XN000022-1985-09-03 — Page 2

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1985

INITIAL IMPACT OF MTR ISLAND LINE REVEALED

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PATRONAGE ON VARIOUS PUBLIC TRANSPORT MODES HAS FALLEN AS A RESULT OF THE OPENING OF THE MTR ISLAND LINE ON MAY 31, WITH COASTAL FERRY SERVICE AND EXPRESS BUS SERVICES OPERATING ALONG THE NORTHERN CORRIDOR OF HONG KONG ISLAND BEING THE HARDEST HIT, A TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT'S SITUATION REPORT FOR JUNE AND JULY REVEALED.

THE REPORT, BASED LARGELY ON TRAFFIC RETURNS SUBMITTED BY OPERATORS AND SUPPLEMENTED BY RESULTS OF SURVEYS CONDUCTED BY THE DEPARTMENT, ALSO SHOWED THAT THE AVERAGE DAILY RIDERSHIP ON THE MTR HAD INCREASED BY 20 PER CENT IN JUNE COMPARED WITH MARCH THIS YEAR, IN JULY, THE FIGURE ROSE FURTHER TO 28 PER CENT.

FOR HONG KONG ISLAND INTERNAL BUS ROUTES, AN OVERALL PASSENGER LOSS OF 16 PER CENT WAS RECORDED IN JUNE AND 14 PER CENT IN JULY COMPARED WITH THE MARCH VOLUME.

CMB CORRIDOR EXPRESS SERVICES, WHICH INCLUDE ROUTES SUCH AS 10M, 20, 20M, 21, 22M AND 80, SUFFERED THE GRESTEST PATRONAGE LOSS OF 40 PER CENT IN JUNE AND 46 PER CENT IN JULY, AS A RESULT, ROUTES 10M, 20M, 22M AND 83A HAD ALREADY BEEN WITHDRAWN.

THE AVERAGE DECREASE REGISTERED BY CMB BUS SERVICES OPERATING VIA THE ISLAND EASTERN CORRIDOR WAS 34 PER CENT IN JUNE AND 33 PER CENT IN JULY, WHILE URBAN BUS SERVICES SUCH AS ROUTES NO. 2, 16 AND 82 WHICH RUN PARALLEL TO THE ISLAND LINE REPORTED AN AVERAGE DROP OF 18 PER CENT IN DAILY PASSENGER VOLUME IN JUNE AND A SLIGHTLY LOWER DROP OF 15 PER CENT IN JULY.

FOR ROUTES WHICH ARE ONLY PARTLY PARALLEL WITH THE ISLAND LINE, SUCH AS NO. 5A, 58 AND 10, AN AVERAGE PASSENGER DECLINE OF 12 TO 14 PER CENT WAS RECORDED DURING THE TWO MONTHS.

PATRONAGE LOSS IN JUNE AND JULY ON CMB AND KMB CROSS-HARBOUR SERVICES RUNNING IN THE EASTERN PART OF THE ISLAND, INCLUDING ROUTES NO. 102, 106, 112 AND 116, RANGED FROM 16 TO 34 PER CENT.

THE AVERAGE DAILY PASSENGER FIGURES ON HYF'S CROSS-HARBOUR FERRY ROUTES IN JUNE WERE NINE PER CENT BELOW THE MARCH FIGURES.

IN JULY, THE PATRONAGE DROP WAS SIX PER CENT.

OF ALL THE HYF ROUTES, THE NORTH POINT TO CENTRAL COASTAL SERVICE OPERATED AS PART OF THE NORTH POINT TO TSUEN WAN ROUTE WAS THE MOST SERIOUSLY AFFECTED BY THE ISLAND LINE.

THE SERVICE, WHICH EXPERIENCED A 43 PER CENT DROP IN PASSENGER VOLUME IN THE TWO MONTHS, SUBSEQUENTLY HAD ITS NORTH POINT TO CENTRAL SECTION TRUNCATED IN MID-AUGUST.

/FOR STAR