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TRANSPORT
Certificate of Fitness and Certificate of Roadworthiness inspections continued to be carried out on franchised buses and non-franchised buses. These, together with spot check inspections were effective in improving the overall standards of bus maintenance. Prosecu- tion for serious defects found during unscheduled inspections remained at a low level.
Road Safety
Traffic accidents involving injury increased by two per cent in 1988. During the year, there were 16 300 accidents, of which 4 300 were serious and 270 fatal. This compares with 16 030 in the previous year (4 580 serious, 270 fatal). In-depth investigations using computerised records were carried out at 145 traffic accident blacksites and prevention measures were recommended at 110 locations. Remedial measures, when implemented, have been shown to reduce accidents by 28 per cent on average.
Road safety campaigns continued to play an important role in the reduction of traffic accidents. The major themes of the 1988 campaigns were adult pedestrian safety, partic- ularly the elderly, and promoting road safety for drivers, especially light goods vehicle drivers and those with less than two years' driving experience. Apart from using posters, television announcements and leaflets, four issues of a 'Road Safety Quarterly' were pro- duced and given a wide distribution. Television programmes were also broadcast.
A 'Code of Practice for the Loading of Vehicles' was published and widely publicised in September 1988. The code, available in both languages, advises the trade on safer loading practices and has been distributed to goods vehicle operators and drivers.
By the end of 1988, the Road Safety Association of Hong Kong operated 225 School Road Safety Patrols, and school staff patrols were operated at 183 schools, all with the objective of ensuring the safety of school children. The Road Safety Council, an advisory body, continued to co-ordinate all road safety matters in the territory.
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Public Transport
Efforts to improve personal mobility through expansion and improvement of public transport services continued throughout the year.
Mass Transit Railway
Construction of the Eastern Harbour Crossing, which incorporates a Mass Transit Railway link between Kwun Tong in Kowloon and Quarry Bay on Hong Kong Island continued. The feasibility of a rail link between the north-western New Territories and the urban area and an extension to Junk Bay were being examined in the Second Comprehen- sive Transport Study.
The MTR system now comprises three lines, with 37 stations on the overall length of 38.6 kilometres, and with interchange facilities at Prince Edward, Mong Kok, Yau Ma Tei, Admiralty and Central stations. Trains run at two-minute intervals during the morning peak hours and 2.5-minute intervals during the evening peak hours on both the Tsuen Wan and Kwun Tong Lines. On the Island Line, trains run at three-minute intervals during both morning and evening peaks. The arrival of trains at destinations within two minutes of the scheduled time was maintained at 99.9 per cent during the year.
The MTR carried a daily average of 1.9 million passengers at the end of the year, making one of the most heavily utilised underground railway carriers per route kilometre in the world. A record number of 2.23 million passengers was carried on December 24, 1988.
To ease the overcrowding along the Nathan Road Corridor in the morning rush hours, a surcharge was levied on journeys between congested stations between 8.00 a.m. and 8.45