TRAFFIC ENGINEERING SECTION
Chief Engineer:
W. C. BELL, A.M.I.C.E. (Acting)
GENERAL
9.41. The increase in motor traffic in the Colony has been rapid over the past decade. In more recent years the growth rate has taken an even sharper rise thus demanding greater efforts in the application of traffic engineering techniques to maintain safe and reasonably expeditious movement of pedestrians and vehicular traffic on the Colony's roads.
9.42. Despite higher taxation on vehicles and motor fuel imposed in 1961, vehicle registration continued to increase at an average annual rate of 15%. During 1963, 9,812 additional vehicles were registered bringing the total to 75,384, whilst the mileage of roads only increased by 8 miles; the total was then 538 miles, giving a high vehicle density of 140 vehicles/mile. Traffic counts carried out at selected locations in the urban road network indicate that increase in traffic volumes are comparable with that for vehicle registration and, in some routes, increases are even higher.
9.43. Fig. I on page 62 sets out basic statistics in respect of population, accidents, road mileages, vehicle registration and fuel consumption for the years from 1947-1963. This illustrates that, although population and vehicles have again increased, (the latter quite appreciably), road accidents have very encouragingly decreased. However a major factor affecting the total accidents recorded was a change in administrative procedure by the Police Traffic Branch, whereby with effect from August 1963 'minor damage only' accidents, which did not require court action, were no longer recorded and this explains the substantial drop in the total number of accidents reported in 1963. Total injury accidents, however, also show a decrease and this is considered to be attributable to the fine efforts of the Police Traffic Branch, the Kaifong Associations and other bodies in promoting safety campaigns, as well as to the more widespread application of traffic engineering principles in traffic management and control. In relation to the number of vehicles and population this decrease is even more marked as illustrated by Figs. II and III on pages 63 and 64.
9.44. The Chief Engineer continued to serve as the Director's representative at the monthly meetings of the Traffic Advisory Committee,
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