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Following is a question by the Hon Andrew Cheng and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Ms Eva Cheng, at the Legislative Council meeting today (February 27):
Question:
Since August 22, 2004, the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation had, in collaboration with the New World First Bus Services Limited (NWFB), implemented a concessionary interchange scheme whereby West Rail passengers could enjoy free rides on Routes 701 and 702 of NWFB at Nam Cheong Station. However, the above scheme was discontinued upon the rail merger on December 2, 2007. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) whether it knows the daily average number of trips made by passengers who benefited from the above concessionary interchange scheme during its implementation, broken down according to the following table-
Year Daily average number of trips made by
passengers who benefited from the
interchange concessions
Route 701 Route 702
Mondays General Mondays General
to holidays to holidays
Saturdays (including Saturdays (including
Sundays) Sundays)
2004
(from August 22 onwards)
2005
2006
2007
(up to December 1)
(b) whether the Government was informed, when discussing the merger with the two railway corporations, that the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL) would not extend the above concessionary interchange scheme after the rail merger; if so, of the details; and
(c) whether the Government will consider persuading MTRCL to resume the above concessionary interchange scheme; if so, of the details?
Reply:
Madam President,
(a) According to the record of MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL), during the period of August 22, 2004 to November 30, 2007 when the pre-merger Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) and the New World First Bus Services Limited (NWFB) jointly provided the interchange concession between bus routes 701 and 702 and West Rail, the respective daily average number of trips made by passengers who benefited under the scheme for the said bus routes is as follows-
Year Daily average number of trips made by passengers
who benefited from the interchange concessions
Route 701 Route 702
2004 (since August 22) 4,900 900
2005 6,800 1,900
2006 10,100 3,100
2007 (up to November 30) 9,900 2,600
MTRCL does not have record on the breakdown of daily average number of trips made by passengers who benefited by "weekdays" and "weekend and public holidays".
(b) The abovementioned interchange concessions between West Rail and NWFB are promotional schemes jointly offered by the pre-merger KCRC and NWFB. The details and availability of the schemes were the commercial decisions of the companies concerned.
When the schemes were first introduced on August 22, 2004, KCRC and NWFB stated that they were promotional schemes lasting for a period of 6 months and they were subsequently renewed several times. KCRC and NWFB informed the Government in late October 2007 that the schemes would end on December 1, 2007. The two companies put up notices in November 2007 at stations/bus stops to inform passengers of the expiry date of the schemes. As a matter of fact, the rail merger negotiations were completed before mid 2007 and the Rail Merger Bill was passed by the Legislative Council in June 2007. The expiry of the schemes is not related to the rail merger discussions.
(c) Government has all along been encouraging public transport operators, including railway companies and bus companies, to provide fare concessions to passengers taking into account their own operating conditions. Government also reflects passengers' equests for provision of fare concessions to the companies. However, whether to provide fare concessions are commercial decisions of the companies concerned.
Ends/Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Issued at HKT 13:54
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