ENG-1960 — Page 271

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PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES

'white licence cars'), has long occupied the attention of Govern- ment. These cars can best be described as small buses hired either by a party for an agreed rate for a journey or by a number of single individuals by the seat. Passengers are not covered by third party insurance policy if the vehicle is being used for a purpose for which it is not licensed. In a speech in the Legislative Council on 24th March the Colonial Secretary announced that steps were being taken to remedy this unsatisfactory state of affairs, through the improvement of bus services, the licensing of public cars and hire cars, and the introduction for the first time of a New Territories' taxi service. The enactment of the two Ordinances referred to in the next paragraph provided the legal framework for the licensing as public cars of buses for the use of workers, school children, airlines and hotels. Later in the year came the expansions of public omnibus services mentioned below, and already there has been a noticeable reduction in the numbers of ‘pak pai che' on certain bus routes. Further extensions of schedules and new routes are planned. The Road Traffic (Taxis and Hire Cars) Regulations, 1960, which came into force on 1st June 1960, provided for the licensing of hire cars and also for New Territories' taxis. The first taxis to be licensed under these Regulations appeared on the New Territories' roads towards the end of the

year.

Bus Services. The Public Transport Services (Hong Kong Island) and the Public Transport Services (Kowloon and New Territories) Ordinances, which came into force on 15th February 1960, gave the Colony's bus services a new legal footing. These laws make detailed provision for the operation of public omnibuses and public cars, and for the payment of royalty by the two companies to which exclusive rights are granted.

Services on Hong Kong Island are maintained by the China Motor Bus Company Ltd, which had previously operated under a licence issued by the Governor in Council. The Company's fleet of 300 vehicles covered some 11 million miles during 1960 and carried over 100 million passengers, both figures being markedly greater than in the year before. Two prototype double-decker buses were on order at the end of the year for operation along the lower levels of the Island, together with ten more single-deckers for the expansion of suburban services. Two new services were