XN000022-1990-02-08 — Page 3

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1990

THE NON-FRANCHISED

MR LEUNG ADDED THAT

BUS OPERATORS COULI PLAY A VERY USEFUL COMPLEMENTARY ROLE IN HELPING ΤΟ MEET THE PEAK PASSENGER LOAD.

"TO STIMULATE COMPETITION, AND ΤΟ TAP MORE FULLY THE BUS RESOURCES OF NON-FRANCHISED OPERATORS WHO ARE CAPABLE OF PROVIDING GOOD QUALITY SERVICES, THE INTRODUCTION OF ADDITIONAL RESIDENTIAL COACH SERVICES DURING THE PEAK HOURS WOULD BE ENCOURAGED, " HE SAID.

MR LEUNG SAID APPROACH

ON THE CHOICE OF VEHICLES FOR DIFFERENT ROUTES, THE FRANCHISED COMPANIES SHOULD ADOPT A MORE MARKET-ORIENTED IN DETERMINING THE CHOICE.

THEY COULD, FOR INSTANCE, DO MORE AT THE UPPER END OF THE MARKET, WHERE DEMAND WAS CLEARLY GROWING.

"BY ATTRACTING PASSENGERS WHO WOULD OTHERWISE TURN TO PRIVATE CARS, UP-MARKET BUS SERVICES WOULD HELP EASE ROAD CONGESTION AND ALLOW THE BUS COMPANIES TO TAP A REVENUE SOURCE HITHERTO NOT UTILISED.

"THE WIDER USE OF AIR-CONDITIONED BUSES, AS CURRENTLY PLANNED BY THE FRANCHISED OPERATORS, IS THEREFORE A MOVE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

"IN THIS SUMMER, WE EXPECT TO SEE THE DEPLOYMENT OF MORE THAN 30 AIR-CONDITIONED DOUBLE-DECKERS BY KOWLOON MOTOR BUS COMPANY (KMB) AND CHINA MOTOR BUS COMPANY (CMB).

"THIS SHOULD HELP CONTAIN THE EXTENT OF PASSENGER DIVERSION TO THE RAILWAYS DURING THE HOT SUMMER MONTHS, THEREBY EASING THE PRESSURE ON THE BUSIEST SECTIONS OF THE RAIL CORRIDOR, 마 HE SAID.

MR LEUNG ADDED THAT THERE MIGHT BE CASES WHERE CONVERSION TO A GREEN MINIBUS ROUTE WAS PREFERABLE TO REQUIRING A FRANCHISED BUS OPERATOR TO INVEST IN NEW VEHICLES FOR A LOSS-MAKING ROUTE AFFECTED BY DECLINING DEMAND.

ON FUTURE ROUTE DEVELOPMENT, MR LEUNG SAID THAT IN EXAMINING SUCH PROPOSALS, INCREASING EMPHASIS MUST BE PLACED ON THE NEED TO ATTACK THE BASELINE, TO CRITICALLY RE-EXAMINE THE NEED FOR EXISTING SERVICES, INSTEAD OF FOCUSSING SOLELY ON AREAS REQUIRING SERVICE EXPANSION.

IN

TO ENSURE THAT CHANGES MADE BY THE FRANCHISED BUS COMPANIES THIS RESPECT WERE SYNCHRONISED WITH THE OPERATION OF OTHER MODES SERVING THE SAME AREA, THE GOVERNMENT HAD COMMISSIONED, LAST NOVEMBER, A PILOT CONSULTANCY STUDY ENTITLED

"AREA PUBLIC TRANSPORT NETWORK EFFICIENCY STUDIES".

THROUGH THE USE OF COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY, THE GOVERNMENT COULD REVIEW THE EFFICIENCY OF A GROUP OF BUS ROUTES AND THEIR INTEGRATION WITH OTHER TRANSPORT MODES IN A

MORE

COMPREHENSIVE AND

SYSTEMATIC

MANNER.

/A RATIONALISED

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