ENG-2001 — Page 316

TRANSPORT

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To improve the quality of PLB service, operators of all the overnight GMB services began to display the driver's name plate from the end of November. The Transport Department also launched a series of service improvement measures for the PLB trade during the year. The first issue of a PLB Newsletter was published late in the year. A PLB Driver Award Scheme will come on stream in 2002.

The six month-trial on the use of alternative fuel for minibuses was completed in January, and the final report on the trial was issued in June. On the basis of the report's findings, the Administration has proposed an incentive scheme to encourage minibus operators to voluntarily convert their vehicles to use liquefied petroleum gas or electricity. The Administration is consulting the trade in this connection before finalising the way forward.

Taxis

At the end of 2001, there were 15 250 urban taxis (coloured red), 2 838 New Territories taxis (green) and 50 Lantau taxis (blue) in operation, carrying a daily average of 1.1 million, 0.2 million and 13 000 passengers, respectively.

During the year, the Transport Department and the Quality Taxi Services Steering Committee continued to launch a number of schemes to improve the quality of taxi service. A Quality Taxi Services Forum was held in January to facilitate the exchange of ideas on different means to improve the quality of taxi services by bringing together taxi operators and regulators from different Asian cities. In May, the Transport Department promulgated the 'Taxi Service Standards', the contents of which are shown on passenger information panels located, initially, at the taxi stands next to the Star Ferry Pier in Central, and a dedicated hotline to facilitate the recovery of property lost on taxis was also launched in December. In addition, a Taxi Driver Commendation Scheme was launched in July to provide a permanent channel for taxi passengers to show their appreciation of quality taxi drivers. During the year, the department published four issues of Taxi Newsletters, and updated the booklet Guide to Taxi Services in Hong Kong and the cassette tape and compact disc on Workplace English and Putonghua Programme for Taxi

Drivers.

The department continued to relax clearway restrictions to strengthen the role of taxis in providing personalised and point-to-point service. During the year, restrictions at a total of 625 locations were relaxed. In addition, 12 taxi pick-up/drop- off points and 19 taxi drop-off points were designated.

The conversion of taxis from diesel fuel to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) progressed significantly in 2001. At year-end, 14 129 LPG taxis were operating on the roads, representing 78 per cent of the entire fleet. Twenty LPG filling stations were in operation.

Ferries

Ferries provide an essential mode of transport for the outlying islands. In the inner harbour and for the new development areas, ferries offer a supplementary mode of transport to land-based transport modes.

At year-end, 10 licensed ferry operators provided regular passenger services to the outlying islands and across the harbour. One of these operators also provided two franchised ferry services. These franchised/licensed services were supplemented