XN000022-1981-08-06 — Page 4

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 1981

OPTIONS ON BUS DEPOT REQUIREMENTS

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DIFFERENT OPTIONS ON REQUIREMENTS FOR ADDITIONAL LAND FOR DEPOTS, AMOUNTS OF DEAD' BUS MILEAGE AND NUMBERS OF BUSES PARKED OVERNIGHT IN BUS TERMINI ARE BEING PREPARED BY THE DEPOT REQUIREMENTS SUB-GROUP INVOLVED IN THE GOVERNMENT REVIEW OF BUS COMPANY OPERATIONS, A TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID IN VIEW OF THE VERY HIGH LAND AND CONSTRUCTION COSTS FOR MULTI-STOREY BUS PARKING GARAGES, THE GROUP IS ALSO CONSIDERING ALTERNATIVES, SUCH AS INCREASED OVERNIGHT PARKING AT TERMINI, IN ACCEPTABLE LOCATIONS AND THE USE OF 'TEMPORARY GROUND LEVEL SITES.

SOON.

+A REPORT ON EACH OF THE OPTIONS UP TO 1991 WILL BE COMPLETED THE FINANCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE OPTIONS WILL BE COMPARED BEFORE THE SUB-GROUP PUTS FORWARD ITS RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE GOVERNMENT IN OCTOBER, HE SAID.

TWO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC HAVE BEGUN HELPING THE SUB-GROUP, ONE OF FIVE FORMED BY THE GOVERNMENT TO CARRY OUT THE REVIEW.

THEY ARE MR STEPHEN CHENG WUI-YAU, A LECTURER IN THE DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT STUDIES AT HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC, AND MR HA WAI-LEUNG, A THIRD-YEAR STUDENT OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING AT THE POLYTECHNIC AND PRESIDENT OF THE HONG KONG FEDERATION OF STUDENTS.

THE SUB-GROUP ALSO COMPRISES TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE UNOFFICIALS MR H.M.G. FORSGATE AND MR STEPHEN CHEONG AND REPRESENTATIVES OF THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT, ENVIRONMENT BRANCH AND KOWLOON MOTOR BUS CO. LTD.

THE SUB-GROUP, WHICH IS DEALING INITIALLY WITH KMB DEPOT REQUIREMENTS, HAS MET THREE TIMES IN THE PAST TWO MONTHS. CHINA MOTOR BUS CO. LTD. DEPOT REQUIREMENTS WILL BE EXAMINED LATER.