FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 1974
TRANSPORT PRÜblem more comPLEX
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BUT CAN BE SOLVED
THE RECONSTITUTED TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE GOT DOWN TO WORK IN EARNEST TODAY WITH THE CHAIRMAN, MR. JAMES ROBSON, EXPRESSING CONFIDENCE THAT THE PROBLEMS CAN BE SOLVED.
ADDRESSING THE COMMITTEE'S FIRST FORMAL MEETING, MR. ROBSON CAUTIONED, HOWEVER, THAT THE TASK WOULD NOT BE AN EASY ONE AS HONG KONG'S TRANSPORT PROBLEMS WERE BECOMING INCREASINGLY SEVERE AND COMPLEX.
NEVERTHELESS, HE FELT THAT THE PROBLEMS WOULD BE MET AND SOLVED IF THE NEW T.A.C. MAINTAINED THE REPUTATION OF THE ORIGINAL COMMITTEE FUR HARD AND CONSTRUCTIVE WORK.
AS SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, PART OF MR. ROBSON'S RESPONSIBILITIES CONCERN THE CO-ORDINATION OF ALL TRANSPORT
MATTERS.
UNLIKE THE OLD COMMITTEE, THE NEW T.A.C. WILL ADVISE THE GOVERNOR-IN-COUNCIL INSTEAD OF THE GOVERNOR.
+OUR ADVICE WILL THUS GO DIRECTLY TO THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT DECISION-TAKING AND WILL CONCENTRATE ON MATTERS OF *IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES,+ SAID MR. ROBSON.
THE TECHNICAL AND DETAILED ASPECTS OF TRANSPORT PLANNING AND TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT, HE ADDED, COULD BE LEFT IN THE HANDS OF RELEVANT GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS WORKING IN CONSULTATION WITH ONE ANOTHER.
THE RECONSTITUTED COMMITTEE IS COMPOSED OF A POOL OF EXPERTS AND PEOPLE EXPERIENCED IN TRANSPORT MATTERS. THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS ARE MRS. ELSIE ELLIOTT, AN URBAN COUNCILLOR AND A MEMBER OF THE PREVIOUS T.A.C., MR. G.R. ROSS, UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, MR. STEPHEN WONG, REPRESENTING THE NEW TERRITORIES, AND MRS. GRACE HO AND MR. ALAN MCFARLIN, BOTH ACKNOWLEDGED TRANSPORT EXPERTS.
+1N MY JUDGEMENT, COMMENTED MR. ROBSON, THIS NEW T.A.C. PROVIDES THE CORRECT MIX OF EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE, WITH WHICH TO MEET THE EVER INCREASING CHALLENGE OF PROVIDING DECENT PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES IN A TERRITORY SUCH AS OURS, WHICH AS FAR AS PUBLIC TRANSPORT IS CONCERNED, MUST BE UNIQUE.+
REFERRING TO HIS APPOINTMENT AS CHAIRMAN OF THE NEW COMMITTEE, MR. ROBSON EXPLAINED THAT THIS SHOULD NOT BE REGARDED AS THE FINAL PATTERN +BUT RATHER AS A TRANSITIONAL ARRANGEMENT TO BE REVIEWED IN THE LIGHT OF EXPERIENCE AND CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES.+
MR. ROBSON
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