TNAG-0855-FCO40-1065-Construction-of-underground-railway-system-in-Hong-Kong-1979 — Page 91

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Public Transport Fares and Viability of MTR

So much, Sir, for the monopoly argument: Τ

should now like to make it quite clear to Mr. WU and Mr.

LO that there has never been any intention of revising

surface public transport fares, routes and services solely

to make the MTR viable, and no such assumption was made in

the calculations of passengers and revenues for the MTR,

which have shown the MTR to be viable. These calculations

have been based on the assumption that the MTR will be

operating in a competitive environment with buses, PLBs

and ferries.

✩

As in the past, surface public transport fares,

routes and frequencies will continue to be revised only

when the interests of the travelling public as a whole are

thus best served. But the mere presence of the MTR

carrying about one million passengers a day in 1981 on the

MIS and, 1.8 million passengers on the combined MIS and

Tsuen Wan system in 1986, will necessitate nevertheless

some "reshaping" of existing public transport. Let me

stress again, however, the rational for this "reshaping"

will be to improve the overall level of service provided

for the public.

As I said earlier, the precise nature of the

"reshaping" that will be most appropriate can only be

determined by a detailed public transport study. To this

/ end