立法會 Legislative Council LC Paper No. CB(4)1186/18-19 (These minutes have been seen by the Administration) Ref : CB4/PL/TP/1 Panel on Transport Minutes of meeting held on Friday, 14 December 2018, at 10:45 am in Conference Room 1 of the Legislative Council Complex Members present : Hon CHAN Han-pan, BBS, JP (Chairman) Hon Jeremy TAM Man-ho (Deputy Chairman) Hon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yan, GBS, JP Hon Jeffrey LAM Kin-fung, GBS, JP Hon CHAN Hak-kan, BBS, JP Dr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-fun, SBS, JP Hon WONG Kwok-kin, SBS, JP Hon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yee, GBS, JP Hon Paul TSE Wai-chun, JP Hon Claudia MO Hon Michael TIEN Puk-sun, BBS, JP Hon Frankie YICK Chi-ming, SBS, JP Hon YIU Si-wing, BBS Hon Charles Peter MOK, JP Hon CHAN Chi-chuen Hon LEUNG Che-cheung, SBS, MH, JP Dr Hon KWOK Ka-ki Dr Hon Helena WONG Pik-wan Hon POON Siu-ping, BBS, MH Dr Hon CHIANG Lai-wan, SBS, JP Hon CHUNG Kwok-pan Hon Alvin YEUNG Hon Andrew WAN Siu-kin Hon CHU Hoi-dick -2- Hon HO Kai-ming Hon LAM Cheuk-ting Hon SHIU Ka-fai Hon Wilson OR Chong-shing, MH Hon LUK Chung-hung, JP Hon LAU Kwok-fan, MH Hon Kenneth LAU Ip-keung, BBS, MH, JP Dr Hon CHENG Chung-tai Hon Gary FAN Kwok-wai Hon AU Nok-hin Hon Tony TSE Wai-chuen, BBS Members attending : Hon WU Chi-wai, MH Hon Vincent CHENG Wing-shun, MH Members absent : Ir Dr Hon LO Wai-kwok, SBS, MH, JP Dr Hon Junius HO Kwan-yiu, JP Hon Tanya CHAN Public officers : Agenda item III attending Dr Raymond SO, BBS, JP Under Secretary for Transport and Housing Mr Kevin CHOI, JP Deputy Secretary for Transport and Housing (Transport) 2 Ms Macella LEE Deputy Commissioner for Transport/ Transport Services and Management Miss Ann CHAN Principal Assistant Secretary for Transport and Housing (Transport)(Special Tasks) Ms Stella LEE Assistant Commissioner for Transport/ Management and Paratransit -3- Agenda IV Ms Rebecca PUN Ting-ting, JP Deputy Secretary for Transport and Housing (Transport)1 Ms Jessica LEE Wing-tung Acting Principal Assistant Secretary for Transport and Housing (Transport)5 Mr Kelvin LO Kwok-wah, JP Project Manager/Major Works Highways Department Mr Patrick LAI Kwok-fai Chief Engineer 4/Major Works Highways Department Mr Ken YIP Kook-keung Chief Traffic Engineer/New Territories East Transport Department Agenda V Ms Rebecca PUN Ting Ting, JP Deputy Secretary for Transport and Housing (Transport) 1 Ms Jessica LEE Wing Tung Acting Principal Assistant Secretary for Transport and Housing (Transport) 5 Mr Wilson PANG Wai Shing Acting Deputy Commissioner/ Planning & Technical Services Transport Department Mr Michael LAW Hing Sun Assistant Commissioner/Urban Transport Department -4- Mr Eddie LEUNG Siu Kong Chief Traffic Engineer/ Hong Kong Transport Department Mr Harry MA Hon Ngai Assistant Director/Development Highways Department Mr CHU Shun Wah Principal Project Coordinator/Pedestrian Hillside Links Highways Department Clerk in attendance : Ms Sophie LAU Chief Council Secretary (4)2 Staff in attendance : Ms Joyce CHING Senior Council Secretary (4)2 Ms Jacqueline LAW Council Secretary (4)2 Miss Mandy LAM Legislative Assistant (4)2 Action I. Information paper(s) issued since the last meeting LC Paper No. CB(4)232/18-19(01) - Copy of the Entrustment Agreement signed between the Government and MTR Corporation Limited for the construction of Shatin to Central Link Project LC Paper No. CB(4)262/18-19(01) - Administration's response to letter from Hon LUK Chung-hung requesting to discuss the utilization of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and related issues after -5- its commissioning Members noted the above papers issued since the last meeting. II. Items for discussion at the next meeting LC Paper No. CB(4)288/18-19(01) - List of outstanding items for discussion LC Paper No. CB(4)288/18-19(02) - List of follow-up actions 2. Members agreed to discuss the following items at the next regular meeting to be held on 18 January 2019: (a) Report of Independent Review Committee on Hong Kong's Franchised Bus Service; and (b) Free-flow tolling system for Tseung Kwan O–Lam Tin Tunnel. 3. Mr Tony TSE suggested that the discussion of the item under paragraph 2(b) above should also cover the progress of the introduction of automatic toll collection system for other Government tunnels, bridges or roads. The Chairman agreed to ask the Administration to report the progress on the above subject. III. Implementation of the Public Transport Fare Subsidy Scheme LC Paper No. CB(4)288/18-19(03) - Administration's paper on implementation of the Public Transport Fare Subsidy Scheme LC Paper No. CB(4)288/18-19(04) - Paper on Public Transport Fare Subsidy Scheme prepared by the Legislative Council Secretariat (Background brief) -6- Action Briefing by the Administration 4. At the invitation of the Chairman, Under Secretary for Transport and Housing ("USTH") briefed members on the operational details of the Public Transport Fare Subsidy Scheme ("the Scheme"), details of which were set out in the Administration's paper (LC Paper No. CB(4)288/18-19(03)). With the aid of a powerpoint presentation, Principal Assistant Secretary for Transport and Housing (Transport) (Special Tasks) ("PASTH(T) (Special Tasks)") briefed members on the calculation of monthly public transport expenses and subsidy collection arrangement under the Scheme. (Post-meeting note: the powerpoint presentation material was issued to members vide LC Paper No. CB(4)351/18-19(01) on 20 December 2018) Discussion 5. Dr CHIANG Lai-wan, on behalf of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, Mr Kenneth LAU, Mr Frankie YICK and Mr Jeffrey LAM supported the implementation of the Scheme. Implementation of the Scheme 6. Mr LUK Chung-hung opined that the preparatory work of the Scheme had taken too long. Mr LUK hoped that the Administration would resolve all the difficulties in relation to the introduction of the Scheme with a view to ensuring its smooth implementation and operation. 7. USTH responded that the implementation of the Scheme entailed substantial preparatory work because it involved, among others, the development and upgrading of the Octopus system. Besides, the preparatory work also required a number of procedures to be taken, including obtaining funding approval for the Scheme from the Finance Committee ("FC") of the Legislative Council. 8. Mr Jeffrey LAM enquired whether the Administration would make the Scheme an on-going long-term initiative and gradually increase the subsidy amount, subject to the smooth operation of the Scheme. USTH advised that the Scheme would be implemented continuously and that the Administration would -7- commence the first review of the Scheme around one year after its implementation. Among others, its financial implication and the transport data collected would be examined and analysed for planning purpose. Coverage and subsidy level of the Scheme 9. Mr LUK Chung-hung opined that the current eligibility threshold of $400 for the Scheme was too high. Mr LUK called upon the Administration to lower the monthly public transport expense threshold for commuters to $300 or below, and raising the percentage of subsidy to 33% or more and increasing the maximum amount of subsidy with a view to benefitting more commuters. 10. Dr KWOK Ka-ki expressed similar view on the current eligibility threshold. Dr KWOK particularly pointed out that many commuters residing in remote areas, especially in areas without coverage of railway and/or franchised bus service, could not benefit from the Scheme. Dr KWOK urged the Administration to further review the coverage and eligibility of the Scheme with a view to including as many as possible routes of red minibuses ("RMBs") and non-franchised buses ("NFBs") providing residents' services ("RS"). Dr KWOK also suggested the Administration to consider making direct transport subsidy, say a monthly amount of $300, to commuters residing in remote areas. 11. Noting members' views and requests, USTH assured that the above said review on the Scheme would examine the operation, coverage and subsidy level of the Scheme. USTH remarked that upon the implementation of the Scheme, the Administration would continue to accept and process applications from RMBs and NFBs for joining the Scheme and currently there were still some applications being processed by the Transport Department ("TD"). 12. While welcoming the expansion of the Scheme to cover other transport services, in particular NFBs providing RS and employees' services ("ES"), Mr YIU Si-wing worried that the vetting of applications from NFB operators might involve complicated procedures and it might take a long time for the Administration to process such applications. In response, Deputy Commissioner for Transport/Transport Services and Management ("DC/TSM") advised that the application process was relatively simple since TD already had the details of the routings and operation of the ES and RS routes. TD had also designated their staff to explain to interested operators on the requirements for joining the Scheme and assist them during the course of making applications. 13. Mr POON Siu-ping also observed that not many RS routes had joined the Scheme. In response to Mr POON Siu-ping's enquiry, DC/TSM advised that there were a total of 88 ES routes in operation and that the TD had approved -8- 14 ES routes for participation in the Scheme. 14. In response to members' enquiry, DC/TSM advised that a total of 8 applications from RS operators and one application from RMB operator for participation in the Scheme were being processed by TD, and that as at 7 December 2018, three applications from RMBs operators for participation in the Scheme had been rejected by TD due to their failure to meet the basic requirements.