TNAG-1449-FCO40-1953-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 258

question No. 13

Written Reply by Hon J.N. Henderson, OBE, JP, Secretary for Education and Manpower, to Hon PCON Chi-fai

at the Legislative Council on 12.3.35

Disabled persons normally have to wait for a period of time before they get

the rehabilitation bus service. Will Government inform this Council :-

(a) On average, how long will a disabled person take to apply successfully

for the rehabilitation bus service at present;

(b) What is the present situation of supply and demand for rehabilitation

bus service and when will such service be sufficiently provided by

Government;

(c) Does the proposed Tuen Mun Light Rail accommodate special facilities

for the disabled;

(d) If it does, what is the increase in construction cost as a result

and how many disabled persons are expected to make use of such provisions;

and

(e) If not, are there any measures to help the disabled solve their travelling

problems in Tuen Mun and Yuen Long?

To answer these questions seriatim :-

(a) The Hong Kong Society for Rehabilitation, which operates the service,

does not keep a record of waiting time for individual applicants.

Waiting time varies from almost immediate service to a considerable

period if the route is oversubscribed, or if the service is unlikely to

match the requirements of the applicant (see (b) below).

(b) The rehabus fleet has 21 vehicles running 19 routes, with a seating

capacity of 228, which is about the number of registered passengers.

There is a waiting list of about 60. Two more buses are expected

to arrive later this year, but though this will help to meet the

demand, in case where routes are oversubscribed or where new routes