XN000022-1986-10-09 — Page 18

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1986

17

GREEN MINIBUS SERVICES ON ISLAND ADJUSTED

*****

ONE GREEN MINIBUS ROUTE SERVING THE PEAK AREA WILL BE WITHDRAWN WHILE FARES ON THREE OTHER ROUTES IN ABERDEEN WILL BE INCREASED FROM SUNDAY (OCTOBER 12).

THE ROUTE TO BE WITHDRAWN IS 30M OPERATING BETWEEN WATFORD ROAD AND MTR ADMIRALTY STATION.

+THE DECISION TO WITHDRAW THE ROUTE TAKES INTO ACCOUNT VARIOUS FACTORS, INCLUDING CONTINUOUS LOW PATRONAGE AND FINANCIAL LOSSES SUFFERED BY THE OPERATOR, A TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED.

HE SUGGESTED THAT COMMUTERS USING 30M SHOULD CHANGE TO ROUTE 1 PLYING BETWEEN THE PEAK AND HMS TAMAR. THE TWO ROUTES ARE LARGELY SIMILAR.

SERVICES ON ROUTE 30 OPERATING BETWEEN WATFORD ROAD AND CAUSEWAY BAY WILL BE INCREASED TO RUN AT 15-MINUTE INTERVALS DURING MORNING PEAK HOURS, MONDAY TO SATURDAY.

HIGHER FARES WILL BE LEVIED ON ROUTES 27 (WAI FUNG STREET IN AP LE CHAU TO SAI ON STREET IN ABERDEEN), 29 (AP LEI CHAU ESTATE TO TAI CHUE WAN AT OCEAN PARK) AND 29A (AP LEI CHAU ESTATE TO HEUNG YIP ROAD IN WONG CHUK HANG).

THE NEW FARES FOR ROUTES 29 AND 29A WILL BE $2, AND THE NEW FARE ON ROUTE 27 WILL BE $1.10. TRIPS ON ROUTE 29 BETWEEN AP LEI CHAU ESTATE AND HEUNG YIP ROAD WILL COST $1.20.

+THE NEW FARES REPRESENT AN AVERAGE INCREASE OF 20 CENTS TO 50 CENTS OVER THE EXISTING FARES, WITH ONLY ONE OF THE ROUTES CHARGING UP TO THE FARE CEILING EFFECTIVE FROM MARCH 1 THIS YEAR, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

+APPROVAL FOR THE FARE RISE WAS GIVEN AFTER CAREFUL CONSIDERATION OF THE OPERATING DETAILS AND FINANCIAL RETURNS SUBMITTED BY OPERATORS, HE ADDED.

TO COINCIDE WITH THE FARE INCREASE, THE OPERATING HOURS ON ROUTE 27 WILL BE EXTENDED FROM SUNDAY TO RUN DAILY BETWEEN 5 AM AND 12.15 AM.

AT THE SAME TIME, AN OVERNIGHT CIRCULAR SERVICE ON ROUTE 27 WILL START OPERATING DAILY BETWEEN 12.30 AM AND 4.40 AM AT A FREQUENCY OF 20 MINUTES. HOWEVER, THIS OVERNIGHT SERVICE WILL TERMINATE AT AP LEI CHAU ESTATE INSTEAD OF WAI FUNG STREET. THE FARE IS SET AT $1.50 PER JOURNEY.

/18