XN000022-1977-02-25 — Page 8

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1977

BUS SERVICE FOR SHA TAU KOK AND SHEUNG SHUI VILLAGERS REORGANISED

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A NUMBER OF BUS ROUTE CHANGES IN THE SHEUNG SHUI AREA WILL BE INTRODUCED NEXT WEEK IN ORDER TO IMPROVE THE TRANSPORT FACILITIES FOR SHA TAU KOK, PING YEUNG AND HUNG LENG RESIDENTS TRAVELLING TO AND FROM LUEN WO HUI AND SHEUNG SHUI MARKET TOWNS.

A TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY THAT FROM TUESDAY, (MARCH 1) KMB ROUTE 73 WOULD BE EXTENDED TO OPERATE BETWEEN TAI PO MARKET AND MAN KAM TO VIA LUEN WO HUI AND SHEUNG SHUI AT A BASIC 12-MINUTE FREQUENCY.

ROUTE 78 WILL ALSO BE EXTENDED TO OPERATE BETWEEN SHEUNG SHUI AND SHA TAU KOK VIA FANLING RAILWAY STATION, LUEN WO HUI AND HUNG LENG AT A BASIC 15-MINUTE FREQUENCY USING DOUBLE-DECK BUSES.

ROUTE 78A WILL CONTINUE TO OPERATE BETWEEN LUEN WO HUI AND SHA TAU KOK (SECONDARY SCHOOL), 79 BETWEEN SHEUNG SHUI AND TA KWU LING AND 81 BETWEEN LUEN WO HUT AND LUK KENG. ALL THREE ROUTES WILL OPERATE AT 20-MINUTE FREQUENCIES.

IN ADDITION, A NEW ROUTE NO. 79A WILL BE INTRODUCED TO OPERATE BETWEEN LUEN WO HUI AND PING YEUNG ALONG SHA TAU KOK AND PING CHE ROADS AT A 15-MINUTE FREQUENCY.

THE MAJOR RE-ORGANISATION SCHEME HAS BEEN DESIGNED BY THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT IN CONSULTATION WITH KMB TO MEET THE NEEDS OF LOCAL VILLAGERS TRAVELLING TO MARKET AND STUDENTS GOING TO THE VARIOUS SCHOOLS.

THE NEW BUS NETWORK WILL PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE FACILITIES FOR OVER 30 VILLAGES ADJOINING SHA TAU KOK, PING CHE, LUK KENG AND MAN KAM TO ROADS.

THE 21 BUSES TO BE USED (INCLUDING FIVE DOUBLE DECKERS) WILL PROVIDE A 3-1/2-MINUTE FREQUENCY ALONG SHA TAU KOK ROAD AND FARES WILL RANGE FROM 20 CENTS TO 50 CENTS ACCORDING TO DISTANCE TRAVELLED.

OVER ONE THOUSAND PASSENGERS PER HOUR WILL BE ABLE TO USE THE REVISED SERVICES IN EACH DIRECTION.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID: +A NEED TO IMPROVE BUS SERVICES IN THE AREA HAS BEEN RECOGNISED AS AN IMPORTANT PRIORITY ASSOCIATED WITH THE ACTION BEING TAKEN BY THE POLICE AND TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT AGAINST THE ILLEGAL CARRYING OF PASSENGERS BY GOODS VEHICLES.

+THE MAJORITY OF THE LORRIES DO NOT POSSESS EXCESS PERSONS PERMITS AND NO INSURANCE COVER FOR PASSENGERS OR OTHER ROAD USERS AGAINST INJURY OR ACCIDENT. IN FACT, MANY LORRIES HAVE BEEN ILLEGALLY ADAPTED TO CARRY PASSENGERS IN UNSAFE CONDITIONS AND THIS HAS BEEN A FREQUENT CAUSE FOR COMPLAINT,+ HE ADDED.

/+ ON THE .****