XN000022-1987-05-20 — Page 12

11

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 1987

NEW LANTAO BUS COMPANY FARE INCREASE APPROVED

*****

THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL HAS APPROVED A FARE INCREASE FOR THE NEW LANTAO BUS COMPANY (NLB) WHICH WILL TAKE EFFECT ON JUNE 1, 1987.

THE INCREASE, AVERAGING 10.5 PER CENT, WILL RANGE BETWEEN 10 CENTS AND 60 CENTS FOR JOURNEYS ON MONDAYS TO SATURDAYS, AND BETWEEN 20 CENTS AND $1 ON SUNDAYS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS.

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID A FARE INCREASE FOR THIS YEAR WAS PREDICTED TO BE NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN THE COMPANY'S OVER ALL VIABILITY IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS. THE COMPANY'S LONG TERM DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME WAS CONSIDERED TO BE RATIONAL.

+THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT, THE TRANSPORT BRANCH, THE FINANCIAL MONITORING UNIT OF THE ECONOMIC SERVICES BRANCH AND THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE HAVE EXAMINED DETAILS OF THE COMPANY'S APPLICATION FOR A FARE INCREASE AND HAVE FOUND THEM TO BE REASONABLE, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

THE COMPANY'S PERFORMANCE WAS REVIEWED IN 1986 IN THE CONTEXT OF ITS APPLICATION OF AN EXTENSION OF FRANCHISE. THE REVIEW FOUND THAT THE COMPANY HAD BEEN ABLE TO MAINTAIN AN EFFICIENT SERVICE AND THAT IT WAS ALSO PLANNING TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO ITS BUS MAINTENANCE FACILITIES.

THE EXISTING AND REVISED FARE SCALE OF NLB ARE1

ADULT SINGLE FARE

JOURNEY DISTANCE

MONDAYS TO

SUNDAYS AND

SATURDAYS

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

GROUP OF ROUTES

NOT

EXCEEDING

EXISTING REVISED

EXISTING

REVISED

(KM)

($)

(#)

(#)

(8)

I ORDINARY

4

0.80

0.90

1.60

1.80

ROUTES

Q

1.70

1.90

2.20

2.50

13

2.20

2.50

4.00

4.50

17

3.30

3.60

5.00

5.50

20

4.00

4.50

6.00

6.60

/24

4.50