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LCQ18: Wheelchair accessible low-floor buses
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     Following is a question by the Hon Albert Chan Wai-yip and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Ms Eva Cheng, at the Legislative Council meeting today (May 6):

Question:

     In May 2008, I raised a question in this Council regarding the issue that most of the bus trips to and from Tin Shui Wai were not serviced by wheelchair-accessible low-floor buses.  It is learnt that as most of these trips are at present still not serviced by low-floor buses, wheelchair users often have to wait for more than 30 minutes for such buses. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) of the respective numbers of low-floor buses added to the fleets of various franchised bus companies since May 2008 and the respective rates of increase;

(b) of the daily number of trips run by low-floor buses to and from Tin Shui Wai at present, and the percentage of such numbers in the total number of relevant bus trips; how such figures compare with those in May 2008; and

(c) whether it will reconsider adding a clause to the future franchise agreements with the franchised bus companies, requiring them to retrofit in all in-service non-low-floor buses facilities to make it convenient for wheel-chaired passengers to board and alight; if it will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

(a) The total number of wheelchair accessible low-floor buses of the franchised bus companies has increased 1.3% from 2,788 in end-April 2008 to 2,824 in end-March 2009.  The number of low-floor buses of the franchised bus companies is outlined at the Annex.  

(b) In end-April 2008, the total number of bus trips to and from Tin Shui Wai was about 3,310 per day, with some 2,380 trips or 72% operated by low-floor buses.  At present, the total number of bus trips to and from Tin Shui Wai has increased to about 3,600 per day, with some 2,530 trips or 70% operated by low-floor buses.  Compared with the situation in end-April 2008, the number of trips operated by low-floor buses has increased by about 150 per day.   

(c) All franchised bus companies, except New Lantao Bus Company (1973) Limited (NLB), have agreed and implemented since 2001 that all new buses purchased as additional or replacement vehicles will be wheelchair accessible.  The terrain constraints make it unsuitable for wheelchair accessible low-floor buses to ply along most of the NLB routes.  NLB, however, has purchased and deployed wheelchair accessible low-floor buses to run on routes where the terrain permits.  Under these arrangements, the franchised bus companies' fleets will gradually have more buses which are accessible to wheelchair users.

Ends/Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Issued at HKT 11:31

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