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TUESDAY, JULY 27, 1993
"So
CHANGE NO
So FAR
CONCERNED, ARE DEADLINES AS
11
HE
REITERATED.
"THE WHOLE COMMUNITY WANTS THESE TALKS TO BE
A SUCCESS, IF
POSSIBLE.
IS
DISCUSSIONS ON ELECTORAL
"I THINK THE WHOLE COMMUNITY OR THE GREAT MAJORITY OF ALSO PRETTY CLEAR THAT WHAT IT WANTS TO COME OUT OF THESE IS AN AGREEMENT ON THE THROUGH TRAIN, AND AN AGREEMENT ARRANGEMENTS FOR 1994 AND 95 WHICH ARE FAIR AND OPEN AND ACCEPTABLE TO PEOPLE," HE ADDED.
0
AIRPORT COMMITTEE MEETING
THE BRITISH AND CHINESE SIDES HAVE AGREED THAT A MEETING OF THE AIRPORT COMMITTEE WILL BE HELD IN HONG KONG ON 4 AUGUST IN ACCORDANCE
TO CONTINUE WITH
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE AIRPORT PROJECTS.
THE
DISCUSSIONS ON
0
-
FARE INCREASES FOR TAXI AND NLB CONSIDERED
THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE (TAC) TODAY (TUESDAY) MET TO DISCUSS FARE INCREASES FOR URBAN AND NEW TERRITORIES TAXIS.
MEMBERS ALSO DISCUSSED A FARE INCREASE APPLICATION FROM THE NEW LANTAO BUS COMPANY (NLB) AND WERE INFORMED OF THE UP-TO-DATE SITUATION OF THE ELDERLY CONCESSIONARY FARE SCHEME.
COSTS
ON TAXI FARE INCREASES, MEMBERS NOTED THAT THE OPERATING OF URBAN AND NT TAXIS ARE FORECAST TO RISE BY 16.2%-22.3% FROM THE LAST REVISION IN JANUARY LAST YEAR TO NOVEMBER THIS YEAR.
THE HIGHER OPERATING COSTS ARE DUE LARGELY TO A SUBSTANTIAL RISE IN FUEL COST AS WELL AS INCREASES IN SERVICING AND REPAIR COSTS AND INSURANCE AND DEPRECIATION CHARGES.
IT WAS ALSO NOTED THAT THE FARE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TAXIS AND OTHER PUBLIC TRANSPORT MODES HAVE NARROWED TO A LEVEL BELOW FIVE TO SEVEN TIMES FOR URBAN TAXIS AND THREE TO FOUR TIMES FOR NT TAXIS WHICH WERE STATED IN A POLICY ENDORSED BY TAC IN 1988.
MEMBERS SPENT CONSIDERABLE TIME TO DISCUSS THE PROS AND CONS OF VARIOUS OPTIONS FOR FARE INCREASES AND CAME TO A VIEW THAT MORE INFORMATION IS REQUIRED IN RESPECT OF THE COMBINATION OF THE FLAGFALL RATE, THE WAITING TIME AND SUBSEQUENT CHARGES AS WELL AS THE JUSTIFICATION AS TO WHY NT TAXIS NEED A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF INCREASE.
/THE COMMITTEE