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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1974.
CLOSURE OF DES VOEUX ROAD CENTRAL TO PRIVATE VEHICULAR TRAFFIC
TO FREE CENTRAL OF TRAFFIC CONGESTION
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THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, THE HON. JAMES ROBSON TODAY DESCRIBED THE PROPOSED CLOSURE OF DES VOEUX ROAD CENTRAL TO PRIVATE VEHICULAR TRAFFIC AS THE ONLY PRACTICAL SOLUTION+ TO AVOID CONGESTION IN CENTRAL DISTRICT.
DES VOEUX ROAD CENTRAL, HE SAID, WAS A VITAL ARTERY IN THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT AND WAS ALREADY CLOGGED WITH TOO MANY VEHICLES. THE RESULT WAS UNACCEPTABLE CONGESTION WHICH +SLOWS EVERYONE DOWN AND ENCOURAGES ACCIDENTS.+
+ THE ONLY PRACTICAL SOLUTION IS TO REDUCE THE VOLUME OF VEHICLES BY PRECLUDING, AT CONGESTION-PRONE TIMES, THE LEAST IMPORTANT TRAFFIC AND PARTICULARLY THE PRIVATE CAR, THEREBY FREEING FROM CONGESTION PUBLIC TRANSPORT ON WHICH 90 PER CENT OF OUR POPULATION HAS TO RELY.+
MR. ROBSON WAS REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON. T.S. LO IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
HE SAID THE NEED FOR THE TRAFFIC SCHEME, WHICH WOULD BE ENFORCED IN THREE PHASES FROM JANUARY 5 NEXT YEAR, WAS, PERHAPS, ALREADY APPARENT BUT IT WOULD BE ESSENTIAL ONCE WORK STARTED ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY.
BY INTRODUCING THE SCHEME NOW AND MONITORING ITS EFFECTIVE- NESS, HE CONTINUED, IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO MAKE ANY NECESSARY MINOR ADJUSTMENTS IN TIME TO ENSURE THAT ONCE THE CAPACITY OF THE ROAD WAS REDUCED DURING THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION PERIOD, THE ESSENTIAL TRAFFIC WHICH MUST USE DES VOEUX ROAD CENTRAL COULD DO SO.
MR. ROBSON POINTED OUT THAT THE CLOSURE OF DES VOEUX ROAD CENTRAL TO PRIVATE CARS BETWEEN 7 A.M. AND 7 P.M. ON WEEKDAYS SHOULD NOT CAUSE UNDUE HARDSHIP TO THE MOTORISTS AS THERE WERE ALTERNATIVE ROUTES IN CONNAUGHT ROAD AND QUEEN'S ROAD.
HE NOTED THAT VARIOUS MEASURES WERE TAKEN EARLIER THIS YEAR TO RE-ARRANGE STOPPING PLACES AND ROUTES FOR PUBLIC LIGHT BUSES AND BUSES IN CENTRAL DISTRICT. THESE MEASURES HAVE MADE A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO RELIEVING TRAFFIC CONGESTION IN THIS AREA.+
THE SCHEME PROPOSED FOR DES VOEUX ROAD CENTRAL REPRESENTED +A FURTHER RATIONALISATION OF TRAFFIC IN THIS EXTREMELY CONGESTION-PRONE AREA, HE ADDED.
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