XN000022-1981-05-07 — Page 8

+

THURSDAY, MAY 7, 1981

+ SUSPECT THAT THE MAIN REASON IS THAT NEW BUSES HAVE BEEN PHASED INTO SERVICE, A FEW AT A TIME, SPREAD OVER A LARGE NUMBER OF ROUTES, RATHER THAN BEING INTRODUCED EN BLOCK WITH A BIG FLOUR ISH, + HE ADDED.

MR ARMSTRONG-WRIGHT SAID THAT ALTHOUGH THE EFFORTS HAD BEEN DECRIED BY SOME, THE ADDITIONAL BUSES AND RELIEF PROVIDED BY THE MTR HAVE HAD AN EFFECT.

HE SAID NEW BUS ROUTES WERE BEING WELL USED AND SURVEY RESULTS SHOWED THAT THE LENGTH OF PEAK PERIODS AND THE LEVEL OF OVER- CROWDING HAD BEEN REDUCED ON MANY EXISTING ROUTES.

MR ARMSTRONG-WRIGHT ADMITTED THAT ALTHOUGH MANY STEPS WERE TAKEN IN 1980 TO OBTAIN ENOUGH BUSES TO MEET DEMAND, BUS SERVICES STILL FELL FAR SHORT OF PUBLIC EXPECTATIONS FOR A GOOD BUT CHEAP PUBLIC TRANSPORT SYSTEM.

BUT EFFORTS WERE BEING MADE TO RECTIFY THE SITUATION, HE SAID.

HE ALSO SAID A TEAM HEADED BY AN EXPERT FROM THE U.K. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT, HAD BEEN FORMED TO DEVELOP PUBLIC TRANSPORT PRIORITY MEASURES.

TUEN MUN RURAL COMMITTEE OFFICE BUILDING OPENED

***

SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR DAVID AKERS-JONES, OPENED THE NEW TUEN MUN RURAL COMMITTEE OFFICE BUILDING TODAY (THURSDAY).

THE FOUR-STOREY BUILDING IS ON A 658-SQUARE-METRE SITE AT SAN TSING ROAD GRANTED BY GOVERNMENT.

INCLUDED IN THE BUILDING ARE OFFICES AND MEETING AND CONFERENCE ROOMS WITH A TOTAL FLOOR AREA OF 950 SQUARE METRES.

IT WAS BUILT AT A COST OF $2.1 MILLION, THE LARGEST AMOUNT EVER SPENT ON A RURAL COMMITTEE BUILDING.

ALSO OFFICIATING AT THE OPENING WERE THE CHAIRMAN OF TUEN MUN RURAL COMMITTEE, MR LAU WONG-FAT= A FORMER CHAIRMAN, MR CHAN YAT-SUN- AND THE DISTRICT OFFICER, MR BILLY LAM.

SPEAKING AT THE CEREMONY, MR LAM SAID A SPECIAL FEATURE OF THE BUILDING WAS THAT, APART FROM BEING THE ADMINISTRATIVE CENTRE OF TUEN MUN RURAL COMMITTEE, IT WOULD PROVIDE OFFICE SPACE FOR FOUR LONG-ESTABLISHED LOCAL ORGANISATIONS - TUEN MUN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, TUEN MUN MANUFACTURERS' ASSOCIATION, TUEN MUN MEAT TRADE ASSOCIATION AND TUEN MUN SPORT ASSOCIATION,

ALOC, TEMPORARY