21
Thursday, November 29, 1973
Mr. Robertson then listed some of the successes in the transport
battle. He said the extension to Kai Tak Runway would be completed
early next year and the new railways terminus at Hung Hom in mid-1975.
In addition, double-tracking and station improvements between
Kowloon and Tai Po are being planned to come into effect when required
by the traffic demands of Sha Tin New Town and beyond.
The Port Works Office continues to provide facilities to improve
inter-urban and inter-island travel.
Turning to the work of the Highways Office, he said:
"Last year
36 major highway schemes were completed and there are at present 35 more
in the course of construction. The forecast expenditure on highways in
the next five years is $2,700 million, compared with $350 million in the
past five years."
Delays
Mr. Robertson also briefly described the work of the Office of
Director of Mass Transit Studies.
"If all goes according to plan, work will begin next year on a
number of sites between Kowloon Bay and Shek Kip Mei and will spread progressively
down Nathan Road," he added.
Referring to alleged delays of some items of Public Works,
Mr. Robertson said: "Delays apparently do occur; they occur before a
project begins because it may not be so evident to all, that the project is
necessary or desirable; they may appear to occur during the construction stages
of a project because the project is immensely more complicated than is apparent
to the superficial observer; they may actually occur because all the staff
of the Public Works Department, its consultants and contractors are human.
But these