XN000022-1985-08-08 — Page 12

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THURSDAY, AULIET 1985

THE DAY CRECHE WILL BE EXPANDED FROM THE EXISTING 42 PLACES TO BO PLACES, THE DAY NURSERY FROM 120 PLACES TO 150, AND THE RESIDENTIAL CRECHE FROM 90 TO 120 PLACES.

AT THE REQUEST OF THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT. THE NEW BUILDING WILL ALSO ACCOMMODATE REHABILITATION SERVICES FOR HANDICAPPED CHILDREN,

THESE SERVICES, TO BE PROVIDED BY ANOTHER SUBVENTED AGENCY NOMINATED BY THE DEPARTMENT, WILL INCLUDE A SPECIAL CHILD CARE CENTRE, A RESIDENTIAL SPECIAL CHILD CARE CENTRE AND AN EARLY EDUCATION TRAINING CENTRE, ALL OF WHICH ARE NEEDED FOR THE TRAINING AND CARE OF DISABLED CHILDREN.

MRS CHAN ALSO EXPRESSED HER APPRECIATION THAT THE HONG KONG SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF CHILDREN WAS MEETING THE CONSTRUCTION COST OF THE NEW BUILDING, ESTIMATED AT $15 MILLION.

TRANSPORT POLICY REVIEW UNDERWAY

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A MAJOR POLICY REVIEW IS UNDERWAY CONCERNING THE GENERAL QUESTION OF THE INTEGRATION OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES, THE RELATED ISSUES OF COMPETITION, THE COORDINATION OF FARES AND THE LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT REGULATION, THE COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT, MR PETER LEEDS, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).

MR LEEDS SPEAKING AT THE Y'S MEN'S CLUB OF HONG KONG'S LUNCH, SAID THAT CLOSER INTEGRATION OF TRANSPORT SERVICES COULD AVOID WASTEFUL COMPETITION BETWEEN DIFFERENT MODES AS WELL AS RATIONALISE THE FARE STRUCTURES OF DIFFERENT OPERATORS.

BENEFITS OF THIS MEASURE COULD BEST BE ILLUSTRATED BY THE FUTURE TRANSPORT SYSTEM OPERATED BY THE KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY CORPORATION IN THE TUEN MUN-YUEN LONG AREA WHERE THE LIGHT RAIL WILL BE THE CORE AND THE LOCAL BUS SERVICES WILL SUPPLEMENT AND FEED INTO THE MAIN SYSTEM WITH AN INTEGRATED FARE SYSTEM FOR ALL THE SERVICES WITHIN THE AREA.

AT PRESENT, HONG KONG'S PUBLIC TRANSPORT UNDERTAKINGS, EXCEPT FOR A LIMITED NUMBER OF SINGLE OPERATOR SERVICES SUCH AS FERRY SERVICES TO OUTLYING ISLANDS, WERE ALL IN A SITUATION OF COMPETITION, EVEN THOUGH COMPETITION WAS NOT ENTIRELY FREE AS SOME OPERATORS WERE SUBJECT TO FAIRLY TIGHT GOVERNMENT CONTROLS ON ROUTING, FREQUENCY AND FARES.

MR LEEDS SAID THAT COMPETITION DID HAVE A PART TO PLAY IN IMPROVING THE STANDARDS OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES, BUT HE DOUBTED WHETHER FURTHER RELAXED CONTROLS WOULD BRING AN EVEN BETTER SERVICE.

IT IS