XN000022-1987-02-24 — Page 9

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1987

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TAC SUPPORTS PROPOSED NT TAXI RESTRICTION

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THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE (TAC) TODAY (TUESDAY) SUPPORTED THE PROPOSAL OF NOT PERMITTING NEW TERRITORIES TAXIS TO OPERATE IN MA ON SHAN AND JUNK BAY NEW TOWNS IN 1987 WHEN POPULATION INTAKES BEGIN.

THE DECISION IN RESPECT OF NOT EXTENDING THE SERVICE TO MA ON SHAN IS IN SUPPORT OF THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THE LOCAL DISTRICT BOARD.

AS FOR JUNK BAY, BUS SERVICES WILL COMMENCE IN MARCH THIS YEAR AND THE RESIDENTS WILL BE SERVED BY BUSES.

THE DECISION IS IN LINE WITH ENSURING THAT NEW TERRITORIES TAX IS ARE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE RURAL AREAS WHERE THE NEED IS VERY STRONG.

MEMBERS NOTED THAT ALLOWING NEW TERRITORIES TAXIS FURTHER ACCESS INTO THE URBAN AREAS WOULD RESULT IN THE CONGREGATION OF THESE TAXIS IN THE NEW TOWNS AT THE EXPENSE OF SERVICES TO THE MORE REMOTE PARTS OF THE NEW TERRITORIES.

TAC MEMBERS ALSO CONSIDERED THE FIVE-YEAR PLANS FOR 1987 TO 1991 SUBMITTED BY THE CHINA MOTOR BUS COMPANY LTD (CMB), THE HONGKONG AND YAUMATI FERRY COMPANY LTD (HYF) AND THE STAR FERRY COMPANY LTD (SF).

TAC NOTED THAT WHILE THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT AND CMB WERE ABLE TO REACH AGREEMENT ON MOST OF THE ITEMS CONTAINED IN THE ROUTE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (RDP), THERE WERE SOME DISAGREEMENT OVER THE BUS FLEET PROGRAMME PROPOSED BY THE COMPANY.

CMB WAS CONSIDER ING THE CONSTRUCTION OF A MULTI-STOREY WORKSHOP WITHIN ITS EXISTING CHAI WAN DEPOT TO ENABLE THE RATIONALISATION AND THE IMPROVEMENT OF EFFICIENCY OF ITS UNIT OVERHAUL FACILITIES.

THE FIVE-YEAR PLAN OF HYF HAD INCORPORATED RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE STUDY OF CROSS-HARBOUR PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES FOR THE RATIONALISATION OF ITS CROSS-HARBOUR PASSENGER FERRY SERVICES.

MEMBERS OF THE TAC NOTED THAT BOTH HYF AND STAR FERRY HAD PROPOSALS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE PLANS FOR THE OPERATION OF TWO SIMILAR CROSS-HARBOUR PASSENGER FERRY SERVICES.

THE TAC AGREED THAT DETAILED INFORMATION SHOULD BE SOUGHT FROM THE COMPANIES, BEFORE THE COMPETING PROPOSALS COULD BE FURTHER CONSIDERED.

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