[chiefhk]

The large number of mainlanders expected to visit the Hong Kong Disneyland has prompted the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) and taxi operators to negotiate a plan to provide "one-stop" service to holidaymakers, a transport official said yesterday.

Principal transport officer Y.C. Lo said the arrangement could be similar to the KCRC-bus operators deal for the Disneyland visitors.

The KCRC Railbus - Disneyland is scheduled for launch on Monday after the theme park is officially declared open. The "luxury" buses will depart every half an hour, and the intervals could be reduced to as little as three minutes during peak time.

According to KCRC, the package under the "railbus" co-operation includes a rail journey between Lo Wu to Sheung Shui where mainlanders could change for a luxury bus to be taken directly to the theme park.

Adults will have to pay HK$70 for a one-way and HK$120 for a round trip fare. Children and senior citizens pay HK$50 and HK$80.

Introducing the transportation logistics at a press conference yesterday, Lo said that apart from the increase in cross-border bus services, six franchised bus routes from North Point, Hung Hom, Yau Tong and Tuen Mun would be in operation.

The Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTRC) too is gearing up for the grand opening of Disneyland. MTRC Operations Chief Wilfred Lau said the Disneyland Resort Line could carry 10,800 passengers an hour, and trains would operate at four-minute intervals during high demand periods.

Lau said that should the situation warrant, ticket gates would be closed for some time to slow down passenger flow. In such cases, passengers would be asked to wait outside the Sunny Bay and Disneyland Stations. "Tung Chung Line trains may not stop at Sunny Bay Station when there's a crowd build-up there," Lau said.

Commissioner for Tourism Eva Cheng said advertisements would be published in Guangdong newspapers today to advise travellers of the traffic arrangements. She urged mainlanders to use Lo Wu instead of other border crossings for a more efficient traffic flow.

Joint command centres, comprising police and other department personnel, will be set up both at the border and the theme park to monitor the situation.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/hkedi...hkhongkong.html