TNAG-1509-FCO40-2067-Hong-Kong-roads-and-traffic-legislation-1986 — Page 122

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XCC (86) 110

(d)

(e)

Page

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any requests from public transport companies to increase their fares would be considered on the usual basis of increased costs, and there would be no question of inflating fares on other forms of transport to encourage more people to use the MTR; and

the Government remained completely free and uncommitted as regards any decisions on the possible restructuring of the fares or routes of bus and other public transport services."

XCC(79)45 of 8 May, 1979 refers.

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The introduction of cross-harbour bus services, the opening of the MTR and the electrification of the KCR have introduced a degree of competition between different public transport modes which did not exist before. For the passenger, the introduction of these new facilities, together with a reduction in traffic congestion and a slow down in the population growth, has meant that the choice, quality and quantity of public transport have improved considerably. Possibly, for the first time, there is now an excess of public transport capacity in many areas.

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Public transport services

services range from the

from the relatively expensive but fast rail services, to buses and PLB's and to the cheaper but slower ferries and trams. As long as the fare differentials result in a distribution of demand that matches the supply, each mode can be expected to remain viable and the user will continue to be provided with a wide choice.

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However, recent developments have put pressure on the stability of this range of services, e.g.:

(a) ferry fares, particularly those of HYF, have risen very fast in recent years; the ordinary ferry services are

services are still slow, but now many are not so cheap;

(b)

The

there is increasing competition between bus and rail services. Bus fares are still relatively low. Also the speed of bus services is increasing as new roads are opened and congestion decreases. railways, on the other hand, are required by their operating charters to cover the high capital as well as operating costs, and this has resulted in relatively high fares;