XN000022-1974-07-23 — Page 5

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TUESDAY, JULY 23, 1974

'BUS COMPANIES OWE DUTY TO PUBLIC', BRIAN WILSON

THE COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT, MR. BRIAN WILSON, TODAY CALLED ON THE TWO FRANCHISED BUS COMPANIES TO IMPROVE THEIR SERVICES TO DEMONSTRATE THAT THEY DID OUE A DUTY TO THE PUBLIC RATHER THAN MERELY TO THE IR SHAREHOLDERS.

HE WAS SPEAKING AT A LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF HONG KONG. IN HIS SPEECH, HE ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE TRANSPORT GREEN PAPER AND THE WAYS PEOPLE COULD COMMENT ON THE PAPER MORE CONVINCINGLY.

HE SAID THE PUBLIC HAD LONG COMPLAINED ABOUT THE POOR STANDARDS OF BUS SERVICES ALTHOUGH, IN RECENT YEARS, THINGS HAD SLIGHTLY IMPROVED LARGELY AS A RESULT OF EFFORTS BY INDIVIDUALS IN THE BUS COMPANIES.

TOO OFTEN, HE SAID, MAKING A PROFIT AT THE EXPENSE OF

A REASONABLE SERVICE SEEMS TO BE THE OVERRIDING MOTIVE, AND THE COMPANIES' BOARDS APPEAR TO THINK THAT THEY OWE A DUTY ONLY TO THEIR SHAREHOLDERS AND NOT TO THE PUBLIC.

+ IF THIS ISN'T SO, THEN IT'S ABOUT TIME THE BOARDS DEMONSTRATE OTHERWISE BY ACTUAL IMPROVEMENTS WHICH THE PUBLIC CAN SEE AND ENJOY,+ HE SAID.

MR. WILSON SAID: +WE STILL DON'T HAVE ANY CLEAR FORWARD PLANNING TO ESTIMATE DEMAND IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS, TO ORDER THE RIGHT NUMBER OF BUSES TO MEET THAT DEMAND, TO BUILD DEPOTS FOR MAINTAINING THESE VEHICLES, TO ASSESS THE STAFF REQUIRED TO DRIVE AND MAINTAIN VEHICLES, AND TO MAKE THE REQUISITE FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS.+

HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT COULD NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT AT PRESENT BECAUSE OF INADEQUATE LEGAL POWERS OVER THE BUS COMPANIES. HOWEVER, HE BELIEVED PUBLIC OPINION SHOULD POINT THE FINGER AT THE COMPANIES' BOARDS.

HE STRESSED THE POINT THAT, IF THE BUS SERVICES WERE NOT IMPROVED TO PROVIDE A POPULAR ALTERNATIVE, A POLICY OF RESTRAINTS ON OWNERSHIP AND USE OF VEHICLES WOULD BE MUCH LESS ACCEPTABLE TO THE PUBLIC.

+WE ARE AIMING IN THE LONG RUN TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES TO WHAT THE ROADS CAN REASONABLY CARRY AT PEAK PERIODS,+ HE SAID.

ON THE GREEN PAPER, MR. WILSON EXPLAINED THAT ITS PURPOSE WAS TO PUT TOGETHER IN ONE DOCUMENT VARIOUS PROPOSALS FOR A COMPREHENSIVE TRANSPORT POLICY THAT MADE THE BEST USE OF THE ROAD SYSTEM.

+SINCE MOST OF THE POPULATION IS IN SOME WAY DEPENDENT ON TRANSPORT, IT MAKES SENSE FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO PUT OUT PROPOSALS AND INVITE PUBLIC COMMENTS,+ HE SAID.

/HOWEVER, HE .............