XN000022-1978-10-05 — Page 6

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1978

NEW MAXICAB ROUTES TO COME INTO OPERATION SOON

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ELEVEN NEW MAXICAB ROUTES, WHICH WERE OFFERED TO PUBLIC LIGHT BUS OPERATORS EARLIER THIS YEAR, ARE EXPECTED TO COME INTO OPERATION ON HONG KONG ISLAND TOWARDS THE END OF THIS MONTH.

A TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY THAT SELECTION PROCEDURES HAVE NOW BEEN COMPLETED AND LETTERS WOULD BE GOING OUT THIS WEEK TO SUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS.

HE SAID: +ONCE THE SUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS HAVE INDICATED THEIR AGREEMENT TO OPERATE THE ROUTES OFFERED TO THEM THEN WE CAN START THE NEW SERVICES.+

THE AREAS SERVED BY THE 11 NEW ROUTES INCLUDE BOWEN ROAD, SANDY BAY, KENNEDY TOWN, BROADWOOD ROAD, STANLEY, CHUNG HOM KÖK, SHING ON VILLAGE AND CAPE COLLINSON.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT RESPONSE TO THIS PARTICULAR EXERCISE WAS QUITE GOOD.

HE SAID: +UNFORTUNATELY IT TOOK A MUCH LONGER TIME THAN ANTICIPATED TO PROCESS THE APPLICATIONS BECAUSE CERTAIN PROCEDURES HAD TO BE WORKED OUT WITH OTHER GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS.

+NOW THAT WE HAVE SORTED OUT THESE PROCEDURES WE CAN LOOK FORWARD TO QUICKER PROCESSING IN FUTURE.+

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT UNSUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS CAN APPLY AGAIN VERY SOON. +WE ARE PLANNING TO OFFER ANOTHER 20 ROUTES, THIS TIME IN KOWLOON, AT THE END OF THIS MONTH.+

THESE ROUTES WILL BE THE FIRST OF ABOUT 30 MAXICAB ROUTES PLANNED FOR KOWLOON.

+WHEN WE HAVE COMPLETED PROCESSING THIS BATCH WE WILL START ON HONG KONG AND KOWLOON AGAIN, AND THEN THE NEW TERRITORIES, + HE SAID.

BY THEN, HE ADDED, THERE SHOULD BE ABOUT 40 MAXICAB ROUTES ON HONG KONG ISLAND, SOME 30 IN KOWLOON AND MORE THAN 60 IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

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