XN000022-1993-10-29 — Page 20

19

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1993

APPEAL CASES LODGED BY APPLICANTS WHO FAILED IN THE INITIAL APPLICATION WILL BE CAREFULLY CONSIDERED BY THE BOARD.

IT REQUIRES CONSIDERABLE TIME AND EFFORT TO COMPLETE ALL THE NECESSARY PROCEDURES FOR EACH GMB EXPANSION EXERCISE STARTING FROM THE INITIAL PROCESS OF ROUTE PLANNING AND CONSULTATION TO THE FINAL PROCESS OF SELECTION OF APPLICANTS.

THE WHOLE PROCESS WOULD NORMALLY TAKE ABOUT 10 MONTHS ΤΟ

COMPLETE.

THE SPOKESMAN ADDED THAT IN PLANNING NEW GMB ROUTES, IT WAS NECESSARY TO AVOID DUPLICATION WITH AN EXISTING FRANCHISED BUS ROUTE OR GMB ROUTE AS FAR AS POSSIBLE SO AS TO PREVENT OR MINIMISE OVER-PROVISION OR UNNECESSARY COMPETITION OF TRANSPORT SERVICES.

SO

"IT IS NECESSARY TO PRESENT ALL THE PROPOSED GMB ROUTES DEVELOPED ΤΟ THE RELEVANT TRANSPORT OPERATORS AND THE RELEVANT DISTRICT BOARDS FOR CONSULTATION AND COMMENTS.

**

THIS PUBLIC CONSULTATION PROCESS, WHICH USUALLY TAKES OVER THREE MONTHS TO COMPLETE, PROVIDES USEFUL OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT TO EXPLAIN THE ROUTE PROPOSALS TO THE RELEVANT PARTIES AND TO FINALISE THE NEW ROUTES FOR GAZETTING THROUGH MODIFICATIONS, OR EVEN WITHDRAWAL OF THE ORIGINAL PROPOSED NEW ROUTES.

ALTHOUGH THE OBJECTIVE OF THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT IS TO IDENTIFY AS MANY NEW GMB ROUTES AS POSSIBLE BASED ON THE PLANNING GUIDELINES, THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF NEW GMB ROUTES AND VEHICLES TO BE INTRODUCED EACH YEAR IS SUBJECT TO THE AVAILABILITY OF SUITABLE NEW ROUTES, WHICH SHOULD BE SUFFICIENTLY ATTRACTIVE ΤΟ THE OPERATORS WITHOUT SIGNIFICANTLY DUPLICATING THE EXISTING FRANCHISED BUS AND GMB ROUTES, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

OPERATION OF NEW GMB ROUTES INVITED

THE TRANSPORT

DEPARTMENT IS INVITING APPLICATIONS FOR OPERATING 16 NEW GREEN MINIBUS ROUTES IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE TERRITORY, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCED TODAY (FRIDAY).

THE NEW ROUTES ARE IN CENTRAL, POK FU LAM, SHAU KEI WAN AND NORTH POINT ON HONG KONG ISLAND; WONG TAI SIN, YAU MA TEI, TSIM SHA TSUI, KWUN TONG, AND KOWLOON CITY IN KOWLOON; AND TAI PO, YUEN LONG, AND SAI KUNG IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

"THERE WLL BE ONE ALL-NIGHT SERVICE ROUTE RUNNING BETWEEN TIN SHUI ESTATE (TIN SHUI WAI) AND YUEN LONG (EAST)", THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

PUBLISHED IN THE GAZETTE TODAY

DETAILS OF THESE ROUTES ARE

(FRIDAY).

/APPLICATION FORMS

Page 20Page 21