Passengers using certain residents' bus services into Central and Wan Chai will have to walk further under an initiative to reduce traffic congestion. The maximum number of stops allowed on 59 routes will be cut from seven to three or four, affecting 13,000 passengers a day. Principal Transport Officer (Urban) Louis Hung Tong-chun said the measures would help regulate existing operations and enable the police to crack down on illegal activities. 'From our investigation, there are 20 to 30 unauthorised residential bus services currently operating in the Central and Wan Chai areas, carrying several thousand passengers each day,' he said. Operators will have to display signboards carrying the route number and destination, as well as a permit issued by the department, and new stops will be erected. The department has also proposed the use of bus clearways on congested roads to prevent unauthorised services stopping during peak hours. The measures will be introduced in phases from March 20.
