TNAG-0951-FCO40-1170-Policy-on-transport-in-Hong-Kong-1980 — Page 9

CONFIDENTIAL

機密

For discussion on 6th February 1979

Annex B to XCC (80)29

XCC(79)13

MEMORANDUM FOR EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

WHITE PAPER ON INTERNAL TRANSPORT POLICY

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A Transport Complaints Committee

13.

Whilst the present system appears to work reasonably well in the formulation of policy, what does appear to be lacking is a more direct channel of communication between the public and the Government on transport matters. Normally the issues involved are very small the inadequacy of a particular bus service or the condition of a certain road. Nevertheless, these are important issues to those members of the public who are directly inconvenienced by them, The natural direction of this channel of communication is the TAC, but it has to be accepted that this body is necessarily too pre-occupied with major policy matters to pay sufficient attention to these particular issues.

14.

Accordingly, it is proposed that a Transport Complaints Committee should be established to provide the public with a better channel than has hitherto been available for airing their grievances about various aspects of the transport system. It is envisaged that this new committee should have an unofficial chairman who should preferably be a member of UMELCO and would become a member of the TAC. There would be several other unofficial members drawn from a cross- section of the public, together with representatives from the Public Works Department, the Police, the Transport Department and the Environment Branch. A small secretariat would be established in the Transport Department to receive complaints from the public and to process them for consideration by the committee. The Committee would be appointed by the Governor and would be required to report to him annually and at other times as often as it considered necessary. As the Chairman would also be a member of the TAC he would have the opportunity of keeping that committee informed on those aspects of the transport system that were attracting particular public complaint. The complaints committee would have the power to approach Government departments, the franchised transport operators and others concerned with the transport system to seek answers to complaints.

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