Sir,
UMELCO
DRAFT SPEECH BY DR HON RICHARD LAI LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 30 JULY 1986
•
Light Rail Transit System
a
Let me state at the outset that I
Light Rail Transit (LRT) System in the
support the idea of
Tuen Tuen Mun
Mun Yuen Long
area. Although at the very beginning I had certain reservations
on the idea of the 'monopoly zone', I now believe it is
necessary to establish an exclusive Transit Service Area (TSA) in order to protect the well-being and nurture the growth of the Light Rail Transit System during its infancy:
The policy of setting up an integrated and more efficient transport facility in the new towns of Tuen Mun and Yuen Long is consistent with the current Government transport
I believe, make policy and will,
a great contribution to growth of the area.
the
It is unfortunate that the population and internal ridership forecast in the Scott, Wilson, Kirkpatrick & Partners study done in 1978, on which the Government based its decision to proceed with the building of the LRT, could not correctly
current situation predict the
in the area.
the To make
LRT
System economically viable, the exclusive zone in which LRT can operate without competition is necessary. This, however, does not take anything away from my belief that by providing integrated system within which passengers can transfer freely without additional payment, from feeder buses to LRT, or from
an
one
LRT route to
transport.
it another,
is
more a
superior mode
of
our
a
It is heartening that we have been able to succeed in endeavour to obtain 20 year time
time limit to the TSA. I
think this provision did much to allay the public's fear of
to the Kowloon-Canton Railway
'monopoly' granted indefinitely
Corporation (KCRC).
a
UMELCO