XN000022-1992-07-02 — Page 6

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THURSDAY, JULY 2, 1992

CHINA MOTOR BUS ACCEPTS NEW FRANCHISE

GOVERNMENT'S

THE CHINA MOTOR BUS COMPANY (CMB) HAS ACCEPTED OFFER TO OPERATE A REDUCED NETWORK OF 90 ROUTES UNDER A TWO-YEAR NEW FRANCHISE WITH EFFECT FROM SEPTEMBER 1, 1993.

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN TODAY (THURSDAY} WELCOMED THE CMB'S DECISION AND SAID IT WOULD LEAD то IMPROVEMENT OF BUS SERVICES THROUGH HEALTHY COMPETITION.

UNDER THE NEW FRANCHISE. CMB'S EXISTING PROFIT CONTROL SCHEME WILL BE DISCONTINUED AND NEW CONDITIONS WILL BE ADDED TO STRENGTHEN THE MONITORING OF CMB'S OPERATIONS AND TO ENSURE SMOOTH TRANSITION THE NEW FRANCHISE.

TO

THE NEW CONDITIONS WILL INCLUDE ESTABLISHMENT OF PASSENGER LIAISON GROUPS, ACCESS BY THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT VIA A COMPUTER TERMINAL TO CMB'S UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION ON BUS OPERATIONS, CONTROL PENSION FUND BY AN INDEPENDENT TRUSTEE, AND SHARING OF BUS STOPS, TERMINI AND OTHER FACILITIES WITH THE NEW OPERATOR.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID GIVEN THAT THERE WERE ABOUT 500 VACANCIES IN THE BUS INDUSTRY OUTSIDE CMB AND THAT THE NEW OPERATOR WOULD REQUIRE ABOUT 400 BUS DRIVERS FOR THE 26 ROUTES TAKEN AWAY FROM CMB, THERE SHOULD NOT BE ANY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON CMB STAFF WHO MIGHT BE AFFECTED BY THE NEW FRANCHISE.

HOWEVER, THE GOVERNMENT HAS URGED CMB TO MAKE ADEQUATE ARRANGEMENTS TO MINIMISE ANY SUCH IMPACT.

AWARD OF THE NEW FRANCHISE WILL BE SUBJECT то FORMAL RATIFICATION OF THE NECESSARY LEGAL DOCUMENTS BY BOTH THE GOVERNMENT AND CMB.

LORD WILSON'S FAREWELL PERFORMANCES BROADCAST LIVE

A WIDE VARIETY OF PERFORMANCES WILL BE HELD AT EDINBURGH PLACE TOMORROW (FRIDAY) EVENING TO BID FAREWELL TO THE GOVERNOR, LORD WILSON, WHO WILL LEAVE HONG KONG ON COMPLETION OF HIS TERM OF OFFICE.

THE PERFORMANCES, TO BE PERSENTED BY MORE THAN 300 CHILDREN YOUNGSTERS, FORM PART OF LORD WILSON'S FAREWELL PROGRAMME ORGANISED BY THE RADIO TELEVISION HONG KONG,

AND

KICKING OFF THE PROGRAMMES 18 A SALUTE BY MEMBERS OF NINE UNIFORMED YOUTH GROUPS TO THE GOVERNOR. EITHER LORD WILSON OR LADY WILSON IS THE PATRON OF THESE GROUPS.

/OTHER PROGRAMMES