Newsletter No. 13

Campus Transport The Transport Unit of the University currently runs six different types of servicesfor members working or living on campus: 1. a shuttle-bus service to link major study/work locations with the University Train Station; 2. a shuttle light-bus service to cover locations not served by the shuttle- buses; 3. a change-class bus service during term timefor students; 4. a staff bus service with eight different routes to carry staff to and from work; 5. a special bus service to carry children of resident staff to and from school; and 6. a VIP car service for University guests and senior officers. Whether the level of existing services provided is adequate is open to argument but few would disagree that without such services, the campus would be a very inconvenient place to work and live in, particularly for those who do not drive or do not have their own cars. Even among those who drive their own cars to work, many have complained that the campus environment is inimical to the health of their automobiles: wear and tear comes much faster with all those uncovered carparks, road bumps, and steep slopes. Transport problems seem to be the price we all have to pay for our spacious and picturesque campus. Shuttle-Bus and Change-class Bus Services Not very many may have noticed that all coaches used for the shuttle-bus service are University vehicles, i.e., they have been purchased with University funds and painted with the wording ‘The Chinese University of Hong Kong' on their sides; whereas most change-class buses (and their drivers) are provided by an outside contractor who runs the service on behalf of the University, At one time in the early days of the University, both shuttle-bus and change-class bus services were run by the University itself with a fleet comprising 16 coaches! However, in the mid-seventies when the government went on an economy drive to combat economic recession and asked the University to cut down expenses on transportation services for students, 11 of these coaches had to be sold. While the University has continued to run the shuttle bus service with the remaining coaches, the change-class bus service has since been contracted out. This has effectively reduced overhead but much flexibility has also been lost as restrictions have been set on the routes run, the number of bus stops, and the number of days in a year when the service will be provided. As the campus population continued to grow after the mid-seventies and as more staff residences were built, different ways were explored to supplement the shuttle-bus service on campus. Suggestions for improvement included the extension of public bus services and mini-bus services to campus roads, and the erection of taxi-stands within the University. Eventually in 1985, the University decided to purchase two light buses to run a fee-charging shuttle-bus service to cover areas not served by the big shuttle buses. After five years of operation, this service has now managed to break even and each day an average of 750 passengers are served. But because of their limited capacity and auxiliary role, the light-buses cannot really solve the problems created by the ever-growing demand for internal transport services. Overloaded buses and long queues waiting for them are still common sights on campus roads. The natural question which follows is: ‘How is the Transport Unit to cope with the anticipated expansion in student numbers as we enter into the 1990s?' Mr. K. W. Chow, head of the Transport Unit, says that the University has recently bought two new coaches to augment the existing fleet and another two will arrive next year. As resources are limited, he explains, problems cannot be solved overnight. He calls upon University members to be patient and to walk more frequently whenever possible to reduce the pressure on the school buses. The Working Group on Campus Transport will strive to find ways to deploy existing resources more efficiently and cost-effectively. 4