XN000022-1978-08-30 — Page 4

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30, 1978

NEW COACH SERVICES TO BE INTRODUCED BETWEEN CENTRAL AND STANLEY *******

TWO NEW COACH SERVICES - ROUTE 260 BETWEEN CENTRAL AND STANLEY PRISON AND ROUTE 262 BETWEEN CENTRAL AND CHUNG HOM KOK WILL BE INTRODUCED BY THE CHINA MOTOR BUS COMPANY ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1.

ROUTE 260 WILL OPERATE DAILY WHILE ROUTE 262 WILL OPERATE FROM MONDAYS TO SATURDAYS. BOTH ROUTES WILL TERMINATE AT CENTRAL BUS STATION.

THE FULL FARE OF BOTH ROUTES WILL BE $1.50 AND A SECTION FARE OF $1 WILL BE CHARGED FOR JOURNEYS FROM REPULSE BAY TO CENTRAL.

NO STANDING PASSENGERS WILL BE ALLOWED ON THESE COACHES. THE FREQUENCY ON BOTH COACH SERVICES IS 20 MINUTES DURING PEAK HOURS AND 30 MINUTES IN OTHER PERIODS. IT MEANS THAT THE COMBINED FREQUENCY FROM REPULSE BAY IS 10 MINUTES DURING PEAK HOURS AND 15 MINUTES IN OTHER PERIODS.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY THAT A TEST RUN USING TWO OF THE NEW 72-SEATER DOUBLE-DECK COACHES WAS CARRIED OUT SUCCESSFULLY ON AUGUST 24.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT TEN NEW COACHES WITH HIGH-BACK SOFAS AND LARGE WINDOWS WILL BE PUT ON THE TWO SERVICES.

ON ITS WAY TO STANLEY PRISON AND CHUNG HOM KOK THE COACHES WILL STOP AT THE STAR FERRY CONCOURSE TO PICK UP PASSENGERS AND ON THE RETURN JOURNEY THE COACHES WILL RUN VIA CONNAUGHT PLACE TO SET DOWN PASSENGERS BEFORE RETURNING TO THE TERMINUS.

THESE ARE THE FIRST OF A SERIES OF NEW GUARANTEED-SEAT COACH TYPE SERVICES TO BE INTRODUCED ON HONG KONG ISLAND OFFERING A HIGHER QUALITY SERVICE AT A REASONABLE FARE AS A MEANS OF ENCOURAGING MOTORISTS TO USE PUBLIC TRANSPORT FOR COMMUTING.

IN THIS CONNECTION THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT IS PROPOSING TO INTRODUCE A BUS ONLY LANE IN QUEEN'S ROAD EAST TO SPEED UP THE BUS FLOW.

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