WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 1994
THE MTRC'S APPROACH GOES BEYOND JUST TRYING TO JUSTIFY ITS FARE STRUCTURE. IT WAS THE FIRST MAJOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT OPERATOR TO SET PERFORMANCE TARGETS AND PUBLISH ITS PERFORMANCE REGULARLY. SUCH TARGETS COVER TRAIN RELIABILITY, PEAK HOUR TRAIN PERFORMANCE, TICKET RELIABILITY AND ESCALATOR AVAILABILITY. SUCH PERFORMANCE PLEDGES DEMONSTRATE THEIR ACCOUNTABILITY AND THE MTRC DESERVE CREDIT FOR THEIR ΤΟ WILLINGNESS TO SHARE INFORMATION WITH THE PUBLIC AND BE RECEPTIVE THEIR VIEWS.
THE HONOURABLE LAU CHIN SHEK HAS REQUESTED THAT THE MTRC SHOULD ABOLISH ITS CURRENT POLICY OF ANNUALLY ADJUSTING FARES SO AS TO SAFEGUARD THE INTEREST OF PASSENGERS. I ENTIRELY ACCEPT AND AGREE
THE THAT
INTERESTS OF PASSENGERS MUST BE SAFEGUARDED
IN BUT,
THE ADMINISTRATION'S VIEW, IT IS PRECISELY FOR THIS REASON THAT REGULAR FARE INCREASES ARE ESSENTIAL. MTRO FARES ARE AFFORDABLE. BY KEEPING THE INCREASE BELOW THE RATE OF INFLATION OVER PAST YEARS, COMMUTERS IN PRACTICE HAVE HAD TO PAY NO MORE IN REAL TERMS.
IT
BE SHOULD NOT FORGOTTEN THAT OFTEN, AS A PACKAGE ΤΟ CUSHION FARE INCREASES, CONCESSIONS HAVE ALSO BEEN INTRODUCED, FOR EXAMPLE FOR THE ELDERLY AND STUDENTS AS WELL AS FOR TRAVEL DURING OFF-PEAK HOURS.
IT MUST BE MORE SENSIBLE TO GO FOR SMALL INCREMENTAL INCREASES IN FARES ΤΟ RESERVE AND EARMARK FUNDS FOR ONGOING AND PROJECTED ALL EXPENSES, MAINTENANCE AND SERVICE IMPROVEMENTS RATHER THAN IGNORE THIS AND BE FACED WITH SUBSTANTIAL EXPENDITURE THAT HAS TO BE FINANCED FROM SCRATCH WHEN PROBLEMS ARISE. OTHER RAILWAY SYSTEMS HAVE FAILED BECAUSE INSUFFICIENT RESOURCES HAVE BEEN EARMARKED IN GOOD TIME WHICH IN TURN HAS RESULTED IN THOSE SYSTEMS RUNNING DOWN AND THEN BREAKING DOWN.
FUTURE.
WE NEED TO LOOK AHEAD AND INVEST IN THE SYSTEM FOR THE THE COMMUNITY DOES THIS IN OTHER WALKS OF LIFE AND IT IS EQUALLY ESSENTIAL TO DO SO IN RESPECT OF OUR PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES. THE MTRC KNOWS ITS BUSINESS WELL. THE MTR IS ONE OF THE MOST EFFICIENT AND SUCCESSFUL RAILWAYS IN THE WORLD BECAUSE IT IS RUN ON PRUDENT COMMERCIAL PRINCIPLES. IT WOULD BE SUICIDAL TO INTERFERE BY ATTEMPTING TO TIE THE CORPORATION'S HANDS. THE CORPORATION HAS NOT ABUSED
IT CONTRARY ITS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY IN RAISING FARES - ON THE HAS DEMONSTRATED THAT IT IS FULLY CONSCIOUS
OF ITS CIVIC
RESPONSIBILITIES.
THE MTRC HAS DEMONSTRATED ITS OPENNESS AND PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY AND, IN FACT, CONTINUE TO STEP UP THEIR EFFORTS IN THIS DIRECTION. THE ADMINISTRATION WELCOMES AND ENCOURAGES THIS. THE ADMINISTRATION FIRMLY BELIEVES THAT REGULAR, MODEST FARE INCREASES ARE ESSENTIAL ΤΟ SAFEGUARD BOTH THE EFFICIENT OPERATION OF THE MASS TRANSIT SYSTEM AND THE INTEREST OF COMMUTERS. THE HON EDWARD HO, JIMMY MCGREGOR, VINCENT CHENG AND ROGER LUK HAVE ADVANCED PERSUASIVE ARGUMENTS AND FACTS TO EXPLAIN WHY THE MTRC MUST BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE ON PRUDENT
THE COMMERCIAL PRINCIPLES.
BE ADMINISTRATION IS MOST GRATEFUL FOR THEIR SUPPORT. IT WOULD INDEED SAD IF OTHER MEMBERS WHO IN FACT ACCEPT THE VERY VALID REASONS WHICH HAVE BEEN PUT FORWARD TO SAFEGUARD AND MAINTAIN THE MTRC'S FINANCIAL AUTONOMY, NONETHELESS VOTE IN FAVOUR OF THE SECOND PART OF MR LAU'S MOTION, SIMPLY BECAUSE OF HIS WORDING ASKING THE MTRO TO CONSIDER CHANGING ITS APPROACH ON FARE ADJUSTMENTS. THE ADMINISTRATION DOES NOT SUPPORT THE SECOND PART OF MR LAU'S MOTION THAT THE MTRC SHOULD ABANDON ITS CURRENT PRACTICE RELATING TO ADJUSTMENTS IN FARES.
THANK YOU MR PRESIDENT.
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