WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1993
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JOINT LIAISON GROUP 27TH MEETING
THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE ANNOUNCED THIS MORNING THAT THE TWENTY-SEVENTH MEETING OF THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT LIAISON GROUP ON HONG KONG WILL TAKE PLACE IN PEKING FROM SEPTEMBER 14 TO 16. THE BRITISH TEAM WILL BE LED BY THE SENIOR REPRESENTATIVE, MR ANTHONY GALSWORTHY. THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE BRITISH TEAM WILL BE MR MICHAEL SZE (SECRETARY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS, HONG KONG), MR ALAN PAUL (COUNSELLOR, OFFICE OF THE BRITISH SENIOR REPRESENTATIVE, SINO-BRITISH JOINT LIAISON GROUP, HONG KONG), MR ROBERT PEIRCE (POLITICAL ADVISER, HONG KONG).
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LANTAU BUS FARE INCREASE APPROVED
*
FARE
THE
GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL HAS APPROVED AN AVERAGE 10.5 PER CENT INCREASE FOR THE NEW LANTAO BUS COMPANY (NLB) WITH EFFECT FROM SATURDAY (SEPTEMBER 11) TO MEET RISING OPERATING COSTS AND CONTINUE SERVICE IMPROVEMENTS.
A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THE FARE INCREASE WAS BELOW THE ESTIMATED 11 PER CENT IN INFLATION RATE BETWEEN NLB'S LAST FARE REVISION IN AUGUST 1992 AND SEPTEMBER 1993. IMPACT OF THE INCREASE ON GENERAL INFLATION WOULD BE NEGLIGIBLE.
THE SPOKESMAN EMPHASISED THAT NLB'S SERVICES HAD IMPROVED IN TERMS OF AVAILABILITY, MAINTENANCE AND SAFETY STANDARDS IN RECENT YEARS. NLB HAD ALSO STREAMLINED ITS OPERATION TO REDUCE COSTS.
ALSO WITH EFFECT FROM SATURDAY, NLB WILL EXTEND ITS EXISTING SCHEME OF CONCESSIONARY FARE FOR THE ELDERLY AGED 65 AND ABOVE TO ALL SERVICES FROM MONDAY TO SATURDAY.
THIS IS TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF GOVERNMENT'S ASSISTANCE IN THE FORM OF EXEMPTION FROM ANNUAL VEHICLE LICENCE FEES AND RENTALS.
APART FROM ACTIVELY PREPARING FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF PASSENGER LIAISON GROUPS TO ENHANCE COMMUNICATION WITH PASSENGERS, THE COMPANY IS ALSO PLANNING TO INTRODUCE FOUR NEW ROUTES IN THE COMING TWO YEARS TO MEET PASSENGER DEMAND.
THE EFFECTS OF THE NEW FARES ON PASSENGERS ARE:
ON WEEKDAYS
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50.7 PER CENT OF PASSENGERS WOULD PAY 10 TO 50 CENTS PER TRIP;
MORE
* 48.5 PER CENT 60 TO 70 CENTS MORE; AND
* 0.8 PER CENT 80 CENTS TO $1.3 MORE;
/ON SUNDAYS