ENG-2001 — Page 315

TRANSPORT

licensed fleet of 79 vehicles. Fares ranged from $2.50 to $40. Children under 12 and elderly passengers are offered concessionary fares on all routes.

The Long Win Bus Company Limited (LW) provides bus services for Tung Chung and the airport. The company recorded 19 million passenger trips (a daily average of 52 000 trips) and covered 23 million kilometres in 2001. At the end of the year, a total of 160 buses were serving a total of 15 bus routes: all were air-conditioned buses and 150 were wheelchair-accessible. The routes mainly linked the New Territories. with Tung Chung and the airport. Fares ranged from $3.80 to $28. The company also offers concessionary fares for children under 12 and elderly passengers on all

routes.

To encourage more efficient use of bus resources and limited road space and to allow more choice for passengers, 21 new Bus-Bus Interchange schemes were introduced in 2001. They are located at Admiralty, Kwun Tong Road, Airport Cargo Area, Tai Po, North District, Causeway Road, Wan Chai Ferry Pier, Eastern Harbour Tunnel, Tsuen Wan, Choi Hung Road, Sha Tin, King's Road, Chai Wan Road and Shau Kei Wan Road.

In order to improve the environmental performance of the buses, the franchised bus companies took the initiative to use ultra-low sulphur diesel on their entire fleets with effect from February 1.

A study on the feasibility of introducing a trolley bus system in Hong Kong was completed in mid-2001. The study concluded that it was not advisable to introduce trolley buses in existing built-up areas in Hong Kong, mainly due to financial viability concerns, higher fares and the technical and operational risks involved. However, better planning at the design stage in the new development areas would help address some of the problems associated with trolley bus operation. The Government would keep an open mind and consider carefully the feasibility of introducing trolley buses in new development areas in future.

Non-franchised Buses

Non-franchised bus services perform a supplementary role in the public transport system and provide service primarily during peak hours. They serve tourists, groups of residents, employees and students. At the end of 2001, there were 6 713 licensed non-franchised buses in operation.

Minibuses

Hong Kong's minibuses are licensed to carry a maximum of 16 passengers. At the end of 2001, there were 6 352 licensed minibuses. Of these, 4 340 were public light buses (PLBs), and 2012 were private light buses. Private light buses are authorised to carry only group passengers and are not allowed to collect separate fares.

There are two types of PLBs: 'green' and 'red' minibuses. Green minibuses (GMB) provide scheduled services with fixed routeing, fares, vehicle allocation and timetables stipulated by the Transport Department. There were 2 449 green minibuses operating 327 routes and carrying about 1 100 000 passengers a day in 2001. Red minibuses are not required to operate on fixed routes or timetables and they may set their own fares, but they are subject to certain restrictions on service areas. At the end of 2001, there were 1 891 red minibuses in operation, carrying 532 000 passengers daily.

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