ENG-2003 — Page 309

TRANSPORT

areas. There were 1718 RMBS in operation and they recorded a daily average of 482 000 passengers trips during the year.

In 2003, the Transport Department and the Quality Public Light Bus Service Steering Committee continued to launch a series of schemes to improve the quality of PLB service. In the first half of the year, the Transport Department launched a campaign to issue standard PLB driver identity plates to about 14 000 PLB drivers. free of charge. The department also promulgated the 'Public Light Bus Service Standards' in June, listing the principal standards for compliance by PLB drivers. In addition, three Driving Improvement Schools were appointed in August to provide a 'Public Light Bus Driver Training Course'. To arouse awareness of the importance of vehicle maintenance and repair, a workshop on 'Vehicle Servicing and Maintenance of Public Light Buses' was organised for the PLB trade in November.

A PLB Newsletter was published every four months to enhance communication with the trade. The department continued to promote and facilitate the provision of on-board facilities for passengers including electronic payment systems, passenger call bells, driver name plates and display of passenger hotlines numbers.

The Government introduced incentive schemes in August 2002 to encourage the early replacement of diesel light buses by vehicles operating on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) or electricity. PLB owners who replace their diesel vehicles with those using LPG or electricity may apply for a one-off grant of $60,000 or $80,000, respectively. Owners of diesel private light buses who opt to switch to LPG vehicles will be exempted from the first registration tax (electricity-driven vehicles are already exempted from the tax). The deadlines for applications are the end of 2004 for diesel light buses that are 10 years old or over and the end of 2005 for those that are less than 10 years old at the time of de-registration. At year-end, 642 LPG public light buses and 57 LPG private light buses were operating on the roads. One electricity- driven private light bus was in operation.

Taxis

At year-end, there were 15 250 urban taxis (coloured red), 2 838 New Territories taxis (green) and 50 Lantau taxis (blue) in operation, and they carried about one million passengers trips per day.

To improve the operating environment for taxis, the Transport Department introduced a temporary arrangement in May to allow all taxis to pick up and set down passengers in all 'peak hours' and '7 am to 7 pm' restricted zones on roads with a speed limit below 70 kilometres per hour. At year-end, a total of 148 taxi pick- up/drop-off points and 51 taxi drop-off points had been designated. In addition, from February a taxi stand was designated at Happy Valley Racecourse on race days to facilitate picking up and setting down of passengers. In addition, a trial scheme was launched in March to allow urban and New Territories taxis to operate at Lok Ma Chau Control Point from midnight to 6.30 am daily.

The cash grant scheme introduced in August 2000 as an incentive for operators to convert taxis to LPG was completed on December 31. A total of 18 112 taxis had been converted, representing 99.9 per cent of the entire fleet.

During the year, the Transport Department and the Quality Taxi Services Steering Committee (QTSSC) continued to launch schemes to improve the quality of taxi service. The prize presentation ceremony of the Taxi Driver Commendation Scheme 2003 was held in December. A total of 12 Quality Taxi Drivers and some 1 200

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