9
3.11 Taking all the above factors into consideration, the best growth
factor for calculating future Island Corridor peak-hour passenger ridership appears to be 3.5% p.a. Applying this to the peak- hour passenger ridership for 1980 (39,000) the forecast for 1986 will be 48,000 and for 1991 will be 57.000 taken at a screenline east of Admiralty MTR interchange. However, as there is no clear indication that restrictions on PLB will be
implemented it can be assumed that they will continue at their
present capacity levels (5,000). Therefore the forecast for franchised modes will be 43,000 in 1986 and 52,000 in 1991.
3.12 Ultra-high Capacity buses alone are well capable of handling such a ridership figure as explained in Section 5. However, if a modernised tram option is included alongside the revamped bus network option, the capacity for meeting this ridership forecast is easily achieved.
4. OPTIONS
4.1 The Island Corridor Study decided that it was feasible and
desirable to construct a Light Rail Transit (L.R.T.) line
from Whitty Street to Chaiwan to replace the tramway. The
reasons for the decision are well-documented elsewhere and
will not be repeated here, but it is interesting to note that I.C.S. advised against the construction of an underground railway. The C.T.S. advised that an underground railway
would have marginal beneficial effect on road conditions.
4.2 Hong Kong Tramways Co. have proposed the modernisation of
their system between Kennedy Town and Shaukiwan with a possible extension to Chaiwan. The concept of a modernised tramway fits in well with CMB's proposed strategy of ultra-large. capacity buses making use of the existing corridor road network and the new Island Eastern Corridor Road (described in greater detail in Section 5).
4.3 Mass Transit Railway Corporation have proposed the construction
of an "Island Line" (I. L.) along the Corridor.
../10.