CHAPTER 13
Transport
Twelve million commuter trips are made in Hong Kong every day. Nine out of 10 trips are made on public transport. With an accident fatality rate of 0.0297 per 1 000 population, Hong Kong has one of the safest road networks in the world. The number of fatal accidents in 2003 was 173, which was among the lowest figures in the past 43 years.
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WITH a growing population and continuous development, moving people and goods around in Hong Kong has always been a great challenge. The Government has to ensure that this is carried out in accordance with sustainable development principles. It involves the planning and implementation of the further expansion and improvement of the transport infrastructure, with emphasis on railways; further promoting the use of public transport services by maintaining their quality and improving their coordination; effectively managing road use to reduce congestion and promote safety; and continuing to support environmental improvement measures in transport-related areas.
There were significant achievements in railway development in 2003. The West Rail project and the Light Rail Tin Shui Wai Extensions project of the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) were completed in December. Steady progress was made on building the KCRC's Ma On Shan to Tai Wai Rail Link and the Hung Hom to Tsim Sha Tsui Extension. Both projects are targeted for completion in 2004. Construction of the MTR Corporation Limited's (MTRCL) Penny's Bay Rail Link is targeted for completion in 2005. The construction of the Sheung Shui to Lok Ma Chau Spur Line is also on schedule for completion before mid-2007 to meet the growing demands of cross-boundary passenger traffic and to ease congestion at Lo Wu.
The preliminary planning and design of the Shatin to Central Link and detailed planning and design of the Kowloon Southern Link are ongoing. In January, the Government decided that the completion of the North Hong Kong Island Line of the Island Line Extensions should be deferred to beyond 2016. The MTRCL was also invited to proceed with further planning on the West Hong Kong Island Line Phase 1 from Sheung Wan to Belcher of the Island Line Extensions including a possible link. with the South Hong Kong Island Line.
During the year, construction of several major road projects began, including the Deep Bay Link, Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Corridor, a new boundary bridge between Lok Ma Chau and Huanggang and Trunk Road T3. There has also been significant development in the planning of a road transport link between Hong Kong