MR YIU SI-WING (in Cantonese):

President, there is of course a very keen demand for franchised bus services in South Lantau during holidays, but the demand for non-franchised coach services in the area is also very great. However, the existing quota is obviously inadequate and far not enough to meet the demand of the tourism sector. I have written to the Transport Department to request an appropriate increase in the relevant quota, but was given the reply that further consideration would be given to the request only after a review had been conducted on the situation. Can the Secretary undertake to first appropriately increase the quota for non-franchised buses to access roads in South Lantau before a comprehensive review is conducted on the ancillary transport facilities in Lantau?

SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT AND HOUSING (in Cantonese):

President, I thank Mr YIU for his supplementary question. I understand that many Hong Kong people and tourists would very much like to go visiting Lantau Island but we actually need to strike a balance between the provision of franchised and non-franchised bus services. As I have pointed out earlier, apart from the Driving on Lantau Island Scheme, we have also appropriately allowed non-franchised buses (i.e. coaches) to enter various tourist attractions in South Lantau, so that members of the public may pay visit to such places. Besides, due to the design of roads in the area, there is also a need to balance the passenger flow and the local road network. 

I would also like to report here that in response to the increase in visitors during weekends and long holidays, special arrangements have been made in the provision of franchised bus services so that apart from maintaining services in accordance with the established quota, deployment of additional buses will also be allowed to operate special departures. In this connection, consideration has mainly been given to meeting the passenger demand, balancing the need of local residents, and preserving the tranquil environment of the district under the principle of "Developing in the North, Conservation for the South". Under the existing arrangements, NLB may deploy up to 140 buses in total during holidays or the Lunar New Year holidays, and as far as bus deployment is concerned, this should be adequate to meet the travelling need of passengers. We have certainly taken note of the views of Mr YIU, and will review the case further.