ENG-1985 — Page 234

TRANSPORT

175

buses were added to the fleet, which at year-end totalled 2 511 buses comprising 2 368 double-deckers, 105 single-deckers and 38 coaches.

Bus services continued to be reorganised in several areas to cope with electrified train services of the KCR with a view to further strengthening feeder services to KCR stations.

Bus fares for KMB were revised in February. Fares on urban routes range from 70 cents to $1.40 and fares on rural routes range from 80 cents to $4. Higher fares are charged on the express bus and coach services. During the year, a total of 1 078 million passengers were carried by KMB and 188 million kilometres were travelled, an increase of one per cent and nine per cent respectively over the previous year.

The China Motor Bus Company Limited (CMB) operates 80 daily bus routes on Hong Kong Island and Ap Lei Chau and 20 joint cross-harbour routes. In 1985, its fleet of 1 054 double-deckers, including 48 triple-axle buses, carried 344 million passengers and travelled 55 million kilometres.

Following the opening of the MTR Island Line, the service frequency on most of the bus routes running along the north shore of Hong Kong Island were adjusted to suit the reduced demand and a number of MTR feeder routes were cancelled. One Island Eastern Corridor express route was diverted from ground level roads for part of its journey to operate along the second stage of the expressway between Tai Koo Shing and Shau Kei Wan upon its completion in July.

With the exception of cross-harbour routes, bus fares for CMB have remained un- changed since the last revision in January 1984. CMB fares range from 80 cents to $1.50 on urban routes, and from 80 cents to $2.50 on suburban routes. Bus fares for cross-harbour services operated jointly by CMB and KMB were revised in February. Other than the cross-harbour airport coach service, all-night services, recreational routes to Sha Tin Racecourse and the longest route linking Sha Tin and Wah Fu Estate, all the routes between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon have a flat fare of $2.50 with a section fare of $1 after crossing the harbour.

Following the Report of the Working Group of the Transport Advisory Committee on CMB Maintenance which was completed in December 1984, measures have been taken by CMB to improve its vehicle maintenance standards and by the government to increase the number of buses inspected.

On Lantau Island, the New Lantao Bus Company (1973) Limited (NLB) operates a fleet of 58 buses, 11 of which are double-deckers, over 10 routes. In 1985, NLB buses carried an average of 8 000 passengers each weekday. Recreational demand increased this figure to an average of 18 000 on Sundays and public holidays.

Franchised bus services are supplemented by a fleet of 2 224 non-franchised public buses which are operated for hire on a contract basis, as well as 165 private buses operated by private housing developments and factories to meet their own needs. In 1985, these services carried a total of 138 million passengers.

Minibuses

The size of the public light bus (PLB) fleet has been fixed at 4 350 since May 1976. PLBs are 14-seater minibuses authorised under the Road Traffic Ordinance to carry passengers at separate fares. Some PLBs are used on scheduled services (green minibus services) and other on non-scheduled services (red PLB services).

In 1985, red PLBs carried an estimated one million passengers a day. There is no control of fares and routes for red PLBs, which are popular with passengers prepared to pay higher fares for a quick, direct and comfortable service with the added advantage of being able to