XN000022-1985-03-08 — Page 23

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FRIDAY, MARCH 8, 1985

IT IS THROUGH THE CONGENIAL, FRIENDLY AND CO-OPERATIVE DISCUSSIONS HELD AT THESE CONFERENCE THAT MANY PROBLEMS ARISING FROM CHANGING TRANSPORT PATTERNS WERE RESOLVED, BETTER UNDERSTANDING ACHIEVED AND IMPROVEMENTS INTRODUCED.+

MR SO CALLED ON TAXI AND PLE OPERATORS TO MAKE MORE USE OF THE CONFERENCES AS A FORUM FOR MORE OPEN DISCUSSION ON TRANSPORT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES IN THE FUTURE.

+YOUR ACTIVE AND CONSTRUCTIVE PARTICIPATION IN THESE CONFERENCES WILL ENSURE THAT THE FORMULATION OF ANY FUTURE TRANSPORT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES WILL BE DONE WITH BETTER UNDERSTANDING AND WITH THE BEST COMPATIBLE INTEREST OF THE TRADES AND THE PUBLIC IN MIND, HE SAID.

REVIEWING TAXI AND PLB OPERATIONS IN THE PAST YEAR, MR SQ SAID THAT BOTH TRADES HAD MADE STEADY PROGRESS. THE IMPROVEMENT IN TAXI SERVICES IN RECENT MONTHS WAS EVIDENCED BY THE LETTERS OF APPRECIATION FROM THE PUBLIC TO THE PRESS WHILE THE IMPROVEMENT IN PLB SERVICES WAS OBVIOUS FROM THE FACT THAT BIGGER, MORE COMFORTABLE AND EVEN AIR-CONDITIONED PLBS WERE RUNNING ON THE ROADS.

THE GOVERNMENT HAVING REVIEWED ITS TAXI POLICY AND HAVING ACCEPTED THE USEFUL ROLE OF TAXIS AS AN ADJUNCT TO PUBLIC TRANSPORT, HAD STABILISED THE FUTURE OF THE TRADE BY WAY OF A MODEST INCREASE IN ANNUAL TAXI LICENCE FEES, A LIMIT ON THE FURTHER ISSUE OF LICENCES FOR URBAN TAXIS AND A MORATORIUM FOR AT TAXI LICENCES, UP TO 1986.

OTHER MEASURES TO HELP THE TRADE CONSOLIDATE ITS OPERATION INCLUDED THE EXTENSION OF THE NT TAXI BOUNDARY AND THE MOVE TO ALLOW TAXIS CARRY ADVERTISEMENTS.

ON PLBS, MR SO SAID THAT THERE WERE PROBLEMS LAST YEAR ARISING FROM PLB OPERATIONS IN PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES AND FROM THE SELECTION OF GREEN MINIBUS OPERATORS ON CERTAIN ROUTES. HOWEVER, THESE WERE IRONED OUT AND THE TRADE HAD EMERGED STRONGER AND BETTER IN THE FACE OF A CHANGING TRANSPORT SCENE.

A REVIEW OF PLB AND GREEN MINIBUS OPERATIONS WAS CONDUCTED BY THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT LAST YEAR AND FINDINGS OF THE REVIEW HAD BEEN NOTED BY THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON TUESDAY, MR SO SAID,

HE HOPED THAT RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE REVIEW REPORT COULD BE IMPLEMENTED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AS MANY OF THE PROPOSED MEASURES WOULD HELP THE PLB TRADE ADJUST ITSELF TO THE IMPENDING CHANGE IN THE PUBLIC TRANSPORT PATTERN WITH THE OPENING OF THE MTR ISLAND LINE IN LATE MAY.

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