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Following is a question by the Hon Tam Yiu-chung and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Professor Anthony Cheung Bing-leung, in the Legislative Council today (November 26):
Question:
The Bus-Bus Interchange (BBI) on Tuen Mun Road (Kowloon-bound) in Siu Lam, Tuen Mun, and the BBI on Tuen Mun Road (Tuen Mun-bound) in Tai Lam Kok, Tuen Mun, were commissioned in December 2012 and July last year respectively. Regarding the utilisation of the BBIs, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the average number of bus trips and bus routes using the aforesaid BBIs during the following time slots on a working day at present;
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Kowloon-bound Tuen Mun-bound No. of
(No. of (No. of routes
bus trips) bus trips)
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7am to 8am
8am to 9am
7pm to 8pm
8pm to 9pm
9pm to 10pm
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(2) whether it has set a level of utilisation of the BBIs which is considered to be saturated; if it has, of the details;
(3) whether it has assessed if other vehicles passing by the BBIs will be endangered when the number of buses utilising the BBIs has exceeded the latter's capacity; if such an assessment has been made, of the outcome; and
(4) whether it has planned to expand the BBIs to accommodate more buses?
Reply:
President,
The Kowloon-bound Bus-Bus Interchange (BBI) and Tuen Mun-bound BBI on Tuen Mun Road (TMR) were commissioned in December 2012 and July 2013 respectively. At present, some 10 000 and 14 000 daily passenger-trips are made at the two BBIs for interchange with other bus routes heading to other districts. The BBIs have been well-received by the residents.
My reply to the various parts of the Hon Tam Yiu-chung's question is as follows:
(1) The average number of bus trips made and number of bus routes using the TMR BBIs during the morning and afternoon peak hours are as follows:
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Kowloon-bound Tuen Mun-bound No. of
(Average no. (Average no. bus routes
of bus trips) of bus trips)
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7am to 8am 220 100 31
8am to 9am 230 110 32
7pm to 8pm 100 200 29
8pm to 9pm 100 150 29
9pm to 10pm 100 140 27
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(2) The number of buses and passengers that can be accommodated at a BBI is subject to geographical constraint and its size. The Kowloon-bound BBI and Tuen Mun-bound BBI on TMR can currently allow at least 13 and 12 buses respectively for boarding and alighting at the same time.
The stopping frequency and duration that a bus spends at a BBI are mainly affected by the number of bus routes stopping at the BBI, frequencies of such routes, as well as number of boarding/alighting passengers. As the patronage during peak and off-peak periods varies considerably, we cannot rely only on the number of stopping routes or bus trips to determine whether a BBI has reached its full capacity. Rather, indicators such as whether buses arriving at a BBI are blocked from stopping by other buses during peak hours and the queuing situation of passengers at the waiting area are reliable indicators to show whether a BBI is approaching its full capacity.
From the observation of the Transport Department (TD), buses arriving at and departing from the TMR BBIs are not blocked by other buses. These buses can usually complete boarding/alighting in three to five minutes without causing congestion or delay. During peak hours, about 40% of the TMR BBIs area is utilised by the waiting passengers. There remains sufficient pedestrian access for passengers in the BBIs. The operation of the BBIs is generally satisfactory.
(3) The TMR BBIs are designed to provide motorists with sufficient sightline in accordance with road safety standards. Bus-only lanes are also designated. These measures help ensure that other vehicles can pass by the TMR BBIs safely even when there is temporary queuing by buses during peak hours.
(4) The TMR BBIs should have the capacity to accommodate more bus routes and passengers having regard to the present usage. TD therefore does not have any expansion plan for the BBIs at the moment. That said, TD will closely monitor public transport demand arising from the new developments in North West New Territories and actual usage of the TMR BBIs. TD will examine the feasibility of expanding the BBIs with the departments concerned in good time based on demand.
Ends/Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Issued at HKT 12:02
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