XN000022-1984-07-23 — Page 7

MONDAY, JULY 23, 1984

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+ THE DELIBERATIONS OF THE BOARD ARE CAREFULLY CONDUCTED TO BE AS FAIR AS POSSIBLE. THE OVERALL PUBLIC INTEREST IS THE CARDINAL PRINCIPLE GUIDING THE WORK OF THE BOARD, AND THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF DISCRIMINATION.

+PLB OPERATORS WHO CLAIM THAT THEIR LIVELIHOOD IS THREATENED CAN STILL DO BUSINESS BY PLYING IN FANLING, SHEUNG SHUI AND TAI PO AND OTHER AREAS NOT DIRECTLY COVERED BY THE MAXICAB ROUTES. FURTHERMORE, PLB OPERATORS WHO LIVE IN VILLAGES FALLING WITHIN THE ROUTES COVERED BY THE MAXICAB SERVICES WILL BE GIVEN SPECIAL PERMISSION BY THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT TO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES HOME AFTER WORK PROVIDED THEY DO NOT PLY FOR BUSINESS EN ROUTE.+

REPLY TO PLB STORY

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THE FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF A LETTER SENT BY THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT TO THE EXPRESS IN RESPONSE TO AN ARTICLE BY THE HONG KONG ASSOCIATION FOR THE PROMOTION OF PUBLIC JUSTICE PUBLISHED IN THE PAPER ON JULY 16, 1984:

AN ARTICLE WRITTEN BY THE HONG KONG ASSOCIATION FOR THE PROMOTION OF PUBLIC JUSTICE AND PUBLISHED IN YOUR PAPER OF JULY 16 ACCUSES THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OF TREATING PUBLIC LIGHT BUS (PLB) OPERATORS UNFAIRLY. IT IS CLAIMED THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ADOPTS A POLICY OF CONTINUING TO ISSUE PLB LICENCES WHILE AT THE SAME TIME INTRODUCING MORE AND MORE PLB PROHIBITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS.

THE ARTICLE IS OF COURSE OBVIOUSLY INCORRECT IN THAT THE GOVERNMENT CEASED ISSUING PLB LICENCES IN 1976, AND THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PLBS, WHICH INCLUDE PLBS ON NON-SCHEDULED SERVICES (RED PLBS) AND SCHEDULED SERVICES (GREEN MAXICABS), HAS REMAINED AT 4 350 SINCE 1976.

THE ARTICLE ALSO CONTAINS A NUMBER OF MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT'S PLB POLICY, AND WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO CLARIFY THE POSITION TO YOUR READERS.

THE PRESENT PLB POLICY HAS BEEN DEVELOPED IN RECOGNITION OF THE FOLLOWING:

* PLBS ARE A POPULAR MODE OF TRANSPORT;

PLES ARE