XN000022-1976-07-21 — Page 10

ON

WEDNESDAY, JULY 21, 1976

+MAXICAB+ SYSTEM PROVES SUCCESSFUL

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THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, THE HON. ALAN ARMSTRONG- WRIGHT, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY THAT THE +MAXICAB+ SYSTEM BY WHICH A LIMITED NUMBER OF PUBLIC LIGHT BUSES OPERATE OVER SPECIAL ROUTES AND AT STANDARD FARES HAD PROVED TO BE A SUCCESS.

HE SAID: +ON THE ADVICE OF THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND WHEN THE COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT HAS ADDITIONAL CONTROL STAFF, THIS SYSTEM WILL BE EXPANDED SO THAT MORE PUBLIC LIGHT BUSES WILL IN FACT OPERATE ON STANDARD FARES AND ROUTES.+

MR. ARMSTRONG-WRIGHT WAS REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN ABOUT GOVERNMENT'S PLANS TO STANDARDISE FARES FOR THE VARIOUS ROUTES OF THE PUBLIC LIGHT BUSES SO AS TO REDUCE THE POSSIBILITY OF OVERCHARGING.

HE SAID CONSIDERATION HAD BEEN GIVEN TO THE STANDARD ISATION OF FARES FOR PUBLIC LIGHT BUSES BUT THIS WOULD INVOLVE NOT ONLY THE RIGID DESIGNATION OF A COMPLEX NETWORK OF ROUTES BUT ALSO THE IMPOSITION OF CONTROLS ON A SYSTEM WHICH GENERALLY SEEMED TO BENEFIT THE PUBLIC BY BEING FLEXIBLE IN MEETING DEMANDS.

+ALSO IT WOULD BE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO ENFORCE STANDARD FARES OVER SUCH A WIDE NETWORK OF ROUTES AND UPON SO MANY INDIVIDUAL OPERATORS,+ HE SAID.

MR. ARMOSTRONG-WRIGHT SAID THAT THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE HAD CONSIDERED A SYSTEM OF ZONAL FARES BUT CONCLUDED THAT THIS WOULD NOT WORK, ALSO BECAUSE OF THE ENFORCEMENT DIFFICULTIES.

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