Tuesday, October 9, 1973
TOUGH MEASURES TO IMPROVE TRANSPORT "INEVITABLE”
Some "drastic measures" to restrict the use of private cars seem
inevitable if Hong Kong is to have an efficient transport system, according
to the Assistant Commissioner for Transport, Mr. P.F. Leeds.
"Even with an underground railway," he said, "some two-thirds of
all the passenger trips will have to be made by surface public transport.
"Therefore, measures will have to be taken to free the roads for
buses and trams, " he added.
Mr. Leeda was addressing a group of visiting transport experts
the Swiss Transport Museum Group at the Hong Kong Hotel today.
In his talk, Mr. Leeds reviewed various problems facing Hong
Kong over the past 20 years. These included over-population, refugees,
resettlement, housing and industrial expansion.
lir, Leeds said that the influx of refugees led to a large increase
in population which, in turn, resulted in a heavy demand for public transport.
"In 1951, the Kowloon Motor Bus Company with 180 buses carried
155.4 million passengers but by 1972 these figures had risen to 1,270
scheduled buses and 501.2 million passengers," he said.
The corresponding figures for the China Motor Bus Company were,
in 1951, 151 buses and 46.1 million passengers and in 1972, 500 scheduled
buses and 156.7 million passengers.
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