Tenders invited for nine new green minibus routes

The Transport Department is inviting interested parties to bid for the operation of nine new green minibus (GMB) routes to strengthen public transport services in Hong Kong Island and the New Territories. The routes include:

	Aldrich Bay to Wan Tsui Road, Chai Wan (via Eastern Hospital) (Circular)
	Aldrich Bay to Quarry Bay (Yau Man Street) (Circular)
	Bayshore Towers, Ma On Shan to Heng On Estate, Ma On Shan (Circular)
	San Tin (Wing Ping Tsuen) to Tsing Yi Airport Railway (AR) Station
	Tai Po Kau to Tai Po Tau
	Hong Kong Institute of Education to Bayshore Towers
	Nam Wa Po, Tai Po to Tsing Yi AR Station
	Lei Muk Shue Estate to Tsing Yi AR Station
	Tsuen Wan (Tak Hoi Street) to Princess Margaret Hospital

Announcing the details of the tender today (February 16), a spokesman for the department said applications would be scrutinized by a selection board on the basis of the following criteria:

	the experience of the applicant in transport service;
	the percentage of the fleet owned by the applicant; ,li>the quality of these vehicles including their age, their vehicle examination records and the provision of a vehicle replacement plan;
	the provision of passenger facilities such as passenger hotline, route information and shelters;
	the availability of facilities for the disabled;
	the provision of training to drivers; and
	the financial resources of the applicant.

The board will consist of an unofficial member of the Transport Advisory Committee as well as officials from the Transport Department and other government departments like the Independent Commission Against Corruption and Transport Bureau.

Applications must be made on the appropriate form entitled "Application for Passenger Service Licence in Respect of the Packages of Public Light Bus (Scheduled) Routes Gazetted in February 2001" obtainable free of charge on request from the following offices from today (February 16):

	Transport Department Headquarters, 41st Floor, Immigration Tower, 7 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong;
	Transport Department New Territories Regional Office, 7th Floor, Mongkok Government Offices, 30 Luen Wan Street, Kowloon; * Hong Kong Licensing Office, 3rd Floor, United Centre, 95 Queensway, Hong Kong;
	Kowloon Licensing Office, 2nd Floor, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Kowloon;
	Kwun Tong Licensing Office, 5th Floor, Kowloon East Government Offices, 12 Lei Yue Mun Road, Kowloon; and
	Sha Tin Licensing Office, 5th Floor, Citylink Plaza, Sha Tin KCR Station, New Territories.

Completed application forms must be enclosed in a plain white envelope sealed and marked on the outside of the envelope "Application for Passenger Service Licence in Respect of the Packages of Public Light Bus (Scheduled) Routes Gazetted in February 2001" and placed in the Transport Department Tender Box on 41st floor, Immigration Tower, 7 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai before noon on March 16 (Friday) this year.

Applications by any other means or late applications will not be considered.

End/Friday, February 16, 2001