XN000022-1989-06-21 — Page 43

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 1989

41

PUBLIC TRANSPORT FARES TO GO UP IN JULY

INCREASE

COUNCIL HAS APPROVED FARE THE GOVERNOR IN APPLICATIONS BY STAR FERRY, LANTAU TAXI OPERATORS AND THE CHINA BUS COMPANY (CMB) RANGING FROM AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT 11 PER CENT PER CENT IN LINE WITH INFLATION AND INCREASED OPERATING COSTS.

MOTOR TO 20

STAR FERRY WILL TAKE EFFECT THE FARE INCREASES FOR CMB AND FROM JULY 2 THIS YEAR AND THAT FOR LANTAU TAXIS ON JULY 10.

PER 74

AN ADDITIONAL

CENT OF CMB PASSENGERS AFTER REVISION OF CMB FARES. WILL PAY AN ADDITIONAL 10 TO 30 CENTS, AND 25 PER CENT 40 TO 50 CENTS.

THE REMAINING ONE PER CENT, MOSTLY WILL PAY AN ADDITIONAL 80 CENTS TO $1.60.

ON EXPRESS

COACH ROUTES,

FOR CROSS HARBOUR BUS SERVICES WHICH ARE JOINTLY OPERATED KOWLOON MOTOR BUS COMPANY, THE FARES WILL REMAIN UNCHANGED.

WITH

IN

HAS TAKEN IN APPROVING THE FARE RISE, THE GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL INTO ACCOUNT CMB'S FINANCIAL POSITION AFFECTED BY RISING INFLATION THE THREE YEARS SINCE THE LAST INCREASE IN APRIL 1986.

IN OPERATING INCREASES

COSTS DUE TO THE MAIN FACTORS WERE

OF SERVICE IMPROVEMENTS. THE INFLATION, AND THE NEED TO MEET COSTS

20 PER CENT IS BELOW THE APPROVED OVERALL INCREASE OF INFLATION OF 24 PER CENT SINCE CMB'S LAST FARE INCREASE.

AGGREGATE

HIGH

AND RESIDENTS FARE LEVELS

OF ON

THE CONCERN EXPRESSED BY THE DISTRICT BOARD

RELATIVELY THE REGARDING DISTRICT SOUTHERN SOUTHERN ROUTES COMPARED WITH NON-SOUTHERN ROUTES WAS ALSO NOTED.

TO NARROW THE

FARE

DIFFERENTIALS,

APPROVED SEVERAL MEASURES. THESE INCLUDE:

THE GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL

SOUTHERN ROUTES

OF 24 PER CENT FOR

AN AVERAGE INCREASE OF 15 PER CENT FOR ALL AS COMPARED WITH AN AVERAGE INCREASE NON-SOUTHERN ROUTES;

A SECTION FARE OF $1.20 ON ROUTE 97 FOR TRIPS CHAU TO WONG CHUK HANG; AND

INTRODUCTION OF TWO EXPRESS ROUTE GROUP,

NEW

SO

FROM AP LEI

FARE BANDS INTO THE SOUTHERN REDUCING THE INCREASES ON FOUR

ROUTES (ROUTES 72, 92, 38, 42).

HOWEVER, A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT

FARE DIFFERENTIALS BETWEEN

REDUCTION OF

SOUTHERN AND NON-SOUTHERN ROUTES COULD ONLY BE ACHIEVED PROGRESSIVELY. A SUDDEN AND SHARP REDUCTION OF THE DRASTIC FARE INCREASES OR SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENTIALS COULD LEAD TO SERVICE REDUCTIONS ON NON-SOUTHERN ROUTES.

/HE ADDED