XN000022-1982-08-24 — Page 2

TUESDAY, AUGUST 24, 1982

NEW DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME FOR BUS OPERATIONS

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THE WORKING PARTIES WHICH WERE ESTABLISHED IN THE MIDDLE OF LAST YEAR TO REVIEW THE OPERATIONS OF THE KOWLOON MOTOR BUS COMPANY AND THE CHINA MOTOR BUS COMPANY HAVE COMPLETED THEIR WORK AND THEIR CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS HAVE BEEN PUT TO THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND TO THE GOVERNOR-IN-COUNCIL.

THE WORKING PARTIES CONDUCTING THE REVIEW COMPRISED FIVE SUB-GROUPS WHICH WERE SET UP TO EXAMINE FIVE ASPECTS OF THE OPERATIONS OF BOTH BUS COMPANIES. THESE ASPECTS WERE L

ROUTE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME;

(1)

(11)

BUS MAINTENANCE PROGRAMMES AND PROCEDURES;

(11)

BUS DEPOT REQUIREMENTS;

(IV)

SPARE PARTS STOCK LEVELS; AND

(V)

PROFIT CONTROL SCHEMES.

THE SUB-GROUPS OPERATED UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF A CO-ORDINATING COMMITTEE CHAIRED BY THE DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT. THEY WERE HEADED BY SPECIALIST OFFICERS FROM APPROPRIATE GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND BRANCHES. TWO MEMBERS NOMINATED BY THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND TWO MEMBERS REPRESENTING THE PUBLIC WERE APPOINTED TO EACH SUB-GROUP.

THE WORKING GROUPS' OBJECTIVES AND CONCLUSIONS WERE AS

FOLLOWS

(A) KOWLOON MOTOR BUS COMPANY

(1) ROUTE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

THE RDP SUB-GROUP'S DELIBERATIONS WERE AIMED TOWARDS EVALUATING MEASURES BY WHICH OPERATING ECONOMIES COULD BE REALISED, AND EXAMINING THE EFFECT ON FARES OF ALTERNATIVE ROUTE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES INCORPORATING DIFFERENT LEVELS OF SERVICE EXPANSION. IN CONSIDERING THE VARIOUS OPTIONS A BALANCE HAD TO BE ACHIEVED BETWEEN THE COST OF THE BUS SERVICE (AND THEREFORE THE FARES) AND THE LEVEL OF SERVICE PROVIDED TO THE PUBLIC. IN THE COURSE OF ITS WORK, THE SUB-GROUP ACTIVELY SOUGHT THE VIEWS OF THE PUBLIC AS TO THE DESIRED LEVEL OF SERVICE, UTILISING THE DISTRICT OFFICE CONSULTATIVE MACHINERY, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME THE OPPORTUNITY WAS TAKEN TO EXPLAIN THE VARIOUS ASPECTS OF THE OPERATIONS TO THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PUBLIC ON THE SUB-GROUP.

/THE INVESTIGATION