(Translation) Minutes of the 4th Meeting of the the Traffic and Transport Committee (2017) of Kwai Tsing District Council Date： 12 October 2017 Time: 2:31 p.m. – 4:05 p.m. Venue: K&T DO Conference Room Attendee Time of Arrival Time of Departure (p.m.) (p.m.) Mr TSUI Hiu-kit (Chairman) Start of Meeting End of Meeting Ms KWOK Fu-yung (Vice-chairman) Start of Meeting End of Meeting Mr CHAN Siu-man, Simon 2:53 3:53 Ms CHEUNG Wai-ching, Clarice Start of Meeting End of Meeting Mr CHOW Wai-hung, Rayman 3:38 End of Meeting Mr CHOW Yick-hay, BBS, JP Start of Meeting 3:17 Miss CHU Lai-ling Start of Meeting End of Meeting Mr HUI Kei-cheung Start of Meeting End of Meeting Ms LAM Chui-ling, Nancy, MH Start of Meeting End of Meeting Mr LAM Siu-fai Start of Meeting End of Meeting Ms LAU Mei-lo 3:36 End of Meeting Mr LAW King-shing, BBS, MH Start of Meeting End of Meeting Mr LEUNG Chi-shing 2:42 End of Meeting Mr LEUNG Kam-wai Start of Meeting End of Meeting Mr LEUNG Tsz-wing, Dennis Start of Meeting End of Meeting Mr LEUNG Wai-man, MH 2:39 End of Meeting Mr LI Sai-lung Start of Meeting End of Meeting Miss LO Yuen-ting Start of Meeting End of Meeting Mr NG Ka-chiu Start of Meeting End of Meeting Mr NG Kim-sing 2:44 End of Meeting Mr PAU Ming-hong Start of Meeting End of Meeting Mr POON Chi-shing, MH Start of Meeting End of Meeting Ms TAM Wai-chun, MH Start of Meeting End of Meeting Mr WONG Bing-kuen 3:37 End of Meeting Mr WONG Yiu-chung, MH Start of Meeting End of Meeting Mr WONG Yun-tat 2:44 End of Meeting Mr CHAN Dik-sau Start of Meeting 3:18 Mr Elson CHOW Start of Meeting End of Meeting Mr LEUNG Kong-ming Start of Meeting End of Meeting Mr LEUNG Kwok-wah Start of Meeting 4:00 In Attendance Miss LEE Che-ying, Emily Engineer (Kwai Chung), Transport Department Mr FUNG Ka-kit Engineer (Tsing Yi), Transport Department Mr TAM Lai-ming Senior Transport Officer (Kwai Tsing), Transport Department Mr. HUEN Ming Hei, Edmund Engineer (New Territories West), Civil Engineering and Development Department Ms CHOW Hoi-yi District Engineer/KT, Highways Department Ms PUN Fun-yu District Engineer/SW (W), Highways Department Mr TSANG Yiu-tim Officer-in-Charge, District Traffic Team, Kwai Tsing Police District, Hong Kong Police Force Ms Peggy WONG Assistant Manager (Planning & Development)), The Kowloon Motor Bus Co. (1933) Ltd. Ms WONG Yee-ling, Debbie Assistant Manager (Operations), The Kowloon Motor Bus Co. (1933) Ltd. Mr Utan WONG Assistant Manager (Operations), The Kowloon Motor Bus Co. (1933) Ltd. Miss YIM Yik Huen, Bonnie Assistant District officer (Kwai Tsing), Kwai Tsing District Office Miss CHAN Hau-sin, Priscilla Executive Officer (District Council) 1, (Secretary) Kwai Tsing District Office Absent with Apologies Mr LEE Chi-keung, Alan, MH (With prior notice) The Hon. MAK Mei-kuen, Alice, BBS, JP (With prior notice) Mr TANG Shui-wah, MH (With prior notice) Mr LAU Wing-fai (With prior notice) Mr YIP Pui-lam (With prior notice) Mr CHAN Man-luen-ying (Without prior notice) Mr HO Wai-pan (Without prior notice) Mr LAI King-wai (Without prior notice) Mr LI Man-ka (Without prior notice) Responsible Department Opening Remarks The Chairman welcomed Members and representatives of government departments and organisations to the 4th meeting of the Traffic and Transport Committee (2017) of Kwai Tsing District Council (K&TDC). 2. The Committee unanimously endorsed the application of absence of Mr LEE Chi-keung, Alan, The Hon. MAK Mei-kuen, Alice, Mr TANG Shui-wah, Mr LAU Wing-fai and Mr YIP Pui-lam. 3. The Hon. MAK Mei-kuen, Alice authorised Ms LAU Mei-lo to vote on her behalf at the meeting. 4. Mr LAU Wing-fai authorised Mr WONG Yun-tat to vote on his behalf at the meeting. Discussion Items Requesting Improvement of 249X Routing to Shorten Journey Time (Proposed by Mr TSUI Hiu-kit, Mr LEE Chi-keung, Alan, MH, Ms LAM Chui-ling, Nancy, MH, Mr POON Chi-shing, MH, Ms TAM Wai-chun, MH and Miss LO Yuen-ting) (TTC Paper No. 28, 28a, 28b/D/2017) 5. The Chairman introduced the paper. 6. Mr POON Chi-shing, MH urged The Kowloon Motor Bus Co. (1933) Ltd. (KMB) to consider the feasibility of the suggestion and to give a timeframe to effect as soon as possible the proposal of shortening the journey time of Route No. 249X, and enquired about the difference in the journey time between the current and proposed routing. 