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Following is a question by the Hon Andrew Cheng and a written reply by the Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works, Dr Sarah Liao, at the Legislative Council meeting today (December 7) :
Question:
Regarding the patronage of franchised buses, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the respective current average daily total patronage on the bus routes whose fares are $9.9 or below, between $10 and $14.9, and $15 or above;
(b) of the bus routes on which fare concessions are offered to passengers who take the same route (or route of the same group) for the return trip on the same day and prepay the return trip fare with Octopus cards on the forward trip, the details of such concessions, the current average daily total patronage on such routes and the total number of trips taken by passengers who take advantage of such concessions;
(c) of the bus routes on which concessions on the return trip fare are offered, without the requirement of its prepayment on the forward trip, to passengers who take the same route (or route of the same group) for the return trip on the same day, the details of such concessions, the current average daily total patronage on such routes and the total number of trips taken by passengers who take advantage of such concessions; and
(d) given that some franchised bus companies had offered a one-dollar flat fare concession for the elderly on holidays and terminated this concession on June 1 this year, of the respective average daily total patronage on these routes by elderly passengers on holidays during the three-month periods immediately before and after the termination of the concession?
Reply:
Madam President,
In September 2005, the average daily patronage of franchised buses is about 3.95 million. Average daily patronage for the routes charging full fares at $9.9 or below, between $10 and $14.9 and $15 or above is as follows :
Bus Routes Average daily patronage
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Full fares at or below $9.9 3,352,000
Full fares between $10 and $14.9 382,000
Full fares at or above $15 218,000
At present, Citybus Limited (Citybus) and New World First Bus Services Limited (NWFB) offer advance payment return fare concession on a total of 20 routes. Passengers who make a prepayment for a return journey with an Octopus Card can enjoy 10% discount or concession of $1 or $2. These routes are mostly long-haul routes plying between the New Territories and urban areas, for instance, solely-operated routes* with full fare at $15 or above. According to information provided by the bus companies, the average daily patronage of these routes is about 88 000 and around 47% of the passengers who take the same route or its supplementary routes for their return trip enjoy the advance payment day return concession.
Since June 26, 2005, Kowloon Motor Bus (1933) Limited (KMB) and Long Win Bus Company Limited (Long Win) introduced a day return discount on solely-operated routes charging fares at $15 or above for passengers who use an Octopus Card to make the payment. Passengers can enjoy a 20% discount on their return trip if they take the same route or its supplementary routes on the same day for the return trip. According to information provided by the bus companies, the average daily patronage of these routes is about 79 000 and around 35% of passengers take the same route or its supplementary routes for their return trip and enjoy the day return concession.
KMB, Long Win, Citybus and NWFB introduced in October 2003 $1 flat fare concession for elderly passengers who paid with their Octopus Card on Sundays and public holidays. Bus companies implemented the above elderly concession scheme until June 1, 2005. For the three months before and after the cancellation of the concession, the average daily patronage of elderly passengers on Sundays and public holidays who paid with an Octopus Card were 456 000 and 309 000 respectively.
* Airport routes, recreation routes and race-course routes are not included.
Ends/Wednesday, December 7, 2005
Issued at HKT 12:15
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