XN000022-1974-11-15 — Page 5

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1974

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NO MINIMUM FARES FOR PLB'S PROPOSED PLANS ENVISAGE ONLY MAXIMUM FARES

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NO MINIMUM LIMITS ARE SET DOWN IN THE LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS FOR THE STANDARDISATION OF PUBLIC LIGHT BUS FARES, A TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY.

IN FACT, WHAT HAS BEEN PROPOSED IS MAXIMUM FARES ONLY, AND IF AND WHEN THESE PROPOSALS COME INTO EFFECT, PLB DRIVERS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CHARGE HIGHER THAN THE MAXIMUM LIMITS, BUT THEY WILL CERTAINLY BE FREE TO CHARGE ANY AMOUNT OF FARE BELOW THESE LIMITS, HE SAID.

THE SPOKESMAN STRESSED THIS POINT WHILE COMMENTING ON SOME CHINESE PRESS REPORTS THAT THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION PROVIDED FOR BOTH MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM FARES THAT COULD BE CHARGED.

+THIS IS SIMPLY NOT THE CASE BECAUSE IT HAS NEVER BEEN INTENDED TO LAY DOWN ANY MINIMUM FARES, ON THE CONTRARY, THE PROPOSALS, WHICH HAVE ALREADY BEEN AGREED TO BY REPRESENTATIVES OF PLB ASSOCIATIONS FOLLOWING A NUMBER OF CONSULTATIVE MEETINGS, PROVIDE FOR MAXIMUM FARES ONLY, HE SAID.

AND THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN EXPLAINED CLEARLY TO THE PLB OPERATORS DURING THE MEETINGS, HE ADDED.

THE MAXIMUM FARE SCHEME HAS BEEN PROPOSED FOLLOWING COMPLAINTS MADE BY PLB PASSENGERS THAT PLB DRIVERS CHARGED UNREASONABLY HIGH FARES.

+THE SCHEME IS INTENDED TO RULE OUT SUCH UNREASONABLE HIGH CHARGES, WHILE.AT THE SAME TIME IT WOULD ENABLE PLB OPERATORS TO HAVE A REASONABLE FINANCIAL RETURN, + THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

UNDER THE PROPOSALS, PEOPLE WOULD COMMIT AN OFFENCE IF THEY CHARGE HIGHER THAN THE MAXIMUM LIMITS LAID DOWN AND SHALL BE LIABLE, IN THE CASE OF A FIRST CONVICTION, TO A FINE OF $500 AND IMPRISONMENT FOR THREE MONTHS, AND, ON SECOND OR SUBSEQUENT CONVICTION, TO A FINE OF $1,000 AND IMPRISONMENT FOR SIX MONTHS.

THE PROPOSAL PROVIDE FOR TWO TYPES OF MAXIMUM FARES - ONE FOR ORDINARY PERIODS AND THE OTHER FOR SPECIFIED PERIODS - BUT IN BOTH CASES, THE FARES CHARGED CANNOT EXCEED THE LIMITS.

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THE HIGHEST FARE THAT COULD BE CHARGED IN ORDINARY TIMES FOR ROUTES ALONG THE NORTH SHORE OF HONG KONG ISLAND WOULD BE 60 CENTS, WHILE THE MAXIMUM ORDINARY FARE FOR A JOURNEY ELSEWHERE ON THE ISLAND WOULD BE $1.50. AS FOR A JOURNEY FROM ONE TO ANOTHER OF THESE TWO ZONES, THE MAXIMUM ORDINARY FARE WOULD BE THE HIGHEST FARE OF THE ZONES COVERED.

/THE HIGHEST