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Following is a question by the Hon Fred Li and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Ms Eva Cheng, at the Legislative Council meeting today (May 7):
Question:
Regarding services of public light buses (PLBs) in Hong Kong, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the respective current numbers of green minibus (GMB) routes providing cross-harbour services (between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, and between Hong Kong Island and the New Territories) and their details (please set them out according to the table in the attachment);
(b) of the respective current numbers of GMB routes offering fare concessions (e.g. discounts for the elderly or students) and their details; and whether it will, when renewing the licences for operating GMB routes in future, consider requesting the operators concerned to offer fare concessions to the elderly; if it will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(c) whether it will consider relaxing completely or partly the existing restrictions on the gross vehicle weight and passenger seating capacity of PLBs, so that the PLB trade can have more vehicle models to choose; if it will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
Madam President,
(a) At present, there are a total of four green minibus (GMB) routes providing cross-harbour services in Hong Kong. Details are at Annex.
(b) A total of 52 GMB routes are now offering fare concessions to senior citizens with amounts of reduction ranging from $0.3 to $12.5 (a discount of 10% to 56%) and 7 GMB routes offering fare concessions to students with amounts of reduction ranging from $0.5 to $2.3 (a discount of 17% to 39%).
The Government has all along been encouraging operators to offer fare concessions to passengers having regard to their operating and financial situations as well as community needs. As an incentive to operators, applicants undertaking to offer fare concessions will be given extra marks during the selection of operators for new GMB routes.
(c) Under the principle of optimising the use of limited road space, the basic function of public light buses (PLBs) in the public transport system is to provide services for areas where the patronage does not support high capacity carriers. At present, a PLB can carry up to 16 passengers. It is stipulated in the Road Traffic (Construction and Maintenance of Vehicles) Regulations that the maximum gross vehicle weight of a light bus is 5.5 tonnes. The gross weights of PLB vehicle models currently available in the market do not exceed 5 tonnes. Taking into account the development of the public transport network at present and in the coming years, we expect the demand for PLB services will remain stable in the future. Therefore, at present we have no plans to change the permitted seating capacity of PLBs and to relax the existing restriction on the vehicle weight of PLBs.
Ends/Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Issued at HKT 11:44
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