Should the present hire-car system in Discovery Bay continue?
The article 'Discovery Bay fights to keep hire cars,' (July 2) does seem to repeat what Discovery Bay Transit Services Limited (DBTSL) would like everyone to believe.
I was quite amused to see that, while the petition was instigated by some residents, signatures were being collected by employees of DBTSL in uniform! I also hear that it was not one complaint that prompted the action of the Transport Department, but a pile of them.
One of the reasons the hire cars are so heavily used is that most of the buses currently used by DBTSL, which are not very frequent to start with, are very difficult to access if you have any disabilities, a couple of children with you or a baby buggy. Even with shopping bags, it can get very inconvenient. The steps are usually high and there is no space inside the buses.
Considering the number of children in Discovery Bay and the fact that HKR International has been portraying Discovery Bay as child-friendly, the quality of transport offered to residents is shocking.
Just after Sars, DBTSL cancelled the shopping buses, which were obviously not making enough money. These buses were lower to the ground and much more roomy, allowing for mothers with baby buggies to get on board.