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WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 1974
BELL ADDED: +IT IS APPARENT FROM THESE FIGURES THAT THE COMPLETION OF RESIDENTIAL FLAT DEVELOPMENT ALREADY UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND APPROVED WILL GENERATE PEAK HOUR TRAFFIC FAR IN EXCESS OF THE CAPACITY OF THE MID-LEVELS EASTBOUND TRAFFIC CORRIDOR.
+ANY ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT WOULD OBVIOUSLY AGGRAVATE THIS SITUATION EVEN FURTHER.+
THE DANGER OF TOTAL TRAFFIC CONGESTION, HE WENT ON, COULD NOT EVEN BE SOLVED BY THE MAJOR TRAFFIC IMPROVEMENTS PLANNED, SUCH AS THE FURTHER WIDENING OF POKFULAM ROAD, THE WATER STREET FLYOVER AND THE ABERDEEN TUNKEL.
+ IT IS CLEARLY ESSENTIAL,+ HE SAID, THAT THE TRAFFIC SITUATION SHOULD BE CONTAINED, PARTICULARLY IN VIEW OF THE EFFECT THIS WOULD HAVE ON THE MOVEN. IT OF ESSENTIAL SERVICES SUCH AS FIRE ALLIANCES AND AMBULANCIS.+
IN THE CASE OF THE MID-LEVELS, IR. BELL SAID IT WAS LIKELY AT THE RESTRICTIONS WOULD CONTINUE TO BE NECESSARY *FOR A SUBSTANTIAL PERIOD.+
NOTING THAT MORE PEOPLE WERE TRAVELLING BY BUS SINCE THE INTRODUCTION OF THE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SCHEME IN THE MID-LEVELS, MR. BELL SAID THAT SOME FURTHER INTENSIFICATION OF THE SCHENE MIGHT BE POSSILLE SUCH AS 11:CREASING THE FREQUE.CY OF BUSES, BUT THE EFFECT WOULD BE LIMITED BY THE NARROU CARRIAGEWAYS AND INADEQUATE PASSENGER LOADING, FACILITIES.
WHEN THE RESTRICTIONS WERE BROUGHT INTO FORCE IN AUGUST LAST YEAR, THE NUMBER OF FLATS IN THE MID-LEVELS AREA WAS JUST OVER 7,000 WITH A POPULATION OF ABOUT 29,000. UKEN BUILDINGS WHICH ARE UNDER CONSTI UCTION AND APPROVED HAVE BEEN COMPLETED, THE NUMBER OF FLATS! ILL HAVE INCREASED TO 11,000 WITH A TOTAL EXPECTED POPULATION OF ABOUT 44,00J,
LIFTING OF THE PRESENT RESTRICTION WOULD MEAN THAT YET ANOTHER 2,800 FLATS COULD BE BUILT LI:DER EXISTING LEASE CONDITIONS AND PLANNING CONTROLS, WHICH WOULD INCREASE THE POPULATION BY ABOUT A FURTHER 11,000. THE TOTAL, HE POINTED OUT, LOULD THEN BE AROUND 55,000, ALMOST TWICE 1HE 1973 FIGURE.
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