XN000022-1985-08-27 — Page 5

TUESDAY, AUGUST 27, 1995

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MORE INFORMATION ON CMB FOR BOARD MEMBERS

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GOVERNMENT MEMBERS SITTING ON THE CHINA MOTOR BUS COMPANY' BOARD OF DIRECTORS WILL BE BETTER INFORMED OF CMB'S MANAGEMENT DECISIONS IN THE FUTURE AS THE EUS COMPANY HAS AGREED TO CIRCULATE TO BOARD MEMBERS REPORTS OF DELIBERATIONS OF ITS HIGH-POWERED EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.

THIS WAS REVEALED IN THE FIFTH PROGRESS REPORT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE (TAC) WORKING GROUP ON CMB MAINTENANCE SUBMITTED FOR DISCUSSION AT A TAC MEETING TODAY (TUESDAY).

CMB WAS ALSO CONSIDERING A PROPOSAL THAT REGULAR REPORTS COVERING THE MAIN AREAS OF THE COMPANY'S OPERATIONS SHOULD BE CIRCULATED TO ALL BOARD MEMBERS.

THE NEW MEASURES WOULD HELP IMPROVE THE LEVEL OF INFORMATION MADE AVAILABLE TO THE GOVERNMENT-APPOINTED DIRECTORS, TAC MEMBERS NOTED.

AT PRESENT, THERE ARE TWO GOVERNMENT-APPOINTED DIRECTORS, ON THE CMB BOARD THE COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT, MR PETER LÉEDS, AND THE DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, MR CHRISTOPHER WONG.

THE PROGRESS REPORT ALSO INDICATED THAT THE RATE AT WHICH CMB HAD IMPLEMENTED SPECIFIC IMPROVEMENTS DURING JUNE AND JULY HAD APPARENTLY NOT BEEN MAINTAINED IN AUGUST. THIS MIGHT BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE FACT THAT, IN GENERAL, THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS WHICH REFERRED TO THE PURCHASE OF EQUIPMENT, OR TO MEASURES THAT COULD BE EASILY OR ECONOMICALLY INTRODUCED HAD ALREADY BEEN

IMPLEMENTED.

THE TAC NOTED THAT DIFFICULTY WAS STILL BEING EXPERIENCED IN RECRUITING AN ENGINEERING MANAGER. MEMBERS HOPED THAT THIS WOULD BE RESOLVED SOON AS THE APPOINTMENT OF AN ENGINEERING MANAGER WOULD ENABLE THE COMPANY TO DELEGATE MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY WHICH IS AT PRESENT OVER-CONCENTRATED AT THE TOP.

OTHER AREAS WHICH DREW MEMBERS' CONCERN WERE CMB'S SLOW PROGRESS IN RAISING ITS EFFECTIVENESS IN INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL BUS CLEANING AND IMPROVING WORKING CONDITIONS AT ITS NORTH POINT AND CHAI WAN DEPOTS.

NEVERTHELESS, RECENT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERFORMANCE OF CME VEHICLES DURING SPOT CHECKS WERE SUSTAINED IN AUGUST. THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF SAFETY DEFECTS FOUND ON CMB BUSES DROPPED TO 0.6 PER 3 LAST MONTH, COMPARED WITH AN AVERAGE OF 0.8 SAFETY DEFECT PER EU, IN JUNE AND THREE IN JANUARY.

MEANWHILE, THERE WAS GENERAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN CMB AND THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT ON THE OBJECTIVE OF WITHDRAWING OLD BUSES AND REDUCING THE VARIETY OF MODELS. DISCUSSIONS ON THE WITHDRAWAL AND REPLACEMENT OF BUSES WERE CONTINUING IN THE CONTEXT OF CMB'S FIVE-YEAR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME.

/AT TODAY'S