XN000022-1989-01-14 — Page 3

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 14, 1989

STUDIES TO IMPROVE PUBLIC TRANSPORT NETWORK

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THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT WILL CONDUCT LARGE-SCALE TRANSPORT STUDIES AS PART OF ITS CONTINUING EFFORTS TO IMPROVE THE EFFICIENCY OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES.

THE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN MONITORING THE BUS NETWORKS THROUGH FIELD SURVEYS OF INDIVIDUAL ROUTES AND SEPARATE ANALYSIS OF THE DATA COLLECTED. THE RESULTS HAVE BEEN SATISFACTORY.

THE STUDIES, TO BE MADE WITH THE AID OF COMPUTERS, WILL FURTHER HELP TO IDENTIFY THE STRENGTH AND WEAKNESSES IN THE EXISTING NETWORKS,

THEY COULD OPTIMISE FREQUENCIES FLEETS FOR BUS ROUTES, AND WOULD ALSO EXISTING AND POTENTIAL PASSENGERS RESTRUCTURING OF THE BUS NETWORKS.

AND THE COMPOSITION OF THE HELP QUANTIFY THE EFFECT ON AS A RESULT OF POSSIBLE

BY IMPROVING EFFICIENCY, THE ENHANCED EVALUATION TRANSPORT NETWORK WILL IN THE LONG TERM HELP TO REDUCE THE FOR HIGHER TRANSPORT FARES AND BRING ABOUT OVERALL BENEFITS COMMUNITY.

OF THE PRESSURE ΤΟ THE

THE STUDIES WILL BE CARRIED OUT BY TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS, ASSISTED BY PROFESSIONAL CONSULTANTS.

THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT WILL INVITE TECHNICAL PROPOSALS FROM CONSULTANT FIRMS WITH A VIEW TO SELECTING THE BEST COMPUTER PROGRAM AND CONSULTANT SUPPORT FOR THE STUDIES.

SHA TIN, ΤΑΙ PO AND NORTH DISTRICT IN THE EASTERN NEW TERRITORIES ARE LIKELY TO BE SELECTED FOR THE FIRST SUB-REGIONAL STUDY. THE TRAVEL HABITS OF THE PUBLIC AND THEIR CHOICE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT WILL BE ANALYSED.

THE FINANCE COMMITTEE HAS APPROVED A PROVISION OF $2. 2 MILLION IN 1989-90 AND $2 MILLION

IN 1990-91 FOR THE STUDIES, WHICH ARE EXPECTED TO COMMENCE IN DECEMBER.

THE STUDIES HAVE BEEN PLANNED FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS MADE BY THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE LAST YEAR THAT THE EXPANSION OF THE FRANCHISED BUS NETWORKS SHOULD BE CLOSELY MONITORED ΤΟ ENSURE THAT THERE IS A COMPROMISE BETWEEN ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY AND SERVICE EXPANSION TO MEET PASSENGERS' TRANSPORT REQUIREMENTS.

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