XN000022-1993-04-06 — Page 25

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TUESDAY, APRIL 6, 1993

BUS RESTRICTIONS IN TRANSIT SERVICE AREA TO BE LIFTED

* * * * *

THE GOVERNMENT AND THE KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY CORPORATION (KCRC) HAVE AGREED THAT THE EXISTING BUS RESTRICTIONS IN THE TRANSIT SERVICE AREA (TSA) IN TUEN MUN AND YUEN LONG SHOULD BE LIFTED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

THE DECISION HAS

BEEN TAKEN FOLLOWING COMPLETION OF A JOINT REVIEW UNDERTAKEN BY THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE CORPORATION ON THE IMPLICATIONS OF OPENING UP THE TSA FOR THE LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT (LRT).

FULL ACCOUNT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO THE VIEWS OF THE PUBLIC ON THE

MATTER.

FOR THE TRAVELLING PUBLIC, IT WILL NOW MEAN THAT ONE CAN FREELY CATCH OR DISEMBARK FROM A BUS OF THE KOWLOON MOTOR BUS CO. ON ANY EXISTING ROUTE WITHIN THE TSA.

"REMOVING BUS RESTRICTIONS

IN THE TSA WILL OFFER LOCAL RESIDENTS MORE CHOICES AND COMPETITIVE FARES, A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID.

"UNDER THE NEW ARRANGEMENTS, KCRC WILL CONTINUE TO RUN THE LRT FEEDER BUS SERVICES. LRT PASSENGERS WILL ALSO CONTINUE то ENJOY INTEGRATED FARES, INCLUDING FREE TRANSFER BETWEEN THE LRT AND ITS FEEDER BUSES.

"

"THE TUEN MUN AND YUEN LONG DISTRICT BOARDS WILL BE CONSULTED ON THE TIMING FOR LIFTING THESE RESTRICTIONS IN THE TSA AND THE RESULTANT TRAFFIC RE-ARRANGEMENTS,' THE SPOKESMAN ADDED.

"

SINCE THE LRT CAME INTO OPERATION IN 1988, IT HAS EXPANDED ITS NETWORK BY ADDING 7.7 KM RAIL TRACK, INCLUDING THE RECENT COMMISSIONING OF THE TIN SHUI WAT LINK.

HAS INCREASED STEADILY FROM

THE DAILY PATRONAGE OF LRT 180,000 PASSENGER TRIPS IN LATE 1988 WHEN IT FIRST STARTED OPERATION TO 320,000 IN MARCH THIS YEAR.

IT IS INTENDED THAT THE NEW ARRANGEMENTS COME IN EFFECT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, AND NOT LATER THAN JUNE THIS YEAR.

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