TNAG-1609-FCO40-22131-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1987 — Page 113

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15.

Apart from development of the infrastructure, we must

also ensure that public transport is maintained and improved

all the time Today some 9 million passengers use public transport every day,

passengers 10

The wide range of

compared with 6 million, ten years ago.

choice of modes and their relatively low fares are unique to Hong Kong, and the envy of many other cities, where public

mach transport is often both less reliable and more expensive

x.

A key to the success of this system lies in the well established policy of Government providing the regulatory framework, whilst letting private companies provide the services on commercial lines.

In recent years too, the public

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through the District Boards have been given ample chance to air their views on the route development programmes, with

demands adjustments being made as far as possible to suit local needs and The Government also maintains an inter-modal coordination policy which aims at maximising the use of the mass carriers and ensuring a wide geographical spread of services, whilst

It is within these maintaining the lowest possible fares. policy guidelines that competition is controlled so that priority can be given to off-street modes and to mass carriers, without forgetting at the same time the essential nature of the ferry services and the need to maintain their viability. This policy remains valid today and, given the increasing demand for our limited road space, there is no reason why it should be

changed.