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(3) The provision of already agreed bus/tram only priority
schemes along the Island Corridor by early 1981 will, at peak periods, enable a 25 percent inprovement in bus/tram throughout and carrying capacity at no extra cost in terms of manpower or rolling stock resources.
(4) Recent technical development in bus manufacturing technology
permits the construction of ultra-high capacity 180-passenger buses by 1981 and the possibility of even larger capacity 250-passenger articulated double deck buses by 1985.
(5) Forward predictions of travel demand along the Corridor
indicate conclusively that passenger ridership volumes are unlikely to reach a level of justification to sustain four competing mass modes carriers (MTR, HKT, HYF and CMB). The number of peak period passengers cannot, in fact, even fill the trains alone. It is, therefore, more than probable that buses or buses, trams and coastal ferries combined will be able to cope adequately with future rider- ship levels until the end of the century.
(6) The Island Line will not solve the King's Road traffic
congestion problem. People will still use private cars, for greater comfort and convenience and as a symbol of status and affluence. Lorries must still use the road
network as freight cannot be transferred to the railway. Consequently, it is the Eastern Island Corridor road which will provide the greatest relief to King's Road.
CMB's use
of the new highway for new bus services will help to justify the community's investment in the road.
8.4 If, for political or other reasons, it is decided that construction
⚫f an underground railway should go ahead, the likelihood of poor financial performance suggests that it is advisable that construction should be in stages. Before construction started on each successive stage a full financial appraisal of that stage should be under- taken in the light of experience with, and performance of, previous stages. It can be seen from Figure 1 that the bulk of the demand lies between Central and North Point, which suggests that this should be the first stage to be constructed.