TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1974
NEW TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SCHEME IN CENTRAL DISTRICT
IN PREPARATION FOR MTR WORKS
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A THREE-STAGE SCHEME TO IMPROVE TRAFFIC IN CENTRAL DISTRICT IS TO START EARLY NEXT MONTH AS PART OF A CONTINUING PROCESS OF REDUCING CONGESTION, PRIOR TO THE INTRODUCTION OF SUBSEQUENT TRAFFIC DIVERSIONS REQUIRED BY MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY WORKS THERE.
THE SCHEME FEATURES AN INITIAL PEAK-HOUR URBAN CLEARWAY THAT BANS VEHICLES FROM STOPPING ALONG A SECTION OF DES VOEUX ROAD. CENTRAL, AND A LATER PROHIBITION AGAINST PRIVATE CARS - THE LESS ESSENTIAL TYPE OF VEHICLE - FROM ENTERING THIS CONGESTED ROAD SECTION,
A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY THE SCHEME, SUPPLEMENTED BY CHANGES IN TRAFFIC. ROUTING AND TURNING MOVEMENT, SHOULD GO A LONG WAY TOWARDS IMPROVING TRAFFIC FLOW IN THE BUSY AREA.
AT THE SAME TIME, IT WILL GIVE USEFUL INDICATION AS TO WHAT EXTENT ALTERNATIVE ROUTES IN CENTRAL ARE ABLE TO CARRY TRAFFIC DISPLACED FROM DES VOEUX ROAD CENTRAL.
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HE POINTED OUT THAT EVENTUALLY WHEN WORKS ON THE MTR START IN LATE 1975 IN CENTRAL, THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE CHANGES IN TRAFFIC ARRANGEMENTS, PARTICULARLY ALONG DES VOEUX ROAD CENTRAL WHERE THERE WOULD BE EXTENSIVE CUT AND COVER WORKS,
+ THE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SCHEME COMING INTO OPERATION IN JANUARY ANTICIPATES THIS FUTURE TRAFFIC DEVELOPMENT AND GETS MOTORISTS READY FOR ANY LATER DIVERSIONS,+ HE SAID.
UNDER THE FIRST STAGE OF THE SCHEME, SCHEDULED TO START ON JANUARY 5, ALL VEHICLES EXCEPT FRANCHISED BUSES AND TRAMS WILL BE PROHIBITED FROM STOPPING TO PICK UP OR SET DOWN PASSENGERS AND GOODS ON BOTH CARRIAGEWAYS OF DES VOEUX ROAD CENTRAL ALONG THE SECTION BETWEEN JACKSON ROAD AND JUBILEE STREET EVERY DAY DURING THE PEAK HOURS FROM 7 A.M. TO 10 A.M. AND FROM 4 P.M. TO 7 P.M. AT THE SAME TIME, THE SECTION OF ICE HOUSE STREET BETWEEN QUEEN'S ROAD CENTRAL AND DES VOEUX ROAD CENTRAL WILL BE RE-ROUTED ONE-WAY NORTHBOUND.
THE SECOND STAGE, PLANNED TO START SEVERAL WEEKS LATER, PROHIBITS PRIVATE CARS FC ENTERING THE SAME SECTION OF DES VOEUX ROAD CENTRAL BETLEN 7 A.M. AND 7 P.H. FROM MONDAYS TO SATURDAYS. HOWEVER, THEY WILL BE ALLOWED TO CROSS THE ROAD AT FIXED INTERSECTIONS.
THE FINAL STAGE, PLANNED TO START IN APRIL, WILL SEE THE UREAN CLEARWAY AND PROHIBITION ON PRIVATE CARS IN DES VOEUX ROAD CENTRAL EXTENDED WESTWARDS TO THE JUNCTION WITH MORRISON STREET.
THE SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED THAT THE BAN ON PRIVATE CARS WOULD BE NECESSARY BECAUSE A SURVEY HAD SHOWN THAT THEY CONSTITUTED NEARLY A QUARTER OF ALL VEHICLES ON THE EASTBOUND CARRIAGEWAY WHICH WAS THE ONE MOST SUBJECT TO CONGESTION.
/+A MAJOR CAUSE