5
TUESDAY, JULY 21, 1992
DETAILS OF THE NEW FARES STRUCTURE WILL BE ANNOUNCED BY NLB
SEPARATELY.
"TO BETTER MEET RECREATIONAL DEMAND ON SUNDAYS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS WITHOUT HAVING TO BUY ADDITIONAL BUSES, NLB HAD FERRIED HIRED COACHES TO LANTAU ISLAND AT WEEKENDS SINCE JUNE 1991, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
11
"THIS HAS MUCH IMPROVED THE SERVICES FOR HOLIDAY-MAKERS AND HAS BEEN WELL RECEIVED. THE REVENUE SO GENERATED HELPS SUBSIDISE WEEKDAY OPERATION," HE SAID.
UNDER THE NEW FARE SCALES, NLB'S SERVICES ON WEEKDAYS WILL CONTINUE TO BE SUBSIDISED BY SERVICES ON SUNDAYS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS.
THE NEW FARE SCALES REPRESENTED A 9.2 PER CENT INCREASE FOR WEEKDAYS SERVICES AND A 15.3 PER CENT INCREASE ON HOLIDAYS.
"THIS IS IN LINE WITH THE POLICY OF KEEPING FARES LOW FOR LOCAL RESIDENTS, HE SAID,
NLB PLANS TO PURCHASE EIGHT AIR-CONDITIONED BUSES OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS TO REPLACE OLDER VEHICLES IN ITS EXISTING FLEET
65 OF
BUSES.
A NEW RECREATIONAL ROUTE AND A NEW REGULAR ROUTE WILL BE ADDED TO NLB'S EXISTING NETWORK OF SEVEN ROUTES BEFORE 1994.
AS PART OF ITS SERVICE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME FOR REGULAR COMMUTERS, NLB INTENDS ΤΟ START USING AIR-CONDITIONED BUSES ON SELECTED WEEKDAY SERVICES LATER THIS YEAR.
"TO AVOID SUBSIDY FROM USERS OF ORDINARY SERVICES, THE CHARGES FOR AIR-CONDITIONED SERVICES ARE SET AT 45 PER CENT HIGHER THAN AN ORDINARY BUS TRIP OF A SIMILAR JOURNEY DISTANCE.
"THIS
IS IN ACCORDANCE WITH EMPIRICAL OPERATIONAL DATA WHICH SHOW THAT THE OPERATING COSTS OF NLB'S AIR-CONDITIONED VEHICLES ARE ABOUT 45 PER CENT HIGHER THAN ORDINARY BUSES, THE SPOKESMAN ADDED.
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RATES EXEMPTION ARRANGEMENTS FOR NT VILLAGE DWELLINGS
THE
HAS
FOR
THE
CONTINUED URBANISATION OF THE NEW TERRITORIES NECESSITATED A CHANGE IN THE WAY RATES EXEMPTION ARRANGEMENTS VILLAGE DWELLINGS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES ARE ADMINISTERED UNDER EXISTING RATING ORDINANCE, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE RATING AND VALUATION DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY (TUESDAY).
EXEMPTIONS UNDER THE RATING ORDINANCE, RATES VILLAGE HOUSES THAT MEET WITH PRESCRIBED BUILDING SPECIFICATIONS WITHIN DESIGNATED VILLAGE AREAS AND TO VILLAGE DESIGNATED RESITED VILLAGES.
ARE
GRANTED
ΤΟ
HOUSES WITHIN
/THE ADMINISTRATION