XN000022-1993-10-26 — Page 5

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1993

CENTRAL FUTURE A

THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE NOTED THAT HONG KONG AND YAUMATEI FERRY COMMISSIONED TWO CATAMARANS FOR THE TUEN MUM ROUTE ON SEPTEMBER 30 AND INTENDED TO INTRODUCE IN THE NEAR HOVERFERRY SERVICE BETWEEN TUEN MUN AND WAN CHAI FOR A SIX-MONTH TRIAL PERIOD.

THE COMMITTEE A180 NOTED THAT THE NEW CATAMARAN SERVICE

BETWEEN TUEN MUN AND CENTRAL HAD BEEN POPULAR.

DURING THE PERIOD UNDER REVIEW, THE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS AGAINST GREEN MINIBUS SERVICES WAS LARGELY RELATED TO THE INADEQUACY OF SUCH SERVICES.

TAC CONSIDERS FARE INCREASES FOR TRAMS AND LANTAU TAXIS

THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE (TAC) TODAY (TUESDAY) DISCUSSED FARE INCREASE APPLICATIONS FROM THE HONG KONG TRAMWAY LIMITED (HKT) AND THE LANTAU TAXI ASSOCIATION.

THE COMMITTEE ALSO CONSIDERED A PROPOSAL BY THE POLICE TO REVISE CHARGES FOR TOWING AND STORAGE OF VEHICLES.

MEMBERS WERE INFORMED OF A STRATEGY FOR TAKING FORWARD THE CONSTRUCTION OF ROUTE 3 COUNTRY PARK SECTION.

ON THE TRAM FARE APPLICATION, THE COMMITTEE NOTED THAT HKT APPLIED FOR A 20 CENTS INCREASE TO $1.20 FOR ADULT FARE AND 10 CENTS INCREASE TO 60 CENTS FOR CHILD FARE TO COVER HIGHER OPERATING COST AND TO FURTHER IMPROVE SERVICES. HKT HAD NOT APPLIED FOR FARE INCREASES FOR MORE THAN 3 YEARS.

THE PROPOSED 20% FARE INCREASE IS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN THE ESTIMATED 36.4% RISE IN INFLATION RATE BETWEEN THE DATE OF THE LAST REVISION IN AUGUST 1990 AND THE EXPECTED DATE OF THE INCREASE IN DECEMBER 1993.

THIS HAS BEEN MADE POSSIBLE BY HKT'S SUCCESS IN INTRODUCING A NUMBER OF COST-SAVING MEASURES TO KEEP THE RISE IN OPERATING COST TO 15% DURING THIS PERIOD.

THE COMMITTEE NOTED THAT THE COMPANY WAS PREPARED TO

INTRODUCE

A HALF-FARE CONCESSIONARY SCHEME FOR ELDERLY PASSENGERS AGED 65 AND ABOVE ON A FULL-DAY BASIS WITH EFFECT FROM THE DATE OF THE FARE INCREASE.

TRAMS ATTRACT MORE ELDERLY PASSENGERS THAN OTHER PUBLIC TRANSPORT MODES. ΤΟ ASSIST HKT IN MEETING THE COST OF THE CONCESSIONARY SCHEME, THE GOVERNMENT WILL CONSIDER WAIVING THE RENT ON HKT'S EASTERN DEPOT WHICH WILL AMOUNT TO $2 MILLION IN 1994.

ON SERVICE IMPROVEMENT, THE COMPANY HAS RECENTLY COMMENCED A LARGE SCALE PROGRAMME TO REFURBISH TRAM SHELTERS BY INSTALLING WEATHER-PROOF SHIELDS.

THIS FOLLOWED THE COMPLETION OF A REFURBISHMENT PROGRAMME UNDER WHICH ALL TRAMS WERE REBODIED AND WOODEN SEATS ON THE UPPER-DECK REPLACED BY MORE COMFORTABLE MOULDED PLASTIC ONES.

/IN AN