TNAG-1512-FCO40-2070-Kowloon-Canton-highway-and-Kowloon-Canton-Railway-Corporatio-1986 — Page 58

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The schedules of bus services of the two bus

companies (i.e. CMB & KMB) are subject to the approval of the Commissioner for Transport. Yet the Mass Transit Railway and the Kowloon-Canton Railway services are not governed by such provisions. As the LRT and its feeder bus services will come under the operation of the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation, the approval of the Commissioner for Transport is likewise not required in the fixing of service schedules. Representatives of the civic bodies in Tuen Mun area considered such exemption acceptable only for MTR and KCR routes since there is competition from other modes of public transport along the vicinity of these routes. On the other hand, there is practically no competitive means of public transport in the LRT area; thus its service schedules should be subjected to the approval of the Commissioner, or else there would be a total

It would be even more absence of a regulating mechanism. desirable if the District Boards concerned would be consulted

before the approval.

The Bill also provides that the construction of the LRT Project would be exempted from the requirements of the In view of relevant Ordinance concerning noise abatement. this, the authorities concerned should release the assessment report on the construction work and its effect on the environment so that residents in the vicinity would have a clear picture of the actual extent of noise pollution and that undue worries would not be roused.

The LRT system is an efficient and fast means of public transport. Its routes pass through residential areas and villages. The authorities concerned should give consideration to road safety and build more foot-bridges and subways to minimise the occurrence of traffic accidents.