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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

while they are actually operating as street traders and has no criminal jurisdiction over hawkers or any other members of the community.

MR. BERNACCHI:-As a supplementary, Sir, do I take it from the last part of your answer that you, Sir, will give directions to the Hawker Control Force in accordance with the policies of the Urban Council?

CHAIRMAN: That, Sir, has always been the case.

MRS. E. ELLIOTT asked the following question:-

(a) Is the Chairman aware that by the policy of resettling masses of people from their original places of residence, which, generally speaking, were close to their places of work, this Council has created a serious transport problem, with which the bus companies (Kowloon Motor Bus Press Release of 11th March, 1964 for reference) admit inability to cope?

(b) Would it not be in keeping with good management to provide an Urban Services bus service to meet the present need, operating solely for residents of the estates to such points as the ferry termini, and stopping only to let down passengers at certain stages such as Kowloon City, Mong Kok, and so on?

THE COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT replied as follows:-

(a) The answer to the first part of the question is that it appears almost certain that the very large movements of population associated with the clearance and resettlement programme will, from time to time, give rise to temporary transport problems. I can find no admission in the Kowloon Motor Bus Company's Press Release of 11th March 1964 that the Company is unable to cope. On the contrary, I find in it proposals to introduce services for new Resettlement Estates and an assurance that a special study will be made of the North East Kowloon Area with a view to planning services over the next five years. My department is in touch with both bus companies and with the Advisory Committee on Public Transport, and gives them advance information of the opening of new estates and of the expected growth of population in these estates

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so that new and extended bus routes may be planned. The Advisory Committee is particularly alive to these needs.

So far as Kowloon is concerned, I understand that arrangements have been made to introduce feeder services to Tsz Wan Shan and Yau Tong Estates as soon as these begin to be occupied. For Sau Mau Ping, a temporary access road will be ready when the first blocks open about the middle of April. Buses will then be able to get to within about 150 or 200 yards of the estate. Weather permitting, the main access road should be ready about the middle of June, when buses will be able to drive right into the estate. These of course will only be interim services since new estates are only gradually occupied. But I have no reason to suppose that permanent arrangements will not be ready by the time they are required, as a result of the special study which I mentioned earlier.

I am also in correspondence with the China Motor Bus Company about bus services for the new estates at Aberdeen and for the extension to the existing estate at Chai Wan.

(b) The answer to the second part of the question is that it would be illegal to run such a bus service, because it would be contrary to the franchise granted by Government to the Kowloon Motor Bus Company.

MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, I rise to ask the Commissioner for Resettlement, through you, if I may, whether he is aware that this shortage of buses in resettlement areas has become progressively worse? It is not a new matter, as it has been going on for five years and many people do not want to go to the resettlement areas, simply because of the bus shortage.

COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-May I ask Mrs. ELLIOTT whether she has any particular resettlement estates in mind?

MRS. ELLIOTT:-I have in mind particularly Kwun Tong, but I think the same applies to Wong Tai Sin, Jordan Valley and Wang Tau Hom.

COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-I am aware, Sir, that there have been complaints in the Kwun Tong estate of shortage of buses at rush hours, but I think that is a complaint which is not confined to resettlement estates. I must say that I have noticed this on certain routes myself. Wong Tai Sin as far as I recall is served by quite a number of different routes but it may be that some resettlement estates may have difficulty from time to time. I certainly have not received any complaints.

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