WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 1977
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USE OF PRIVATE CARS MAY BECOME MORE RESTRICTIVE
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THE ACTING COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT, MR. PETER LEEDS, SAID TODAY THAT THE PRIVATE CAR WOULD REMAIN PART OF THE TRANPORT SYSTEM, AS IT WAS IN MANY CASES A NECESSARY MEANS OF TRANSPORT,
SPEAKING AT A LUNCHEON OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF HONG KONG EAST IN THE LEE GARDENS HOTEL, MR. LEEDS SAID THAT AT PRESENT PRIVATE CARS TOOK UP ABOUT 60 PER CENT OF THE ROAD SPACE AND THE PROJECTIONS FOR THE FUTURE WERE BASED ON THE PREMISE THAT THIS ALLOCATION WOULD REMAIN ABOUT THE SAME.
HE SAID THAT IN OUR CONGESTED CONDITIONS THIS WAS NOT A BAD SHARE, ALTHOUGH IT WOULD BE NECESSARY TO REGULATE THE USE OF THE ROADS MUCH MORE THAN HAD BEEN NECESSARY IN THE PAST.
+ IT IS A STRAIGHT FORWARD ECONOMIC QUESTION OF MAKING THE BEST USE OF A COMMODITY WHICH IS IN SHORT SUPPLY, HE SAID.
MR. LEEDS POINTED OUT THAT OVER THE PAST TEN YEARS THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES HAD INCREASED BY 93 PER CENT WHILE THE ROAD MILEAGE HAD GONE UP BY ABOUT 15 PER CENT.
HE SAID THAT WITHIN THE MAIN URBAN AREA THE OPPORTUNITY FOR INCREASING THE CAPACITY OF THE ROADS, EXCEPT WHERE RECLAMATION FROM THE SEA WAS POSSIBLE, WAS OBVIOUSLY LIMITED UNLESS THE COMMUNITY WAS PREPARED TO ACCEPT WHOLESALE DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY TO MAKE WAY FOR NEW ROADS, AND THIS SEEMED HIGHLY UNLIKELY NOR DESIRABLE.
IMPROVEMENTS WOULD OF COURSE BE MADE, AND HE SAID THAT THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT HAD AN IMPRESSIVE PROGRAMME BUT THE BASIC FACT REMAINED THAT WITHOUT RESTRAINT THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES WOULD CONTINUE TO INCREASE FASTER THAN THE ROAD CAPACITY.
MR. LEEDS SOUNDED A NOTE OF WARNING SAYING THAT WHILE PRIVATE MOTORING WOULD REMAIN IT WOULD BECOME MORE RESTRICTIVE AS TO WHERE AND WHEN VEHICLES MAY BE USED AND IT WAS LIKELY TO BECOME NORE EXPENSIVE.
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