Cross boundary passengers encouraged to use train services
The Transport Department (TD) today (February 1) encouraged cross boundary passengers to use train services as far as possible instead of the Lok Ma Chau -Huanggang shuttle bus.
Commenting on media reports that passengers coming back from the Mainland had to wait for a long time for the shuttle bus in the evening of January 29 and 30, a TD spokesman said due to the large volume of southbound passengers returning from Huanggang, arrangement was made for the shuttle bus to extend its service until all passengers at the Huanggang terminus of the shuttle bus were cleared and no passengers were left at the terminus.
During the extended period of operation, the shuttle bus operated a total of 39 additional southbound trips and carried some 2,100 passengers back to Hong Kong.
In the evening of Tuesday (January 30), operation period of the shuttle bus was extended up to 11:00 pm to meet demand of passengers returning to Hong Kong. During the extended period of operation, the shuttle bus operated a total of 33 additional southbound trips and carried about 1,800 passengers back to Hong Kong. Again, when the last bus departed from Huanggang, no passengers were left behind.
In both evenings, KMB and GMB feeder services from Lok Ma Chau public transport interchange were extended to take passengers returning from Huanggang to adjoining centres or interchanges.
The spokesman said the shuttle bus provides scheduled service of 12 trips per hour between 7:00 am and 9:30 pm. Excess trips are allowed to operate to meet passenger demand during holidays and busy periods.
However, the spokesman said that due to the limited size of the Lok Ma Chau Control Point and the limited carrying capacity of the Lok Ma Chau - Huanggang Shuttle Bus, the shuttle bus service could not be relied on as a major carrier of cross boundary passengers as compared with the train services, which are much more efficient carriers.
He said :"The shuttle bus service can handle about only 1,000 passengers per hour. The train services can carry 3,000 to 4,000 passengers per train. Major increase of the carrying capacity of the shuttle bus service is constrained by the limited capacity of the immigration hall of boundary control point at Lok Ma Chau.
The spokesman said to enhance the reliability and carrying capacity of the shuttle bus, approval has been given for the operator to replace six of the 10 buses with a capacity of 54 passengers with new and bigger buses with a capacity of 70. These buses would be ready for service around April/May.
"To enhance operational efficiency and for the benefit of the passengers, the operator has been allowed to set up queueing facilities on both sides of the LMC Control Point to facilitate re-collection of passengers after immigration clearance.
The spokesman also pointed out that Phase 2 of the improvement of the LMC Control Point had commenced last November and would be completed in September 2003.
On completion of the improvement works, which include expansion of the Immigration Hall among others, the immigration counters will be increased from 28 to 38. This will increase the processing capacity from 25,000 persons to 35,000 persons daily (+40%).
End/Thursday, February 1, 2001