XN000022-1984-06-06 — Page 7

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 6, 1984

IT IS WORTH NOTING THAT OF THE TRAFFIC ON THE KING'S ROAD AT PRESENT, ABOUT 10 PER CENT ARE BUSES, AT PEAK HOURS. THEREFORE, THE TRAFFIC WHICH WILL TRANSFER TO THE ISLAND EASTERN CORRIDOR FROM THE KING'S ROAD WILL BE ALMOST TOTALLY VEHICLES OTHER THAN BUSES, AND THE EFFECT WILL BE TO IMPROVE THE MOVEMENT OF THE TRAFFIC REMAINING ON THE KING'S ROAD.

THE ACTUAL FARE LEVELS FOR THESE FIVE TEMPORARY IEC ROUTES WILL BE REVIEWED IN THE LIGHT OF THEIR PATRONAGE (WHICH IS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO PREDICT IN THIS CASE) AND IN THE LIGHT OF THE OVERALL PATTERNS OF PATRONAGE OF OTHER TRANSPORT MODES. IF CHANGES TO ROUTES OR THE FARE LEVELS THEN SEEM TO BE NECESSARY, THE EASTERN DISTRICT BOARD WILL BE CONSULTED.

THE FARES FOR THE NEW TEMPORARY ROUTES ON THE IEC REFLECT THE FOLLOWING POINTS:

(A)

THE HIGHER STANDARD OF SERVICE AND THE QUICKER JOURNEY TIMES;

(B) FOR IEC ROUTES THERE ARE A LIMITED NUMBER OF STOPS

AND ONCE THE BUSES ARE ON THE CORRIDOR, THEY CANNOT PICK UP FURTHER PASSENGERS ;

(C) THEY ARE PEAK-HOUR SERVICES ONLY;

(D) THEY ARE ADDITIONAL TO EXISTING ROUTES. THE KING'S

ROAD ROUTE FARES WILL NOT BE INCREASED. THE TRAVELLING PUBLIC WILL HAVE A CHOICE OF SERVICES AND AS I POINTED OUT ABOVE THE KING'S ROAD SERVICES ARE EXPECTED TO IMPROVE WITH QUICKER TRAVEL TIMES BY THE REDUCTION OF CONGESTION WHEN THE CORRIDOR OPENS.

I WOULD ALSO COMMENT ON YOUR SUGGESTION THAT AS A RESULT OF THE IEC FARES BEING SET LOWER (AS YOU REQUEST), ANY DECREASE IN REVENUE SHOULD BE MET FROM CMB'S DEVELOPMENT FUND. YOU SEEM TO HAVE OVERLOOKED THE FACT THAT THE CONTENTS OF THAT FUND DERIVE FROM THE REVENUE OF THE COMPANY, IN OTHER WORDS, FARES PAID BY PASSENGERS. SO YOU SEEM TO BE SUGGESTING THAT PASSENGERS ON OTHER ORDINARY BUS ROUTES SHOULD SUBSIDISE THOSE TRAVELLING ON EXPRESS ROUTES.

I HAVE MADE AVAILABLE COPIES OF THIS LETTER TO THE EASTERN DISTRICT BOARD AND TO THE MEDIA, TO ENABLE FULLER PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING.+

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