XN000022-1981-06-19 — Page 6

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FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 1981

BUS COMPANIES' MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE STUDIED

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THE MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE OF THE BUS COMPANIES WAS BEING EXAMINED AS PART OF THE WORK OF THE BUS OPERATIONS REVIEW SUB-GROUPS AND NEGOTIATIONS WERE BEING CONDUCTED TO ENABLE KMB TO DIVEST OF ITS INTEREST IN ITS PROPERTY SUBSIDIARY TYLEELORD, THE DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, MR MICHAEL SUEN SAID TODAY.

IN A TALK TO THE ROTARY CLUB OF KOWLOON NORTH, MR SUEN, WHO HEADS THE CO-ORDINATING GROUP OVERSEEING THE REVIEW, ALSO FELT THE CRITICISM THAT THE REVIEW WAS BEING CONDUCTED BEHIND CLOSED DOORS WAS TOTALLY UNJUSTIFIED.

THE CITY DISTRICT OFFICERS AND NT DISTRICT OFF ICERS WERE ASKED NOT ONLY TO BRIEF THEIR OWN DISTRICT BOARDS, AREA COMMITTEES AND OTHERS ON THE WORK OF THE REVIEW BUT ALSO TO ARRANGE SPECIAL MEETINGS FOR IN-DEPTH DISCUSSIONS.

+AT THE MEETINGS WHICH HAVE ALREADY TAKEN PLACE THE RESPONSE HAS BEEN ENTHUSIASTIC, TO QUOTE AN EXAMPLE, AT A MEETING WITH SOME OF THE WORKERS AND AREA COMMITTEE MEMBERS IN THE KWUN TONG DISTRICT ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT WE RECEIVED FROM THEM PROPOSALS TO RATIONALISE BUS ROUTES, TO IMPROVE BUS FREQUENCIES, TO REDUCE OVERCROWDING AND WAITING TIMES, TO INTRODUCE NEW ROUTES, ETC.

+A LOT OF THOUGHT HAS OBVIOUSLY BEEN GIVEN BY THE PEOPLE CONCERNED IN MAKING THESE PROPOSALS. I SEE THIS AS GENUINE DIRECT PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN THE REVIEW PROCESS AND I AM CONFIDENT THAT WE WILL BE GETTING THE SAME SORT OF RESPONSE FROM OTHER DISTRICTS, MR SUEN SAID.

HE HIMSELF HAD ALSO BEEN MEETING WITH THE MAJOR INTERESTS GROUPS. +MANY CONSTRUCTIVE SUGGESTIONS HAVE BEEN MADE BY THESE GROUPS AT OUR MEETINGS AND I AM MOST GRATEFUL TO THEM FOR THE IR IDEAS. WE HAVE ALSO RECEIVED WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS FROM ABOUT 30 SPIRITED CITIZENS IN RESPONSE TO OUR APPEAL. I HOPE THAT WE WILL BE GETTING MORE SUGGESTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC AS WE PROGRESS, + HE SAID.

IN ADDITION, THE REVIEW IS FULLY ENDORSED BY THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND HAS THE PARTICIPATION OF ITS UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS.

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SO FAR THE CO-ORDINATING GROUP HAS HELD THREE MEETINGS AND ITS FIVE SUB-GROUPS (LOOKING INTO SPARE PARTS AND SPARE STOCK LEVEL, MAINTENANCE OF BUSES, THE ROUTE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME, DEPOT REQUIREMENT AND THE PROFIT CONTROL SCHEME) ARE WORKING MAINLY ON FINDING FACTS FOR FURTHER ANALYSIS. THIS FIRST STAGE OF THE WORK IS EXPECTED TO TAKE ABOUT ANOTHER THREE TO FOUR WEEKS.

ALTHOUGH HE HAD TALKED MAINLY ON PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN RELATION TO THE ROUTE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME SUB-GROUP, MR SUEN SAID THE POSSIBILITY OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AT THE LATER STAGES OF THE WORK OF SOME OR ALL OF THE SUB-GROUPS HAD NOT BEEN RULED OUT.

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