XN000022-1982-05-23 — Page 2

SUNDAY, MAY 23, 1982

RECORD NUMBER OF PASSENGERS USED PUBLIC TRANSPORT LAST YEAR ******

THE COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT, MR ALAN ARMSTRONG-WRIGHT, IN HIS ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1981 HAS REFERRED TO A GROWING DILEMMA BETWEEN THE LEVEL OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES THE PUBLIC IS ENTITLED TO EXPECT, AND THE FARES NECESSARY TO SUPPORT BETTER SERVICES.

+WE HAVE NOW PASSED THE STAGE WHERE PUBLIC TRANSPORT IS FULL ALL DAY, HE SAID. THIS CHANGE IS WELCOME IN THAT IT REFLECTS THAT SUPPLY IS CATCHING UP WITH DEMAND AT PEAK PERIODS, BUT THIS ALSO MEANS THAT SERVICES ARE UNDER-UTILISED AT OTHER TIMES OF THE DAY -- A PATTERN WHICH WILL REDUCE COST EFFECTIVENESS AND WHICH IS TYPICAL OF OTHER ADVANCED CITIES.+

THE COMMISSIONER SAID THAT THE REVIEW OF BUS COMPANIES' OPERATIONS ORDERED BY THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL IN APRIL 1981 HAD FOUND THAT KMB'S OPERATIONS WERE COST-EFFECTIVE, AND THAT SIGNIFICANT ECONOMIES COULD ONLY BE ACHIEVED BY CUTS IN SERVICES WHICH COULD NOT BE ACCEPTED.

WITH REGARD TO CMB, HOWEVER, THE REPORT EXPRESSED CONTINUED CONCERN OVER THE COMPANY'S PERSISTENT INABILITY TO MOBILISE SUFFICIENT OF ITS FLEET TO MEET ITS SCHEDULES, AND TO COMMIT ITSELF TO IMPROVEMENTS IN SERVICES.

PROBLEMS OF BUS MAINTENANCE WERE IDENTIFIED BY THE REVIEW OF CMB WHICH TOGETHER WITH KMB, ALSO SUFFERED FROM A SHORTAGE OF DRIVERS.

DURING 1981 FRANCHISED BUS CAPACITY INCREASED BY A RECORD 16 PER CENT, MAINLY DUE TO INCREASES IN THE NUMBERS OF HIGH CAPACITY BUSES IN THE FLEETS. THIS WAS IN KEEPING WITH THE EFFORTS TO REDUCE OVERCROWDING, AND IN FACT, OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS CAPACITY HAS INCREASED BY OVER 40 PER CENT WHICH GREATLY OUTSTRIPPED THE INCREASE IN PATRONAGE OF ONLY EIGHT PER CENT.

MR ARMSTRONG-WRIGHT SAID THAT THIS SHOULD HAVE RESULTED IN A VERY SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENT IN BUS SERVICES. HOWEVER, COMMUTERS WERE BEING DENIED THE FULL BENEFIT OF GREATLY EXPANDED BUS FLEETS BECAUSE OF GROWING ROAD CONGESTION.

MR ARMSTRONG-WRIGHT SAID THAT SOME IMPROVEMENTS TO OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY OF BUS SERVICES WERE ACHIEVED BY TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SCHEMES AND MANY MORE BUS PRIORITY MEASURES WERE ON THE WAY.

ON FERRIES, MR ARMSTRONG-WRIGHT SAID THEY CONTINUED TO PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN THE TRANSPORT SYSTEM, PROVIDING CROSS-HARBOUR SERVICES AND THE ONLY MEANS OF GETTING TO THE OUTLYING ISLANDS BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT.

/COASTAL FEMA