XN000022-1985-07-30 — Page 5

TUESDAY, JULY 30, 1985

TAC MEMBERS AGREED THAT THE PROPOSAL SUPPORTED BY THE ROAD SAFETY COUNCIL, BE RECOMMENDED FOR IMPLEMENTATION WHEN THERE WERE ADEQUATE OFF-STREET TRAINING FACILITIES.

THE HONG KONG SCHOOL OF MOTORING RECENTLY STARTED TO PROVIDE MOTORCYCLE TRAINING AT ITS TRAINING CENTRE AT WONG CHUK HANG. ANOTHER SITE AT SHA TIN WILL BE PUT OUT TO TENDER SHORTLY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW OFF-STREET TRAINING CENTRE. WHEN THIS IS COMPLETED, LEGISLATION WILL BE DRAFTED FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.

AT TODAY'S MEETING MEMBERS ALSO DISCUSSED THE FOURTH PROGRESS REPORT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TAC WORKING GROUP ON CMB MAINTENANCE.

IT WAS NOTED THAT CMB HAD NOW ENGAGED A CONSULTANT TO UNDERTAKE AN ORGANISATION AND METHOD STUDY OF ITS ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT AND THAT THE BUS COMPANY HAD MADE CONSIDERABLE EFFORT TO STEP UP ITS STAFF TRAINING PROGRAMMES WHICH WOULD HELP IMPROVE SUPERVISION AND STRENGTHEN MIDDLE MANAGEMENT.

MEMBERS, HOWEVER, EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT THE PROGRESS REPORT HAD REVEALED AREAS WHERE DECISIONS BY THE CMB MANAGEMENT TO COMPLY WITH THE WORKING GROUP'S RECOMMENDATIONS WERE NOT EFFECTIVELY TRANSLATED INTO ACTION BY STAFF AT THE OPERATIONAL LEVEL.

THIS MIGHT BE THE RESULT OF ORGANISATIONAL WEAKNESS AND UNCLEAR LINE OF COMMUNICATION. MEMBERS HOPED CMB'S CONSULTANT WOULD LOOK CLOSELY INTO THIS AND COME UP WITH PROPOSALS TO IMPROVE THE SITUATION.

MEANWHILE, CMB STILL REPORTED DIFFICULTIES IN RECRUITING AN EXPERIENCED AND QUALIFIED ENGINEER TO HEAD ITS ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT AND THE SEARCH FOR A SUITABLE RECRUIT MIGHT TAKE A FEW MONTHS.

CMB CONTINUED TO IMPROVE ON THE SAFETY ASPECTS OF ITS BUSES. FLAWS FOUND ON CMB BUSES DURING SPOT CHECKS HAD DROPPED TO AN AVERAGE OF 0.8 SAFETY DEFECT PER BUS IN JUNE, COMPARED WITH AN AVERAGE OF ONE SAFETY DEFECT PER BUS IN MAY AND THREE IN JANUARY.

AT THE MEETING TODAY, MEMBERS ALSO NOTED A PROGRESS REPORT ON THE CONTRACT HIRE CAR SCHEME WHICH SHOWED A CONTINUED DROP IN THE NUMBER OF PERMITS AND HIRE CAR OPERATIONS, MOSTLY IN THE PRIVATE HIRE CAR AND SCHOOL HIRE CAR CATEGORIES.

ALSO DISCUSSED TODAY WAS AN APPLICATION BY THE HONG KONG AND YAUMATI FERRY COMPANY LIMITED TO CURTAIL ITS HOVERFERRY MEMBERS AGREED SERVICE ON THE TSUEN WAN-NORTH POINT ROUTE.

THAT IN VIEW OF LOW PATRONAGE AND REASONABLE ALTERNATIVE MEANS OF TRANSPORT, THE SERVICE FREQUENCY OF THE TSUEN WAN TO CENTRAL SECTION OF THE ROUTE SHOULD BE REDUCED AND THE SERVICE ON THE REMAINING SECTION BETWEEN CENTRAL AND NORTH POINT SUSPENDED TEMPORARILY.

THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT WOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE OPERATION OF THIS ROUTE AND WOULD RECOMMEND PERMANENT ARRANGEMENTS AT A LATER DATE.

0

15