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HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL — 1 June 1988
contained cells will minimise potential nuisance from dust and vermin. Wheel washing and vehicle cleansing facilities will help to keep roads clean and reduce odour from delivery vehicles.
All practicable steps will be taken to control noise caused by vehicles travelling to and from the facilities. New access roads with noise barriers will be built to service the landfills and restrictions will be placed on hours of operation. With the exception of some local waste coming direct in refuse collection vehicles, all waste will be containerised. Moreover, half of the daily intake of WENT will be barged in by sea, thus reducing overall vehicle movements.
It is not proposed at this stage to introduce a special code of practice for landfill sites, although provision exists under the Waste Disposal Ordinance to publish codes of practice on all aspects of waste management. Environmental requirements will, of course, be enforced through contract conditions. Also, consideration is being given to the future carrying out of landfill operations by specialised contractors, which would allow even greater control to be exercised through performance contract.
Extension of the light rail transit
11. MR. TAI asked: Will Government inform this Council whether the Kowloon- Canton Railway Corporation has submitted any recommendations on extending the Light Rail Transit so as to link up the north-western New Territories with the urban area? If not, what is the progress of the Light Rail Transit Extensions Study commissioned by the corporation and when is the corporation expected to make a definite decision on the recommendations contained in the study?
SECRETARY FOR Transport: Sir, following acceptance by its Managing Board of the Consultant's report on possible rail links between the north-west New Territories and the urban area, the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation submitted the report to Government in March 1987. In their submission, the corporation have indicated that none of the three links examined, namely, Tuen Mun to Tsuen Wan, Yuen Long to Tsuen Wan, and Yuen Long to Tai Wo (in Tai Po), is viable on a stand-alone basis. It is only when the likely enhancement to the heavy and light rail systems are taken into account that the Yuen Long to Tai Wo link would be a viable option, adding as it might more than 50 000 passengers to the system per day in the mid-1990s. The corporation have also recognised that there are many factors which could affect the final choice of a rail link and have stressed that they have not eliminated further consideration of alternative routes.
Given that the corporation's study conclusions are based mainly on the engineering and financial viability of the various links, Government has to
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