XN000022-1986-09-22 — Page 3

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1986

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CO-ORDINATED TRANSPORT NETWORK THE AIM

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HONG KONG'S PUBLIC TRANSPORT SYSTEM IS BASICALLY HEALTHY AND NO RADICAL CHANGES TO ITS REGULATIONS AND CONTROL ARE NECESSARY, THE DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, MR DAVID LAN, SAID TODAY (MONDAY).

SPEAKING AT A LUNCH MEETING OF THE VICTORIA ROTARIANS, MR LAN SAID THIS WAS THE CONCLUSION REACHED IN A RECENT REVIEW OF THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY RELATING TO THE PROVISION AND CO-ORDINATION OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT PROVIDED BY THE MAJOR OPERATORS.

+ THE REVIEW CONFIRMS THE NEED TO CONTINUE THE CURRENT POLICY OF PROVIDING A CO-ORDINATED NETWORK OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES,+ HE SAID.

MR LAN SAID THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY COULD PERHAPS BE BEST SUMMARISED IN THE FORM OF GENERAL OBJECTIVES:

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TO MAINTAIN A BALANCED PUBLIC TRANSPORT SYSTEM, AND IN PARTICULAR A RANGE AND THEREFORE CHOICE OF SERVICES:

TO ENCOURAGE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A GEOGRAPHICALLY COMPREHENSIVE AND ECONOMICALLY EFFECTIVE NETWORK:

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TO ENCOURAGE THE USE OF OFF-STREET MODES OF TRANSPORT;

TO PRESERVE THE FERRY SYSTEM AS FAR AS IS COMMERCIALLY POSSIBLE AND SOCIALLY NECESSARY:

* TO CONTINUE TO HAVE PUBLIC TRANSPORT PROVIDED BY THE

PRIVATE SECTOR OR BY PUBLIC CORPORATIONS WORKING ON COMMERCIAL LINES

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TO HAVE THE MINIMUM LEVEL OF BUREAUCRATIC INTERVENTION COMPATIBLE WITH THE POLICY OBJECTIVES AND TO AVOID PAYING DIRECT SUBSIDIES;

TO AVOID UNNECESSARY CHANGE, AND

* TO KEEP THE TRAVELLING COST TO THE PUBLIC AS LOW AS

POSSIBLE AND TO GIVE DUE WEIGHT TO CONSUMER CONVENIENCE, CONSISTENT WITH OTHER OBJECTIVES.

MR LAN SAID THAT IN ORDER TO MEET THESE OBJECTIVES, IT WAS NECESSARY IN PARTICULAR TO MAXIMISE THE ECONOMIES OF SCALE OF THE RAILWAYS.

+THIS MEANS THAT ON RAILWAY CORRIDORS WHERE OVERALL PUBLIC TRANSPORT CAPACITY IS ADEQUATE, NEW BUS ROUTES WILL CONTINUE TO BE DISCOURAGED IF THEY PARALLEL A RAILWAY CORRIDOR FOR A SUBSTANTIAL PART OF THEIR LENGTH, OR IF THE PARALLEL ROAD CORRIDORS ARE ALREADY CONGESTED, HE SAID.

/+THE OPERATION