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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1987
HE SAID THAT ALTHOUGH THE RAILWAYS HAD TAKEN UP SUCH A LARGE SEGMENT OF THE DEMAND THIS HAD NOT MEANT THAT OTHER SERVICES, APART FROM CROSS HARBOUR FERRY SERVICEǝ, HAD SUFFERED FROM LOSSES IN PATRONAGE.
+OVER THE SAME SEVEN-YEAR PERIOD THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS CARRIED BY THE TWO LARGEST FRANCHISED BUS COMPANIES HAS GONE UP FROM 3.3 MILLION PER DAY TO FOUR MILLION PER DAY, WITH MUCH OF THE INCREASE BE ING GENERATED BY THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW TOWNS AND THEIR NEED TO HAVE GOOD LOCAL SERVICES AND LINKS WITH THE MAIN URBAN AKEAS,+ HE SAID.
FURTHER EFFORTS WOULD PE NECESSARY TO COPE WITH THE INCREASING DEMANDS ROTH IN TERMS OF QUANTITY AND QUALITY, HE ADDED.
TAXI VOUCHER SCHEME FOR WHEELCHAIR-BOUND DISABLED
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DISABLED PEOPLE WHO ARE WHEELCHAIR-BOUND CAN BENEFIT FROM A NEW SCHEME UTILISING PRE-PAID TAXI VOUCHERS TO PAY FOR TAXI FARES.
THIS WAS ANNOUNCED BY THE COMMISSIONER FOR REHABILITATION, MR FRANCIS HO, TODAY (FRIDAY).
SPEAKING AT A LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE LIONS CLUB OF HONG KONG EAST, MR HO SAID, + THE AIM OF THE TAXI VOUCHER SCHEME (TVS) IS TO USE THE TAXI SERVICE TO SUPPLEMENT CENTRE-BASED TRANSPORT AND THE TERRITORY-WIDE SPECIAL TRANSPORT SERVICES.+
THE SERVICE WILL PROVIDE TRANSPORT FOR DISABLED PERSONS WHO CANNOT UTILISE OTHER FORMS OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES TO MEET THEIR TRANSPORT NEEDS ARISING FROM NORMAL DAILY LIVING.
THE REASON WHY THE TAXI SERVICE WAS CHOSEN, MR HO WENT ON TO EXPLAIN, WAS THAT IT WAS GENERALLY RECOGNISED THAT THE TAXI WAS A VERY IMPORTANT FORM OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT THAT COULD BE UTILISED BY MOST OF THE WHEELCHAIR-BOUND AND THOSE WITH SEVERE WALKING DIFFICULTIES EITHER ON THEIR OWN OR WITH ASSISTANCE,
THE SCHEME WILL BE IMPLEMENTED FOR A TRIAL PERIOD OF 12 MONTHS.
/UNDER THE .....................