THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 1975
MR. MACPHERSON GITED SOME OBJECTIVE FINDINGS OF A RECENT HOUSEHOLD SURVEY ON THE TRANSPORT GREEN PAPER WHICH SHOWED THAT 50 PER CENT OF CAR OWNING HOUSEHOLDS EXPRESSED WILLINGNESS TO USE PUBLIC TRANSPORT PROVIDED IT WAS READILY AVAILABLE AND 33 PER CENT OF MOTORISTS EVEN WENT AS FAR AS TO SAY THEY CONSIDERED FURTHER RESTRAINTS ON PRIVATE CAR OWNERSHIP TO BE NECESSARY AND UNAVOIDABLE.
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THE SURVEY ALSO SHOWS THAT NON-CAR OWNING FAMILIES NEARLY 90 PER CENT OF THE POPULATION - WHO HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO TRAVEL BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT, TEND TO FAVOUR RESTRICTIONS OF PRIVATE CAR OWNERS!LIP IF THIS REDUCES CONGESTION AND ALLOWS PUBLIC TRANSPORT TO FLOW MORE FREELY, HE ADDED.
ON THE GROWTH PATTERN OF REGISTERED VEHICLES, THE COMMISSIONER SAID THAT OVER THE FIVE YEARS FROM 1969 TO 1973, IT WAS UP TO AND EVEN IN EXCESS OF THE PREDICTED 14 PER CENT ANNUM MENTIONED IN THE GREEN PAPER, AND THERE WAS NO REASON TO SUPPOSE THAT THIS GROWTH RATE WOULD NOT BE MAINTAINED.
HE SAID A COMPARISON BETWEEN THE PRESENT FIGURE OF 192,000 AND THOSE OF 1969 SHOWED AN OVERALL INCREASE IN VEHICLE NUMBERS OF 54 PER CENT, WITH PRIVATE CARS ALONE TODAY TOTALLING THE OVERALL NUMBER OF VEHICLES IN 1969.
DURING THE SAME PERIOD, HOWEVER, HAS ONLY INCREASED BY 9.9 PËR CENT SO MILE HAVE GONE UP FROM 211 TO 297, AN COMPARED WITH 1969, HE ADDED.
THE NUMBER OF ROAD MILES THAT VEHICLES PER ROAD INCREASE OF 85 PER CENT
ON THE TRANSPORT GREEN PAPER, MR. MACPHERSON SAID THE RE-URITE OF THIS AS A WHITE PAPER SETTING OUT GOVERNMENT POLICY ON TRANSPORT AND TRAFFIC MATTERS WAS SCHEDULED FOR COMPLETION TOWARDS THE END OF THIS YEAR, PENDING AN IMPORTANT GUIDE TO POLICY EMERGING FROM THE COMPREHENSIVE TRANSPORT STUDY WHICH WAS BEING CARRIED OUT BY CONSULTANTS.
NOTE TO EDITORS:
COPIES OF MR. MACPHERSON'S SPEECH, IN CHINESE AND ENGLISH, ARE AVAILABLE FOR COLLECTION FROM THE GIS PRESS ROOM, BEACONSFIELD HOUSE, 6TH FLOOR.
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