7. The Chairman asked why the Transport Department (TD) and KMB had not considered improving the routing during off-peak hours to shorten the journey time. 8. Miss LO Yuen-ting urged KMB to provide Members with the information about the review of the routing as soon as possible. 9. Mr TAM Lai-ming responded that the department noted Members’ opinions and 3 Responsible Department it had been taking follow-up actions on the routing of Route No. 249X together with KMB. No decision had been finalised so far. 10. Ms Peggy WONG responded that: (i) Route No. 249X had been re-routed and its service had been upgraded to whole-day service with effect from 4 March this year. Generally speaking, KMB would review the service after the re-routing took effect for 3 to 4 months. (ii) The traffic in Route 3 towards Lung Cheung Road / Ching Cheung Road was comparatively congested at peak hours. If Route No. 249X took the route via the Stonecutters Bridge instead of Kwai Chung Road, the journey would be one to two kilometres longer than the original one and the journey time would increase by at least five minutes. (iii) KMB noted Members’ opinions and was currently in discussion with the TD on whether Route No. 249X to adopt different routes at different hours. KMB would consult the K&TDC and the Sha Tin DC after it had made the decision. (iv) KMB expected that a reply would be provided to the Committee before the next meeting. 11. Mr LEUNG Wai-man pointed out that traffic congestion happened frequently in Lung Cheung Road and suggested re-routing via the Stonecutters Bridge towards the Eagle’s Nest Tunnel. 12. Mr POON Chi-shing urged KMB and TD to provide more data, such as the average journey time of different bus routes, so that Members could seek residents’ opinions. 13. The Chairman pointed out that heavy traffic congestion happened in Kwai Chung Road because there were more traffic lights along the road. If No.249X was re-routed via the Stonecutters Bridge, the journey distance might be longer but the journey time would be shortened. He urged TD and KMB to consider re-routing via the Stonecutters Bridge or Route 3 as soon as possible. 14. Mr TAM Lai-ming responded that Members’ opinions were noted and he would 4 Responsible Department actively discuss with KMB after the meeting. 15. The Chairman urged TD and KMB to submit the decision about the re-routing Transport before the next meeting. Department Motion: “Requesting Implementation of Full Day Service for Cross-Harbour Route No. 948” (Proposed by Mr TSUI Hiu-kit, Mr LEE Chi-keung, Alan, MH and Mr LEUNG Wai-man, MH) (Seconded by The Hon. MAK Mei-kuen, Alice, BBS, JP, Mr LAW King-shing, BBS, MH, Ms LAM Chui-ling, Nancy, MH, Ms TAM Wai-chun, MH, Mr POON Chi-shing, MH, Mr TANG Shui-wah, MH, Miss LO Yuen-ting and Mr CHAN Siu-man, Simon) (TTC Paper No. 29, 29a, 29b/D/2017) 16. Mr LEUNG Wai-man introduced the paper. 17. The Chairman put forth opinions as follows: (i) Route No. 948 had been running at irregular frequencies at peak hours in the evening due to the joint operation of bus companies. (ii) Due to the insufficient frequencies at peak hours, it was difficult for some passengers to board the buses. (iii) He suggested that the morning operating hours could be extended until noon. (iv) He asked New World First Bus Services Limited (NWFB) when the Estimated Bus Arrival Time Service (the “Time Reporting Service”) would be provided for Route No. 948 and suggested that NWFB should launch the service at jointly-operated routes first. 18. Mr TAM Lai-ming responded that: (i) The frequencies of No. 948 on weekday morning had been improved since 3 October this year. The department would continue to monitor the operation and the passengers’ needs, and would review the service arrangement with the bus company in a timely manner. 5 Responsible Department (ii) NWFB expected that the Time Reporting Service would cover all their routes by 2018. He would convey to NWFB regarding the Chairman’s advice that the Time Reporting Service should be launched at jointly-operated routes first. 19. Mr POON Chi-shing said that the insufficient frequencies of services at peak hours in the morning and at night made it difficult for passengers to board the buses. He urged the bus companies to increase the frequencies. 20. Ms CHEUNG Wai-ching, Clarice urged the TD to pay attention to the problem that residents in the Greenfield Constituency usually found it hard to board Route No. 948P as the buses were always full. 21. The Chairman urged TD and the bus company to take prompt actions to solve the problem that the buses of Route No.