ENG-1980 — Page 220

COMMUNICATIONS AND TRANSPORT

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dropped. Elsewhere, demand continued to increase (especially in the New Territories) and KMB is pursuing a programme of vigorous expansion to supplement capacity in the urban area as well as meeting the demands of new developments in the New Territories. In 1980, 34 new routes were introduced including 17 feeder routes to MTR stations.

The China Motor Bus Company Limited operates 99 bus routes on Hong Kong Island and 18 cross-harbour routes jointly with the KMB. In 1980, the fleet carried 276 million passengers and travelled 42 million kilometres. Expansion of the company's services on Hong Kong Island continued and 18 new routes were introduced in 1980 including 12 feeder routes to the Admiralty MTR station.

Both CMB and KMB were granted approval to raise their fares in February. The in- creases, by about 60 per cent, brought KMB urban fares up to a range of 30 cents to 70 cents and CMB's up to a range of 50 cents to 70 cents, with higher fares for suburban, rural and express routes.

On Lantau Island, the New Lantao Bus Company Limited operates a fleet of 56 buses over six franchised routes which, during 1980, carried an average of 6,293 passengers each weekday, while recreational demand increased this figure to an average of 13,621 on Sundays and public holidays. The company introduced its first two double-deck buses in early 1980, and four more are ordered for delivery in 1981. Fares were raised on April 1, 1980.

The franchised bus services are supplemented by a fleet of 2,024 non-franchised public buses, which are operated for hire on a group contract basis, as well as private buses which service private housing developments or factories.

Minibuses

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The territory's fleet of 4,350, 14-seater minibuses carried some 1.495 million passengers per day in 1980. Fares on minibuses tend to be higher than those of the regular bus and rail services and fluctuate with demand - but PLBs are popular with passengers who, by paying a higher fare than they would for an equivalent bus journey, may obtain a quicker, more direct, or more comfortable service.

Public Light Buses tend to concentrate on the main bus and tram corridors, delaying the high-capacity carriers by their density and frequent uncontrolled stops. As a result, a number of measures have been introduced to limit the congestion they cause. On an increasing number of busy streets PLBs have been prohibited from stopping, and they are prohibited from entering certain areas.

Since 1972, PLB owners have been invited to apply to operate a growing number of 'maxicab' routes, on which frequency, fares and stopping places are fixed by the government, and a measure of route protection is offered. There routes are designed to serve areas for which large buses are unsuitable or where demand is inadequate to justify a full bus service. By the end of 1980, 53 maxicab routes involving 328 PLBs were in operation throughout the territory. Some 31 of these services had passed their trial periods and the operators had been awarded franchises.

A fleet of 955 private light buses is also maintained by schools, private housing develop- ments or commercial enterprises for their own needs.

Trams

The tramway along the densely populated north shore of Hong Kong Island has been a feature of Hong Kong's public transport services since 1904. During 1980, the fleet of 163 double-deck tramcars and 20 single-deck trailers operated by the Hongkong Tramways Limited carried a daily average of 434,926 passengers.