XN000022-1985-03-02 — Page 2

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SATURDAY, MARCH 2, 1985

TRANSPORT COMPLAINTS DOWN

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THERE WAS A DROP IN THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS RECORDED BY THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE'S TRANSPORT COMPLAINTS UNIT IN THE OCTOBER TO DECEMBER QUARTER OF LAST YEAR.

A TOTAL OF 1 228 COMPLAINTS WAS RECEIVED, 16 PER CENT LESS THAN THE 1 459 COMPLAINTS IN THE PREVIOUS QUARTER. THE FIGURE ALSO REPRESENTS A SIMILAR PERCENTAGE DECREASE AS COMPARED WITH THE 1 443 COMPLAINTS RECORDED IN THE LAST QUARTER OF 1983.

IN THE LATEST QUARTERLY REPORT OF THE TCU RELEASED TODAY, THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, MR STEPHEN PANG SAID THERE WAS A DECLINE IN COMPLAINTS ABOUT PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES AND TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. HOWEVER, PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES WERE STILL THE MAIN TOPIC OF CONCERN. THERE WERE 581 CASES OF THIS NATURE, REPRESENTING 47 PER CENT OF ALL THE COMPLAINTS RECEIVED,

+THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT INADEQUATE BUS SERVICES FOR KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES DROPPED FROM 157 IN THE PREVIOUS QUARTER TO 122. THE DROP WAS ATTRIBUTED TO IMPROVEMENTS BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE 1984-86 KMB ROUTE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES, ESPECIALLY FOR THE NEW TOWNS, SAID MR PANG.

HOWEVER, COMPLAINTS ABOUT INADEQUATE BUS SERVICE FOR HONG KONG ISLAND INCREASED FROM 32 IN THE PREVIOUS QUARTER TO 49. MOST OF THE COMPLAINTS WERE RECEIVED FROM RESIDENTS OF THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT.

MR PANG SAID THAT ALTOGETHER 104 COMPLAINTS ABOUT CMB'S STANDARD OF SERVICE WERE RECEIVED. THE FIGURE SHOWS LITTLE VARIATION WHEN COMPARED TO THE 100 CASES RECORDED IN THE PREVIOUS QUARTER AND 103 CASES IN THE SAME PERIOD OF THE PREVIOUS YEAR. COMPLAINTS CONCERNING BUSES NOT KEEPING TO SCHEDULED FREQUENCY INCREASED FROM 30 IN THE PREVIOUS QUARTER TO 41. OVER 50 PER CENT OF ALL THE COMPLAINTS IN THIS CATEGORY WERE MADE BY RESIDENTS OF THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT.

+CASES CONCERNING CLEANLINESS OF CMB BUSES AND GENERAL STANDARD WERE ALSO ON THE INCREASE. TWENTY-ONE CASES WERE RECORDED AS AGAINST 17 IN THE PREVIOUS QUARTER AND SEVEN IN THE SAME PERIOD OF THE PREVIOUS YEAR. COMPLAINTS ABOUT CMB BUS DRIVERS, HOWEVER, CONTINUED TO DECREASE WITH 35 CASES RECORDED AS COMPARED TO 42 IN THE PRECEDING THREE MONTHS, MR PANG SAID.

+THERE WAS A GENERAL DECLINE IN COMPLAINTS ABOUT KMB BUSES NOT KEEPING TO SCHEDULED FREQUENCY, THE CONDUCT AND PERFORMANCE OF BUS CAPTAINS AND CLEANLINESS OF BUSES. THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT KMB'S STANDARD OF SERVICE WENT DOWN FROM 99 IN THE PREVIOUS QUARTER TO 46, A DECREASE OF 54 PER CENT. THE FIGURE ALSO REPRESENTED A DROP OF 45 PER CENT OVER THE TOTAL OF 83 COMPLAINTS IN THE SAME PERIOD OF THE PREVIOUS YEAR, MR PANG ADDED.