MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 1993
COMMITMENT TO BETTER PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
THE GOVERNMENT IS COMMITTED TO FURTHER IMPROVING THE TRANSPORT SERVICES, REDUCING ROAD HAZARDS AND INVESTING IN INFRASTRUCTURE.
THIS
WAS STATED BY THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, MR MICHAEL LEUNG TODAY (MONDAY) IN A SESSION WITH THE MEDIA WHICH WAS ALSO ATTENDED BY THE COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT, MR RAFAEL HUI, AND THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF HIGHWAYS, MR K C YEUNG.
ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT IMPROVEMENT, MR LEUNG SAID UNDER THEIR FIVE-YEAR DEVELOPMENT PLANS, THE FRANCHISED BUS COMPANIES WILL INCREASE THEIR CARRYING CAPACITY BY 12 PER CENT BY 1997 WITH MORE EXPRESS ROUTES TO THE NEW TOWNS AND MORE AIR-CONDITIONED BUSES.
MR LEUNG SAID: "WE WILL ALSO KEEP IN VIEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTRODUCING MORE HEALTHY COMPETITION IN PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES FOLLOWING THE INTRODUCTION OF A SECOND FRANCHISED BUS OPERATOR ON HONG KONG ISLAND.
TO ENABLE PUBLIC TRANSPORT OPERATORS TO BE DIRECTLY ACCOUNTABLE TO THEIR CUSTOMERS, MR LEUNG SAID BOTH KOWLOON MOTOR BUS CO (KMB) AND CHINA MOTOR BUS CO (CMB) WILL SET UP THEIR PASSENGER LIAISON GROUPS' THIS YEAR.
THIS FOLLOWED THE SUCCESS BY THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY CORP (MTRC) AND KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY CORP (KCRC) AND HONGKONG YAUMATEI FERRY IN ESTABLISHING THEIR OWN PASSENGER LIAISON GROUPS.
OF
MR LEUNG NOTED THE SUCCESS IN KREPING THE PEAK HOUR PASSENGER FLOW ALONG THE MTR NATHAN ROAD CORRIDOR BELOW THE ACCEPTABLE LEVEL 75,000 LAST YEAR, BY INTRODUCING 13 NEW EXPRESS BUS ROUTES, MORE RESIDENTIAL COACH SERVICES AND NEW TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT MEASURES.
AS A FURTHER MEASURE, MTRC WILL BE UPGRADING IT'S SIGNALLING, VENTILATION AND POWER SUPPLY SYSTEM SO THAT AN ADDITIONAL SOUTH-BOUND TRAIN WILL BE OPERATED KACH HOUR DURING THE MORNING PEAK PERIOD THIS YEAR, AND A FURTHER TRAIN NEXT YEAR.
LATER
OTHER NEW MEASURES TO IMPROVE THE PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES INCLUDE A PLAN BY THE YAUMATEL FERRY TO COMMISSION TWO 300-SEAT VESSELS IN AUGUST THIS YEAR ON THE TUEN MUN-CENTRAL ROUTE.
"IT
FAST
IS ALSO OUR INTENTION TO START A NEW HOVER FERRY SERVICE BETWEEN TUEN MUN AND WAN CHAI AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, MR LEUNG SAID.
FF
ON ROAD SAFETY, MR LEUNG SAID THE GOVERNMENT REMAINED COMMITTED TO FURTHER REDUCING SAFETY HAZARDS ON THE ROADS.
LEGISLATION WILL BE INTRODUCED INTO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THIS WEEK TO TACKLE THE OVERLOADING OF GOODS VEHICLES.
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