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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1975
ADDITIONAL TRAM SERVICE PROPOSED
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THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE HAS ENDORSED A PROPOSAL TO BUILD A TRAM TURNING LOOP AT THOMPSON ROAD IN WAN CHAI FOR A PROPOSED ADDITIONAL TRAM SERVICE BETWEEN WAN CHAI AND SHAU KEI WAN DISTRICTS ON HONG KONG ISLAND.
THE PROPOSED NEW SERVICE IS TO PROVIDE IMPROVED TRAM FACILITIES FOR THE INCREASING NUMBER OF OFFICE WORKERS IN WAN CHAI AREA.
EARLY LAST YEAR, THE HONGKONG TRAMWAYS COMPANY OPERATED THE SERVICE ON AN EXPERIMENTAL BASIS, WITH THE WESTBOUND TRAMS TERMINATING AND REVERSING AT A CROSSOVER NEAR THOMPSON ROAD. THE TRIAL SERVICE PROVED POPULAR.
HOWEVER, THE METHOD FOF TRAMS REVERSING AT A CROSSOVER IS CONSIDERED TIME-CONSUMING AS THE CONDUCTOR HAS MANUALLY TO SHIFT THE TROLLEY BOOM FROM ONE OVERHEAD WIRE TO THE OTHER FOR GOING INTO THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.
IT WOULD ALSO RESULT IN THE TRAM TRAVELLING IN REVERSE DIRECTION TO THE ONE FOR WHICH IT WAS DESIGNED, AND WITH THE SEATED CONDUCTOR SYSTEM, THIS WOULD PRESENT DIFFICULTIES IN FARE COLLECTION, SEATING AND PASSENGER CIRCULATION.
WITH A VIEW TO INTRODUCING THE NEW SERVICE ON A PERMANENT BASIS, WITHOUT CAUSING DELAY TO OTHER TRAMS AND TRAFFIC IN GENERAL, THE COMPANY HAS APPLIED TO THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT FOR A TRAM TURNING LOOP TO BE BUILT IN THOMPSON ROAD AND LUARD ROAD TO SERVE AS A TERMINUS AT THE WAN CHAI END.
THE MATTER WAS BROUGHT UP FOR DISCUSSION BY THE
TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE. AT A RECENT MEETING, DURING WHICH IT WAS INDICATED THAT RESIDENTS AT THOMPSON ROAD IN GENERAL HAD NO STRONG FEELING AGAINST THE PROPOSALS, ALTHOUGH IT WOULD MEAN THE CANCELLATION OF SOME METERED PARKING SPACES IN THE AREA.
FOLLOWING THE COMMITTEE'S ENDORSEMENT, THE APPLICATION WILL NOW BE TREATED BY THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT AS ONE FOR STREET ALTERATION, AND RESIDENTS AND PROPERTY OWNERS WHO MAY BE AFFECTED BY THE PROPOSED SCHEME WILL BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO RAISE ANY OBJECTION THEY MAY HAVE.
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