XN000022-1979-04-02 — Page 5

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MONDAY, APRIL 2, 1979

CLOSURE ORDER HEARING ADJOURNED

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THE PRINCIPAL GOVERNMENT BUILDING SURVEYOR ANNOUNCED

TODAY (MONDAY) THAT THE HEARING FOR THE CLOSURE ORDER APPLICATION OF NO. 66-72 LEI MUK ROAD, KWAI CHUNG, NEW TERRITORIES, WAS ADJOURNED SINE DIE THIS MORNING IN KOWLOON DISTRICT COURT.

HE SAID THAT A REQUEST FOR AN ADJOURNMENT HAD BEEN MADE AS THE OWNERS HAD MADE PROPOSALS FOR MAKING THE BUILDING SAFE AND THESE PROPOSALS WERE NOW BEING IMPLEMENTED.

AWARD OF FRANCHISE TO NEW LANTAO BUS COMPANY

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THE GOVERNMENT HAS AWARDED THE NEW LANTAO BUS COMPANY AN EIGHT-YEAR EXCLUSIVE FRANCHISE TO OPERATE ITS PRESENT BUS SERVICES IN SOUTH LANTAU.

THE NEW FRANCHISE, WHICH RUNS FROM APRIL 1, 1979 TO MARCH 31, 1987, REPLACES THE FIVE-YEAR NON-EXCLUSIVE FRANCHISE WHICH EXPIRED ON MARCH 31, 1979.

AT PRESENT, THE NEW LANTAO BUS COMPANY OPERATES FIVE ROUTES ALONG SOUTH LANTAU ROAD, SERVING MUI WO, PUI O, CHEUNG SHA AND TAI O AND ACROSS THE ISLAND TO TUNG CHUNG AND NGONG PING.

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY (MONDAY) THE NEW LONG-TERM FRANCHISE WILL GIVE THE COMPANY OPPORTUNITY TO INVEST AND EXPAND TO IMPROVE PUBLIC TRANSPORT FACILITIES ON LANTAU.

HE SAID THAT SINCE 1973, WHEN THE COMPANY BEGAN OPERATING, THERE HAS BEEN A STEADY IMPROVEMENT IN THE OPERATION OF BUS SERVICES ON THE ISLAND AND THAT THE COMPANY IS ALSO CONTINUING TO EXPAND THE PROVISION OF BACK-UP MAINTENANCE FACILITIES FOR THESE SERVICES.

THE NUMBER OF BUSES WILL ALSO BE INCREASED.

THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT THE NATURE OF BUS OPERATIONS ON LANTAU PRESENTED SPECIAL DIFFICULTIES WHICH WERE PARTLY GEOGRAPHICAL. RELATED TO THE DIFFICULT TERRAIN AND NARROW WINDING ROADS, BUT WHICH WERE MAINLY DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE DEMAND FOR SERVICES FOR RECREATIONAL TRAFFIC DURING FINE WEEKENDS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS WAS VERY MUCH HIGHER THAN FOR WEEK-DAY SERVICES.

HOWEVER, HE SAID THE COMPANY WOULD BE INTRODUCING DOUBLE- DECKER BUSES SHORTLY TO SERVE THE MAIN ROUTE ALONG SOUTH LANTAU ROAD TO INCREASE THE CAPACITY. AT THE SAME TIME, ONE-MAN BUS OPERATION WOULD BE INTRODUCED TO IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY,

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