XN000022-1993-05-25 — Page 4

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TUESDAY, MAY 25, 1993

THE ADMINISTRATION WILL START TALK WITH HYF ON THE COMMENCEMENT DATE OF THIS NEW ROUTE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

ON THE USE OF REAR SEAT BELTS, MEMBERS AGREED THAT LEGISLATION SHOULD BE DRAFTED TO MAKE THE WEARING OF SEAT BELTS COMPULSORY FOR PASSENGERS AGED THREE AND ABOVE.

FOR CHILDREN BELOW THE AGE OF THREE, MEMBERS CAME TO THE VIEW THAT AT THIS STAGE PUBLICITY AND PUBLIC EDUCATION SHOULD BE STEPPED UP TO PROMOTE THE USE OF CHILD RESTRAINTS.

THEY WOULD ONLY CONSIDER LEGISLATION IN A STEP-BY-STEP APPROACH SHOULD PUBLICITY FAIL TO PERSUADE PARENTS TO INSTALL CHILD RESTRAINTS IN THEIR CARS.

ON NLB'S FORWARD PLANNING PROGRAMME, MEMBERS WERE INFORMED THAT THE COMPANY PLANNED TO ADD ONE AIR-CONDITIONED SINGLE-DECK BUS EACH TO ITS ROUTES RUNNING FROM MUI WO TO TONG FUK AND FROM MUI WO TO PUI THIS SUMMER TO CATER FOR THE RECREATIONAL NEED.

NLB WILL INTRODUCE THREE RECREATIONAL ROUTES FROM NGONG PING ΤΟ TUNG CHUNG, TONG FUK AND PUI O ON SUNDAYS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS IN ANTICIPATION OF INCREASING DEMAND WITH THE FULL OPENING OF THE BUDDHA STATUE IN LATE 1993.

A NEW ROUTE FROM KEUNG SHAN TO SHA LO WAN WILL ALSO BE INTRODUCED IN MID-1994, SUBJECT TO THE COMPLETION OF SHA LO WAN ROAD.

FOUR

THE COMPANY FORECASTS A MODERATE PATRONAGE GROWTH OF TWO TO PER CENT PER ANNUM, FROM 3.9 MILLION TRIPS IN 1992/93 TO 4.53 MILLION IN 1997/98.

IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, THE COMPANY PLANS TO BUY SEVEN AIR- CONDITIONED SINGLE-DECK BUSES AND EIGHT NON-AIR-CONDITIONED DOUBLE- DECK BUSES FOR SERVICE IMPROVEMENTS AND REPLACEMENT OF OLD BUSES.

THEY NOTED THAT THE ISLANDS DISTRICT BOARD'S TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORT COMMITTEE HAD BEEN CONSULTED ON NLB'S ROUTE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME AND CONSIDERED THE PROGRAMME GENERALLY ACCEPTABLE.

AT THE MEETING, MEMBERS WERE ALSO BRIEFED ON THE TRANSPORT COMPLAINT UNIT'S QUARTERLY REPORT NO. 4 FOR THE PERIOD FROM JANUARY 1 TO MARCH 31, 1993.

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