XN000022-1975-11-28 — Page 2

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1975

SAFER AND BETTER SERVICES FOR PLB USERS

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AMENDED REGULATIONS HAVE BEEN MADE TO PROVIDE GREATER SAFETY AND BETTER SAFEGUARD OF SERVICES FOR PEOPLE USING PUBLIC LIGHT BUSES, AND ALSO TO PROTECT PLB DRIVERS AGAINST PASSENGERS NOT PAYING THE STIPULATED FARE.

THESE REGULATIONS, WHICH WERE PUBLISHED IN TODAY'S GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, WILL COME INTO EFFECT ON A DAY TO BE APPOINTED.

THEY LAY DOWN SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DISPLAY AND COLOURS OF DESTINATION INDICATORS AND FARE CARDS ON PLBS, AND FORBID THE CHANGING OF AN INDICATOR DURING A JOURNEY WITH INTENT TO CHARGE EXTRA FARES OR TO CUT SHORT THE ORIGINALLY INDICATED JOURNEY.

A TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN TODAY EXPLAINED THAT THE REVISED LEGISLATION IN FACT SOUGHT TO FORMAL ISE WHAT SOME PLB OPERATORS HAD ALREADY BEEN DOING WITH THE DISPLAY OF DESTINATION INDICATORS AND FARE CARDS.

HE SAID THE MATTER WAS FIRST RAISED WITH PLB REPRESENTATIVES TWO YEARS AGO AND FURTHER DISCUSSED IN MEETINGS LAST YEAR. AT THE TIME, THEY AGREED IN PRINCIPLE WITH THE LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS, HE ADDED.

ONE PROVISION REQUIRES A PLB DRIVER TO DISPLAY, NOT MORE THAN ONE AT ANY ONE TIME, A DESTINATION INDICATOR OF AN APPROVED DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION ON THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE.

AT PRESENT, THE SPOKESMAN SAID, SEVERAL DESTINATION BOARDS WERE SOMETIMES EXHIBITED ON THE WINDSCREEN WHICH OBSCURED THE DRIVER'S VISION AND POSED A ROAD SAFETY HAZARD.

THE INDICATOR, IN ENGLISH AND CHINESE, MUST CLEARLY SHOW THE DESTINATION BY REFERENCE TO A ROAD JUNCTION OR SOME OTHER EASILY RECOGNISED PLACE. IT SHOULD BE ILLUMINATED DURING DARK HOURS.

UNDER THE AMENDED REGULATIONS, A SERIES OF STANDARD COLOURS FOR DESTINATION INDICATORS WILL BE INTRODUCED FOR DIFFERENT ZONES. ALL INDICATORS WILL HAVE WHITE LETTERS AND CHARACTERS, BUT THE COLOUR OF THE BACKGROUND WILL VARY.

IT WILL BE DARK-BLUE FOR ANY ROUTE ON HONG KONG ISLAND OTHER THAN A CROSS-HARBOUR ROUTE- GREEN FOR ANY ROUTE WHICH ORIGINATES OR TERMINATES IN KOWLOON AND NEW KOWLOON, OTHER THAN A NEW TERRITORIES OR CROSS-HARBOUR ROUTE YELLOW FOR ANY ROUTE WHICH ORIGINATES OR TERMINATES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, OTHER THAN A KOWLOON AND NEW KOWLOON OR CROSS-HARBOUR ROUTE AND RED FOR ANY CROSS- HARBOUR-TUNNEL ROUTE.

/A F.L.B.

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