ENG-1990 — Page 289

TRANSPORT

in July 1990, with the commissioning of a new Rolling Stock Maintenance Centre. When completed in 1994, adequate maintenance and stabling facilities will be provided for the KCR train fleet, which will by then have expanded to 351 cars.

Light Rail Transit

In addition to its main line, the KCRC owns and operates the 23-kilometre Light Rail Transit (LRT) system in the north-western New Territories which commenced operation in September 1988. Initial services comprised five routes with a sixth route introduced in June 1989. There are 41 stops and traffic is handled by 70 light rail vehicles operated either singly or in pairs. By the end of the year, 233 000 boardings a day were handled on the LRT and on its feeder bus services, which are also operated by the KCRC within a transit service area extending from Tuen Mun to Yuen Long. Unusually for Hong Kong, an 'open' fare system is employed on the LRT, with zonal fares providing free transfers from one route to another and to and from feeder buses. Ordinary adult fares ranged from $2 to $3.

The LRT system is constructed largely on roadside reserves, although there is some tramway-style street running. Active measures have been adopted to familiarise the public with the system and enhance their awareness of safety procedures.

The system will be extended by three links in Tuen Mun by the end of 1991 and early 1992. A further extension to the Tin Shui Wai new town is expected to be completed in late 1992, to serve more than 100 000 residents in the new town. The completion of these extensions will increase the total route length of the system to 30 kilometres.

Tramways

Electric trams have operated on Hong Kong Island since 1904. Today, Hongkong Tramways operates eight overlapping services over 13 kilometres of double track between Kennedy Town and Shau Kei Wan and along almost three kilometres of single line around Happy Valley. The 163 trams comprise the only all-double-deck tram fleet in the world. During the year, a rebodying programme continued and by the end of the year most of the fleet had been rebodied or refurbished. Tramway patronage increased slightly to about 349 700 boardings daily. Fares for adults were increased from $0.6 to $1 in August, representing the first such increase since 1983. The corresponding increase for children was from $0.2 to $0.5.

Funicular

Hong Kong's other 'tramway' is actually a cable-hauled funicular railway operated from Garden Road in Central to Victoria Gap by the Peak Tramways Company. The 1.4- kilometre line began operation in 1888 and climbs 373 metres on gradients as steep as one-in-two. The service caters largely for sightseers but also serves Peak district commuters. Patronage on the line, which was fully modernised in 1989, averaged 8 619 passengers a day. One way fares for adults and children are $8 and $3 respectively.

Road Passenger Transport

Despite the growth of rail services, road passenger transport still accounted for two- thirds of all public transport journeys. Of the journeys made by road, over half were on franchised buses, with the remainder handled variously by non-franchised buses, green minibuses, public light buses and taxis.

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