XN000022-1988-04-27 — Page 26

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 1988

TO DO SO WOULD BE PUTTING THE SAFETY OF MTR PASSENGERS AT RISK.

ON FARE POLICY, MR LEUNG SAID THAT UNDER SECTION 6(2) OF THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY CORPORATION ORDINANCE, THE CORPORATION HAD THE POWER TO DETERMINE THE FARES PAYABLE BY ITS PASSENGERS.

SINCE THE OPENING OF THE MTR IN 1979, ADOPTED A CONSISTENT POLICY OF SMALL ANNUAL FARES WHICH ROUGHLY MATCHED RISES EN THE PASSENGERS,

THE CORPORATION HAD INCREASES IN AVERAGE PURCHASING POWER

OF

THE GOVERNMENT CONSIDERED THIS PRACTICE OF REGULAR BUT MODERATE REVISIONS TO BE ACCEPTABLE.

HE SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT ALSO RECOGNISED THE IMPORTANCE OF SAFEGUARDING PUBLIC INTEREST.

THIS WAS DONE THROUGH THE ORDINANCE WHICH REQUIRED THE CORPORATION TO OPERATE ACCORDING TO PRUDENT COMMERCIAL PRINCIPLES, HAVING REGARD TO THE REASONABLE REQUIREMENTS OF THE PUBLIC TRANSPORT SYSTEM OF HONG KONG.

CONTROL WAS FURTHER EXERCISED THROUGH THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS WHOSE CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS WERE ALL APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR.

IN ADDITION, THE GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL MIGHT, IF THE PUBLIC INTEREST SO REQUIRED, GIVE DIRECTIONS IN GENERAL CHARACTER TO THE CORPORATION, MR LEUNG ADDED.

HE CONSIDERED

WRITING OF A

TRANSPORT PLANNING AIMED AT REDUCING CONGESTION

STUDY,

THE SECOND COMPREHENSIVE TRANSPORT

SCHEDULED FOR COMPLETION LATER THIS YEAR, SHOULD PROVIDE, AMONG OTHER THINGS, A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF OVERALL CONGESTION AND A RANGE OF POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM, THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, THE HON MICHAEL LEUNG, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY),

IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY DR THE HON CONRAD LAM IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEETING, MR LEUNG SAID AN INVESTMENT PROGRAMME FOR MAJOR NEW ROADS, RAILWAYS AND OTHER TRANSPORT FACILITIES SHOULD BE ABLE TO MEET THE INCREASING DEMAND UP TO THE YEAR 2001.

FOR TRAVEL

/HE POINTED