Machanism for reviewing bus frequency

Simon Wang made this Freedom of Information request to Transport Department

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The request was successful.

Dear Transport Department,

Referring to my earlier email requesting a review of the frequency of KMB bus route 272A dated 18 Feb and your reply dated 20 Mar, it is disappointing that no concrete action has been taken on this case. I'd like to look into the established mechanism under which Transport Department reviews and revises bus frequencies. Here are the questions for the department to answer under the Code on Access to Information.

1. What is the name of the officer following the case regarding 272A? What is the name of his/her supervisor? With all due respect, I don't think they are doing their jobs properly. I hope they can review the case and follow up properly. Further action will be taken against them (e.g. complaint to THB and the Ombudsman) if no progress is made by 15 April. I am not asking for the schedule to be changed immediately; instead, I expect the TD to carefully consider whether there is a genuine need to increase the bus frequency. If you are following proper protocols, please let me know and I'll bring this case to other stakeholders for further discussion.

2. What is the mechanism under which the TD reviews the service frequencies of franchised buses. I assume from time to time such reviews should be done in response to the demographic changes of a region. Please provide relevant reports/documents.

3. Focusing on the case of 272A, when was the service frequency determined? What roles did TD play in the process? What factors were taken into account when making the decisions regarding bus frequencies?

4. Please provide the updated information regarding the factors that are important for determining the service frequencies of 272A (Q3). I hope such information will speak itself in terms of whether the frequencies of 272A should be increased.

5. How many complaints/ requests for reviews of bus frequencies did TD receive in 2019 and 2020? Were there any cases in which TD actually managed to change the frequencies? If so, please provide me information of 5 of such cases.

Thanks in advance.

Yours faithfully,
Simon Wang

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20/03/2021

Dear Dr. Wang,

Subject:Review of 272A bus frequency (Case Ref: 3-6625059351)

Regarding your case dated 18/02/2021, the reply of the Transport Department is as follows –

"Thank you for your comment.

Regarding the service of route no. 272A, we have referred your comment to KMB, KMB has noted your suggestions, and will closely monitor the service of the above route and strengthen the headway to meet the passengers’ need whenever necessary.

We will continue monitoring the public transport service in Pak Shek Kok and strengthen the services whenever necessary. Thank you for your comment on the above matters."

If you have any enquiries, please contact us.

Best regards,
Rita Law
Customer Service Officer
1823

Tel: 1823
Fax: 2760 1823
Email: [email address]

Service Disclaimer: www.1823.gov.hk/di.shtm
In view of the latest development of the COVID-19 epidemic, 1823 now accords priority to calls related to the epidemic and environmental hygiene issues, and the waiting or processing time for other calls and enquiries and complaints from written channels may be lengthened.

Simon H WANG <[email address]> 於 2021年2月18日週四 上午8:29寫道:
Dear Sir/Madam

I’m writing to request a review of the timetable for 272A. I wonder when this timetable was set up and what was the population size of the area served by 272A then. It seems that more people are now living in the communities along the bus route and the frequencies of the buses should be increased during the rush hours. In the morning the rush hour period should be extended (only 7:00 to 7:32 now) and in the evening a period of peak hours should be set up to dispatch more buses.
I’m copying this email to Mr Yiu Kwan Ho the district councillor of my region for him to follow up (if needed). Thanks in advance for your attention to this matter.

Yours sincerely
Simon Wang

Dorothy Shuk Kwan CHIM, Transport Department

Dear Mr Wang,

Our department has received your request for access to information dated
20.3.2021.  Your application is now under processing.  According to
paragraph 1.16 of the Code on Access to Information, our department will
inform you of the latest progress of the case separately on or before
9.4.2021.  You may note that case no. 96/21 is assigned to your request.

In the meantime, if you have any enquiry, please contact me at 3842 5574.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

Miss Dorothy Chim
for Commissioner for Transport

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Dorothy Shuk Kwan CHIM, Transport Department

Dear Mr Wang,

Further to my email of 29.3.2021 below, please be informed that we are
still preparing the requested information.  According to paragraph 1.18 of
the Code on Access to Information, our department will inform you of the
latest progress of the case separately on or before 9.5.2021.  In the
meantime, please contact me at 3842 5574 if you have any enquiry.

Your understanding in this matter is much appreciated.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

Miss Dorothy Chim
for Commissioner for Transport

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Dorothy Shuk Kwan CHIM, Transport Department

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Wang,

I refer to your email dated 20.3.2021 and our interim replies dated
29.3.2021 and 9.4.2021. Our reply is set out below.
The officer following the case regarding KMB Route No. 272A is Transport
Officer/Tai Po 1 (Miss Coco SO) and her supervisor is Senior Transport
Officer/Tai Po (Mr Peter AU).  

To assist franchised bus companies in making timely adjustments to the
service level in response to passenger demand, thereby enhancing their
services and operational efficiency of the overall bus network, the
Transport Department (TD) has promulgated the Guidelines on Service
Improvement and Reduction in Bus Route Planning Programme (the
Guidelines), which sets out quantitative indicators for frequency
improvement or reduction according to changes in passenger demand.  As far
as frequency improvement concerns, if the occupancy rate of any bus route
reaches 100% during any half-hour of the peak period and 85% during that
one hour, or reaches 60% during the busiest one hour of the off-peak
period, the TD will consider increasing vehicle deployment and service
frequency to enhance the service level.  Apart from making reference to
quantitative indicators set out in the Guidelines, the TD and franchised
bus companies will exercise flexibility in taking into account other
factors, such as providing a more comfortable environment for passengers
of long-haul routes, waiting time and passengers’ feedback, when reviewing
the frequency of bus routes for increasing bus deployment and frequency as
appropriate to enhance the service level of franchised buses.  The
prevailing Guidelines is attached for your reference.

In view of the population intake in Pak Shek Kok starting from 2020, the
TD has liaised with KMB to enhance the service of KMB Route No. 272A,
including (i) advancement of operating hours from 6.30 am to 6 am and
extension of operating hours from 11 pm to 11.30 pm on 29 June 2020 and
(ii) further extension of operating hours from 11.30 pm to 12 am and
frequency improvement in the morning peak from 10 – 20 minutes to 8 – 20
minutes on 30 November 2020.

According to the survey conducted by the TD in March 2021, the peakest
half-hour occupancy rate of KMB Route No. 272A is about 95% and the
occupancy rate during that hour is about 90% whereas the occupancy rate of
the busiest one hour of the off-peak period is about 45%.  In response to
the growing passenger demand in Pak Shek Kok, KMB has deployed vehicles
with higher capacity for KMB Route No. 272A to cater for the passenger
demand.

The TD will continue to monitor the service level of KMB Route No. 272A
and request KMB to strengthen the service when necessary to cope with the
passenger demand with reference to the Guidelines.

The TD received 1 940 and 1 103 complaints/requests concerning review of
bus frequencies and carrying capacity in 2019 and 2020 respectively.
 There is no separate breakdown for complaints/requests concerning review
of bus frequencies alone.  As regards the enquiry of “Were there any cases
in which TD actually managed to change the frequencies? If so, please
provide me information of 5 of such cases”, the TD has no record showing
change of bus frequencies as a result of complaints/requests.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

Miss Dorothy Chim
for Commissioner for Transport

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