XN000022-1986-07-30 — Page 19

WEDNESDAY, JULY 30, 1986

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20-YEAR LIMIT TO LRT SERVICE AREA FRANCHISE SUPPORTED *****

THE HON HILTON CHEONG-LEEN TODAY (WEDNESDAY) SUPPORTED THE POWER OF THE GOVERNOR-IN-COUNCIL TO RESTRICT TO 20 YEARS THE FRANCHISE IN RELATION TO THE TRANSIT SERVICES AREA OF THE LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT (LRT), AND THAT THE SITUATION WOULD BE REVIEWED AFTERWARDS.

SPEAKING DURING THE RESUMED DEBATE ON THE KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY CORPORATION (AMENDMENT) BILL 1986 IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR CHEONG-LEEN EMPHASISED THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO +OPEN-ENDED+ EXPANSION OF THE TRANSIT SERVICE AREA, AND ANY FUTURE VARIATIONS SHOULD BE STRICTLY FOR OPERATIONAL PURPOSES.

HE SAID HE ACCEPTED THAT THERE SHOULD BE MAXIMUM ACCEPTABLE COMPETITION OF VARIOUS FORMS OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT, BUT CONFORMING TO THE ZONAL, INTEGRATED FARE SYSTEM OF THE LRT, WITHIN THE TRANSIT SERVICE AREA.

AS TO THE PRACTICAL ARRANGEMENTS WITHIN THE TRANSIT SERVICE AREA, MR CHEONG-LEEN SUGGESTED THAT THE KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY CORPORATION BE ALLOWED TO OPERATE THE FEEDER BUS SYSTEM TO GIVE THE BEST POSSIBLE SERVICE TO RESIDENTS.

NOTING THAT THERE WOULD BE A THREE-TIER SYSTEM TO MONITOR LRT FARES, MR CHEONG-LEEN SAID THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WOULD ALSO BE MONITORING PROGRESS ON THE LRT SYSTEM IN THE GENERAL PUBLIC INTEREST THROUGH ITS APPROPRIATE COMMITTEE.

BILL GIVES RISE TO CONSTITUTIONAL IMPLICATIONS'

*****

CONSTITUTIONAL IMPLICATIONS HAVE ARISEN FROM THE KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY CORPORATION (AMENDMENT) BILL 1986, THE HON TAI CHIN-WAH SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY) DURING THE RESUMED DEBATE ON THE MEASURE.

MR TAI WAS REFERRING TO A STATEMENT MADE BY THE KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY CORPORATION (KCRC) IN RESPONSE TO PROPOSED AMENDMENTS SUGGESTED BY THE LEGCO AD HOC GROUP WHICH STUDIED THE BILL.

THE AMENDMENTS