XN000022-1981-05-07 — Page 7

THURSDAY, MAY 7, 1981

NOTE TO EDITORS

RENT REVIEW

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PRESS CONFERENCE

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THE COMMITTEE OF REVIEW, LANDLORD AND TENANT (CONSOLIDATION) ORDINANCE WILL HOLD A PRESS CONFERENCE AT 2.30 PM TOMORROW (FRIDAY) IN THE GIS THEATRE, 5TH FLOOR, BEACONSFIELD HOUSE, CENTRAL.

PRESENT WILL BE THE SECRETARY FOR HOUSING, MR DONALD LIAO, IN HIS CAPACITY OF CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE, AND THREE MEMBERS MR RAYMOND FRY, COMMISSIONER FOR RATING AND VALUATION, PROF P.G. WILLOUGHBY OF HONG KONG UNIVERSITY, AND MR ROGER LOBO, UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS.

MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES ARE REQUESTED TO ARRIVE AT THE GIS THEATRE BY 2 PM WHEN THEY WILL BE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY OF READING THE COMMITTEE'S REPORT AND A SUMMARY BEFORE THE START OF THE CONFERENCE AT 2.30 PM.

THE CONTENTS OF THE REPORT WILL BE EMBARGOED UNTIL AFTER THE CONFERENCE.

NEW TOWNS SERVED BY NEW BUSES ****

MANY OF THE NEW BUSES BOUGHT BY HONG KONG'S TWO FRANCHISED BUS COMPANIES HAVE BEEN PUT, A FEW AT A TIME, ON ROUTES TO HOUSING ESTATES IN NEW TOWNS AND ON FEEDER ROUTES FOR THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY, SAID THE COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT, MR ALAN ARMSTRONG-WRIGHT TODAY (THURSDAY).

HE TOLD THE KOWLOON ROTARY CLUB AT A PENINSULA HOTEL LUNCHEON THAT THE REPLACEMENT OF OLD BUSES AND NEW DEPLOYMENT ON PROBLEM ROUTES WERE OTHER FACTORS WHICH TENDED TO NULLIFY EFFORTS MADE BY THE COMPANIES TO IMPROVE THE IR SERVICES.

MR ARMSTRONG-WRIGHT SAID THAT KMB LAST YEAR BOUGHT NEARLY 300 BUSES, AND CMB 180, INCREASING THE TOTAL FLEET OF THE TWO COMPANIES FROM 2 700 TO OVER 3 000 AND THE CARRYING CAPACITY BY 16 PER CENT.

+ IN THEORY, THE PUBLIC SHOULD NOW BE ENJOYING A MUCH BETTER BUS SERVICE, BUT IN PRACTICE, IN SPITE OF THE UNPRECEDENTED EXPANSION OF THE BUS FLEETS AND RELIEF PROVIDED BY MTR, WE STILL HEAR THE CRY THAT BUS SERVICES HAVE NOT IMPROVED, HE SAID.

+I SUSPECT