XN000022-1990-02-08 — Page 2

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1990

BUS OPERATORS ADVISED TO MAKE CHANGES

THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, MR MICHAEL LEUNG, TODAY (THURSDAY) FRANCHISED BUS OPERATORS TO SHARPEN THEMSELVES FOR GREATER COMPETITION IN THE PASSENGER TRANSPORT FIELD.

URGED

TO STAY COMPETITIVE WITH RAIL AND OTHER UP-MARKET TRANSPORT MODES AND TO MAKE BUS OPERATIONS MORE COST-EFFICIENT, SOME FUNDAMENTAL CHANGES TO THE WAY IN WHICH BUS SERVICES WERE BEING OPERATED AND PLANNED MIGHT BE NECESSARY, MR LEUNG SAID.

SPEAKING AT A LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE LIONS CLUB OF ΤΑΙ PING SHAN ON "PUBLIC BUS TRANSPORT IN THE 90'S", MR LEUNG SAID THESE CHANGES RELATED TO THE SIZE OF BUS FLEET, USE OF APPROPRIATE VEHICLES FOR DIFFERENT ROUTES, FUTURE ROUTE DEVELOPMENT, EFFICIENCY OF LONG-DISTANCE ROUTES, AND MANAGEMENT.

MR LEUNG ALSO UNDERLINED THE NEED FOR AND IMPORTANCE OF CUSTOMER RELATIONS IN THE PUBLIC TRANSPORT SECTOR.

HE HOPED THAT THE FRANCHISED BUS COMPANIES, IN PARTICULAR, COULD SEE THEIR WAY TO LISTENING TO THE VOICES OF THEIR CUSTOMERS IN A MORE FRANK AND OPEN MANNER.

ON FLEET SIZE, MR LEUNG SAID IT WAS AN IMPORTANT DETERMINANT OF FARE LEVELS AS THE SCALE OF SUPPORT FACILITIES REQUIRED, INCLUDING PARKING SPACE AND DEPOTS, ALL HINGED ON THE SIZE OF THE FLEET.

BUS FLEET

AT PRESENT, A SIZEABLE PROPORTION OF THE FRANCHISED WAS DEPLOYED ON SERVICES NEEDED ONLY DURING THE PEAK HOURS. BUSES WERE LEFT IDLE DURING THE OFF-PEAK PERIOD.

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"TO CUSHION THE EFFECT ON FARES WHICH WOULD IN TURN THEIR COMPETITIVE POWER, THE FRANCHISED BUS COMPANIES MUST KEEP THE LEVEL OF UNDER-UTILISED RESOURCES WITHIN REASONABLE HE SAID.

THESE

ENHANCE SEEK TO BOUNDS,

ON THE PART OF THE GOVERNMENT, MR LEUNG SAID, ACTIVE STEPS WOULD CONTINUE TO BE DEVOTED TO PROMOTING STAGGERED WORKING HOURS AS A MEANS TO HELP SPREAD OUT THE PEAK-HOUR DEMAND.

THE GOVERNMENT WOULD ALSO SEEK ΤΟ ENCOURAGE COMMERCIAL LAND USE DEVELOPMENTS OVER A WIDER GEOGRAPHICAL SPREAD WITHIN THE URBAN AREA AND AROUND SELECTED TRANSPORT INTERCHANGES.

"THE AIM IS TO DISPERSE THE CONCENTRATION OF FINANCIAL AND COMMERCIAL JOBS, THEREBY REDUCING THE VOLUME OF TRAFFIC GOING IN A SINGLE DIRECTION DURING THE PEAK HOURS," HE SAID.

ON THE PART OF THE FRANCHISED OPERATORS, THEY WOULD HAVE TO CONSCIOUSLY SCALE DOWN THE PROPORTION OF PEAK-ONLY SERVICES IN THE LONG RUN.

/MR LEUNG