XN000022-1983-01-13 — Page 9

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 13, 1983

BECAUSE OF THEIR FLEXIBILITY, BUSES WILL ALWAYS BE ABLE TO PENETRATE AREAS NOT ACCESSIBLE TO OUR RAIL SYSTEMS AND SERVICE ADJUSTMENTS CAN BE MADE EASILY.

THE TRAMWAY ON THE ISLAND - THE SECOND PUBLIC TRANSPORT SYSTEM TO BE ESTABLISHED IN THE TERRITORY - EVEN WITH ITS MORE MODERN COMPETITORS, STILL OFFERS AN ALTERNATIVE TO BUSES CARRYING 400 000 PASSENGERS EVERY DAY.

HOWEVER, STUDIES ARE CONTINUING TO IDENTIFY THE ROLE WHICH THE HONG KONG TRAMWAY WILL PLAY AFTER THE OPENING OF THE MTR ISLAND LINE.

ON PLBS. MR SCURFIELD SAID THEY HAVE BEEN AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE PUBLIC TRANSPORT SYSTEM SINCE THE LATE 1960S.

+THE UNFRANCHISED, RED PLBS STILL CARRY OVER 1 000 000 PASSENGERS EVERY DAY WHILE THE GREEN FRANCHISED MINIBUSES OBVIOUSLY FULFILL A USEFUL FUNCTION FROM THE PASSENGERS' POINT OF VIEW AND THE Y ALSO FULFILL AN ADDITIONAL FUNCTION BY REDUCING THE PEAK HOUR BURDEN PLACED UPON THE OTHER FRANCHISED CARRIERS PARTICULARLY THE BUSES.

+THEY ARE AN EXTREMELY FLEXIBLE MODE OF TRANSPORT PARTLY BECAUSE GOVERNMENT ONLY EXERTS LIMITED CONTROL UPON THEM.+

FOR THIS REASON AND DESPITE THE FACT THAT THEY ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO TRAFFIC CONGESTION IN SOME OF THE MAJOR TRANSPORT CORRIDORS, GOVERNMENT IS TRYING TO ENCOURAGE THE MINIBUSES TO OPERATE IN AREAS WHERE IT CAN PROVIDE A USEFUL SOCIAL SERVICE AND WHERE THEY WILL COMPLEMENT RATHER THAN SUPPLEMENT THE MAJOR CARRIERS SUCH AS THE BUSES AND THE RAILWAYS.

+THE EXPANSION OF THE MAXICAB, OR THE GREEN MINIBUS SYSTEM,

IS ONE EXPRESSION OF THIS POLICY, HE SAID.

TURNING TO TAXIS, MR SCURFIELD SAID THAT THEY COULD STILL FULFILL A PUBLIC DEMAND AND WERE AN ESSENTIAL PART OF OUR TRANSPORT SYSTEM.

IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, THE GREEN TAXIS WERE INTRODUCED IN THE MID-70S TO SERVE THE NEEDS OF THE RURAL POPULATION. AND SINCE THEN, THE VOLUME OF ILLEGAL TRANSPORT ACTIVITY HAS DECLINED SUBSTANTIALLY.

LANTAU ISLAND WILL ALSO HAVE ITS OWN TAXIS SHORTLY.

J

ON WATERBORNE TRANSPORT. MR SCURFIELD SAID THAT ALTHOUGH THE INTRODUCTION OF BOTH THE CROSS HARBOUR BUSES AND THE MTR HAVE ERODED THE PATRONAGE OF THE FERRIES, THEY WILL STILL CONTINUE TO CARRY ABOUT 350 000 ACROSS THE HARBOUR EVERY DAY.

THE FERRIES TO THE OUTLYING AREAS WILL ALSO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE A VITAL LINK FOR THE ISLAND COMMUNITIES AND AS A RECREATIONAL OUTLET FOR THE URBAN POPULATION.

RETURNING TO RAILWAYS, MR SCURFIELD SAID THERE WERE NO IMMEDIATE PLANS TO CONSTRUCT ANY ADDITIONAL RAIL LINES WITHIN THE URBAN AREA.

/+HOWEVER,