TRANSPORT
Traffic Management and Control
To facilitate a smoother traffic flow, an extensive programme of traffic management and control measures is being implemented.
At the end of the year, there were 1 130 signalised junctions in the territory, comprising 440 in Kowloon, 300 on Hong Kong Island and 390 in the New Territories.
In Kowloon, 360 signalised junctions were under the control of the existing Kowloon Area Traffic Control (ATC) System, which has been in operation for more than 16 years. The system is now being replaced to increase its capacity and update the technology. One notable feature of the new system, to be commissioned in 1995, will be 'traffic responsive control', under which signal timings can be automatically adjusted in response to changes in traffic flows. This should minimise delays for road users. In addition, planning work has started on the enhancement of the Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) system in Kowloon to provide a wider area coverage for traffic surveillance.
On Hong Kong Island, the majority of the signalised junctions on the northern shore, from Kennedy Town to Shau Kei Wan, are under the control of the Hong Kong Area Traffic Control system. The system is being expanded to Chai Wan and the Southern District. At the end of 1993, 240 junctions on Hong Kong Island were under ATC control and 35 CCTV cameras were in use.
A new ATC System is now being installed in Tsuen Wan. At the end of the year, about 70 signalised junctions in Tsuen Wan, Kwai Chung and Tsing Yi were under computer control. The final system, to be completed in 1995, will include traffic responsive control and a CCTV system.
Following the installation at Tsuen Wan new town, the ATC system will be extended to Sha Tin new town, and planning work has already started for implementation in early 1995.
Parking
The management and operation of on-street, metered parking spaces are scheduled to be contracted out in early 1994 to improve efficiency.
On-street parking, usually metered, is provided only at locations where traffic conditions permit. At the end of the year, there were 13 000 metered spaces throughout the territory, most of which operate between 8 am and midnight from Mondays to Saturdays. In Causeway Bay, Happy Valley and Tsim Sha Tsui, where parking demand is high, their operation has been extended to include Sundays and public holidays to facilitate a better turnover of parking spaces. In June 1993, tenders were called to invite a contractor to take over the management of parking meters from the Transport Department from March 1994.
The government also owns 14 multi-storey carparks, which provide 8 200 parking spaces. They are operated and managed by two private companies under two separate management contracts. Off-street public parking is also provided by the Civil Aviation Department at Hong Kong International Airport, and by the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation at its terminus. The private sector also operates multi-storey and open-air public carparks in commercial buildings, public and private housing estates and open-air lots- providing over 100 000 parking spaces.
Licensing
The total number of licensed vehicles in all classes was 439 719 at the end of the year — an increase of 7.8 per cent over 1992.
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