XN000022-1976-12-04 — Page 2

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1976

PUBLIC TRANSPORT PASSENGERS REACH ALL-TIME PEAK ******

THE DEMAND FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT FACILITIES IN THE FIRST TEN MONTHS OF THIS YEAR HAS REACHED AN ALL-TIME PEAK.

ACCORDING TO FIGURES RELEASED TODAY BY THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT, MORE THAN 1,053 MILLION PASSENGERS USED BUSES, FERRIES, TRAMS AND THE RAILWAY DURING THE TEN-MONTH PERIOD, 55.7 MILLION OR SIX PER CENT MORE THAN IN THE SAME PERIOD OF 1975.

MOST OF THE INCREASE RESULTED FROM MORE USAGE OF FRANCHISED BUS SERVICES WHERE THE THREE COMPANIES ARE NOW CARRYING 2.6 MILLION PASSENGERS PER DAY COMPARED WITH THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD LAST YEAR WHEN DAILY TRAFFIC VOLUMES WERE 2.3 MILLION.

THE KOWLOON MOTOR BUS COMPANY WITH A LICENSED FLEET OF 1,675 VEHICLES HAS INTRODUCED 13 ADDITIONAL BUS ROUTES DURING THE YEAR AND NOW CARRIES AN AVERAGE OF 2.09 MILLION PASSENGERS PER DAY ON 150 SERVICES.

THE FREQUENCY AND CARRYING CAPACITY ON 34 SERVICES HAVE BEEN INCREASED SO AS TO PROVIDE BETTER FACILITIES AT HOUSING ESTATES SUCH AS LAM TIN, SAU MAU PING, LAI KING, LEK YUEN, KWAI SHING, LEI MUK SHU, TSZ WAN SHAN, OF HAN AND TUNG TAŬ.

THE 15 EXPRESS COACH SERVICES NOW CARRY AN AVERAGE OF 29,000 PASSENGERS PER DAY OF WHICH 3,200 TRAVEL TO AND FROM KAI TAK AIRPORT ON THE TWO POPULAR AIRPORT COACH SERVICES.

THE CHINA MOTOR BUS COMPANY WITH A LICENSED FLEET OF 684 BUSES HAS INTRODUCED EIGHT NEW ROUTES DURING THE YEAR AND NOW CARRIES AN AVERAGE OF 628,000 PASSENGERS PER DAY ON 66 SERVICES.

IMPROVED FACILITIES HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED AT WAH FU, WONG CHUK HANG, CHAI WAN AND LAI TAK TSUEN ESTATES AND NEW ROUTES INTRODUCED INCLUDE SERVICES TO KENNEDY ROAD, HOLLYWOOD ROAD AND HING WAR ESTATE.

A MAJOR EXPANSION SCHEME FOR BUS SERVICES IN THE CHAI WAN SHAU KEI WAN, QUARRY BAY, NORTH POINT AND CAUSEWAY BAY AREAS IS BEING INTRODUCED IN STAGES AND NEW FACILITIES WILL BE PROVIDED FOR A KUNG NGAM LATER THIS MONTH.

WAH FU, ABERDEEN AND WONG CHUK HANG ARE BEING PROVIDED ITH DIRECT FACILITIES TO CAUSEWAY BAY AND NORTH POINT IN ADVANCE OF THE OPENING OF THE NEW ABERDEEN TUNNEL.

DEMAND FOR THE CROSS HARBOUR BUS SERVICES CONTINUES TO GRO» AND THE 14 JOINT SERVICES NOW CARRY 305,000 PASSENGERS PER DAY. TRAFFIC ON THE TWO ALL-NIGHT CROSS HARBOUR SERVICES AND THE RECREATION ROUTE BETWEEN SHA TIN AND ABERDEEN HAS INCREASED AND A NEW ROUTE BETWEEN TSZ WAN SHAN AND QUARRY BAY WILL BE INTRODUCED EARLY IN 1977.

SON LANTAS