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LEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 1974.
POKFULAM BUILDING 'FREEZE' WILL BE LIFTED AT YEAR'S END
LEGCO GIVEN FIRM ASSURANCE
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THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY APPROVED A RESOLUTION EXTENDING THE TEMPORARY BUILDING RESTRICTIONS IN THE POKFULAM UNTIL JULY 31, 1975. AND MID-LEVELS AREAS FOR ANOTHER YEAR --
HOWEVER, THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, THE HON. WILLIAM BELL, ASSURED COUNCIL THAT THE RESTRICTIONS IN RELATION TO POKFULAM WOULD BE LIFTED BY THE END OF THIS YEAR,
IN GIVING THE ASSURANCE, HOWEVER, HE WARNED THAT IF TRAFFIC CONDITIONS IN THE AREA BECAME CHAOTIC, +IT MAY BE NECESSARY TO INTRODUCE SEVERE TRAFFIC CONTROL MEASURES AND, IF ALL ELSE FAILS, TO RECONSIDER WAYS OF LIMITING THE AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC.+
MR. BELL REITERATED THAT THE COMPLETION OF FURTHER RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT IN POKFULAM MIGHT GIVE RISE TO A FURTHER DEGREE OF CONGESTION, BUT CONSIDERED THAT THE RISK SHOULD BE TAKEN BECAUSE OF DEVELOPMENT NEEDS.
HE POINTED OUT THAT FOLLOWING THE LIFTING OF THE RESTRICTIONS, IN THE SUBMISSIONS OF PLANS TO THE BUILDING AUTHORITY, THE EXTENT OF REDEVELOPMENT TO BE ALLOWED WILL BE LIMITED TO THAT PERMITTED UNDER EXISTING LEASE CONDITIONS AND WITHIN PRESENT PLANNING CONTROLS.
TURNING TO A PROPOSAL BY THE HON. JAMES WU, CONCERNING THE WATER STREET FLYOVER, MR. BELL SAID THIS WAS NOW BEING STUDIED BY HIS DEPARTMENT.
MR. WU HAD SUGGESTED THAT THE ALL-IMPORTANT WATER STREET FLYOVER SCHEME MIGHT BE IMPLEMENTED IMMEDIATELY ON A LESS GRAND LOSE SCALE AND AVOIDING RESUMPTION DELAYS BY FOLLOWING FROM POKFULAM ROAD THROUGH THIRD STREET AND THENCE TO WATER STREET ACCOMMODATING TWO LANES OF TRAFFIC.
+UNDOUBTEDLY A COMFORTABLE AND EFFICIENT BUS SERVICE WILL DISCOURAGE THE USE OF PRIVATE CARS,+ HE ADDED.
MR. WU SAID IT WAS LAMENTABLE THAT THE COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT SHOULD FIND HIMSELF SO HELPLESS IN GETTING THE BUS COMPANY TO USE ALTERNATIVE BRITISH-MADE BUSES WITH QUICK DELIVERY TO GIVE IMMEDIATE IMPROVEMENT.
+PERHAPS THEY SHOULD BE REMINDED THAT ANY APPLICATION FOR FARE INCREASES WOULD ONLY BE FAVOURABLY CONSIDERED SUBJECT TO AN ACCEPTABLE STANDARD OF SERVICE HAVING BEEN FIRST PROVIDED.
+SURELY THIS COUNCIL'S RECENT ENDORSEMENT OF A FARE INCREASE FOR THE YAUMATI FERRIES IS AMPLE INDICATION,+ SAID MR. VỤ.
MR. WU SAID HE AND HIS UNOFFICIAL COLLEAGUES COULD NOT ACCEPT WITHOUT RESERVATION THE PESSIMISTIC 'GUESTINATE' BY THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS THAT THE TRAFFIC SITUATION WOULD BECOME UNTENABLE WHEN A TOTAL OF 55,000 PEOPLE INHABIT THE MID-LEVELS AREA.
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/THE MID-LEVELS
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