XN000022-1976-09-11 — Page 3

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1976

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BUS ROUTE CHANGES AT CHAI WAN

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A MAJOR RE-ORGANISATION OF BUS SERVICES IN THE CHAI WAN AREA OF HONG KONG ISLAND WILL BE INTRODUCED NEXT WEEK, ACCORDING TO A TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN TODAY.

BEGINNING THURSDAY (SEPTEMBER 16), ALL BUS ROUTES IN THE AREA WILL BE CHANGED AS PART OF A COMPREHENSIVE SCHEME DRAWN UP BY THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT IN CONSULTATION WITH THE CHINA MOTOR BUS COMPANY.

THE NEW NETWORK OF ROUTES TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THE CHANGING NEEDS OF THE RAPIDLY INCREASING POPULATION OF THE AREA AND THE OPENING OF THE FINAL PHASE OF THE HING WAH ESTATE. THE POPULATION OF THE AREA NOW STANDING AT 81,000 IS EXPECTED TO REACH OVER 130,000 PERSONS WITHIN THE NEXT TEN YEARS AS NEW HOUSING ESTATES OPEN.

A NEW ROUTE 81 WILL BE INTRODUCED TO LINK THE HING WAH ESTATE WITH SHAU KEI WAN, QUARRY BAY, NORTH POINT AND CAUSEWAY BAY (LAI TAK TSUEN). THIS WILL OPERATE TO A BASIC 10-MINUTE FREQUENCY AT A 50 CENTS ADULT FARE (30 CENTS FOR CHILDREN). IN ADDITION, A 30 CENTS INTERMEDIATE SECTION FARE WILL BE PROVIDED FROM QUARRY BAY AND SHAU KEI WAN TO HING WAH.

EXISTING ROUTE 8 WILL BE EXTENDED TO START FROM CHAI WAN (SAN HA STREET) AND WILL BE DIVERTED VIA LEE CHUNG STREET, HONG MAN STREET, CHEUNG LEE STREET AND KUT SHING STREET TO SERVE THE CHAI WAN INDUSTRIAL AREA AND THE HEALTH CENTRE. THIS SERVICE WILL LINK CHAI WAN WITH WAN CHAI AT A BASIC SIX-MINUTE FREQUENCY USING HIGH-CAPACITY DOUBLE DECK BUSES.

ANOTHER NEW ROUTE, NO. 82, WILL BE INTRODUCED BETWEEN CHAI WAN EAST (ON YIP STREET) AND NORTH POINT FERRY OPERATING TO A BASIC SIX-MINUTE FREQUENCY WITH A 40 CENTS ADULT FARE (20 CENTS FOR CHILDREN).

ROUTES 83 AND 88 WILL LINK CHAI WAN WITH SAI WAN HO FERRY AND CAPE COLLINSON (TRAINING CENTRE) RESPECTIVELY. ON CHING MING AND CHUNG YEUNG FESTIVALS, A SPECIAL RECREATIONAL ROUTE, NO. 89, WILL OPERATE BETWEEN SHAU KEI WAN AND CHAI WAN CEMETERY.

ALTOGETHER 8 BUS ROUTES WILL SERVE THE CHAI WAN AREA (THESE INCLUDE EXPRESS ROUTE 80 TO CENTRAL DISTRICT AND CROSS HARBOUR ROUTE 106 TO CHUK YUEN VIA HUNG HOM AND KOWLOON CITY). A FLEET OF 75 HIGH CAPACITY BUSES IS INVOLVED IN THE SCHEME PROVIDING ALMOST 'A BUS A MINUTE OPERATION FROM THE CHAI WAN AREA.

TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT AND CMB OFFICIALS WILL BE CLOSELY MONITORING THE SCHEME DURING THE COMING WEEKS AND DAILY PASSENGER TRAFFIC VOLUMES ARE CONFIDENTLY EXPECTED TO TIP THE 60,000 MARK BY MID-OCTOBER, THE SPOKESMAN ADDED.

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