MINISTER'S VISIT TO HONG KONG, APRIL 1980
BRIEF ON TRANSPORT
SUMMARY
Hong Kong, with its dense population, has a particularly strong need
for an efficient transport system. The Minister will see examples of many
interesting transport developments during his stay, many of which have
been developed with the help of British firms or give scope for future British
involvement. Throughout his visit, he will wish to express pleasure that
British firms have been able to show their capabilities here, or where
appropriate to draw attention to areas where British expertise might be used
in the future. He will also wish to draw attention to the work on highways
and traffic matters' in which the Department has taken part directly. Annex A
lists the Hong Kong Government organisations responsible for transport.
(See also separate sheet Shuam arising projects with British interest.)
Highways
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Hong Kong has one of the highest densities of road traffic in the world.
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The Government began a major trunk road building programme in 1968: it
has slowed down over the past 18 months, but about one half of the 126m
high quality road network planned has now been built. Much of the network
is elevated or in tunnel, because of difficult terrain and dense development.
Road Safety
The road accident record is depressingly bad, even allowing for the dense
traffic (in 1977 it! was seven times as bad as the UK's and 5 times as bad
Hong
as Japans. Hitherls, there has been no systematic investigation of accident
causation, but the Hong Kong Government now proposes to set up a Road Safety
Division in the Public Works Department. The TCC Overseas Unit have helped the
authorities decide how to tackle the accident problem. The PWD has asked DTP
to help them fill key posts in the new Division and train junior staff.