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THE MORE THESE VIEWS AND MANY OTHER DISPUTATIOUS ISSUES ARE AIRED IN PUBLIC, THE BETTER, MR. BREMRIDGE POINTED OUT.
BUT HE EMPHASISED THAT STAFFING, TEACHING AND RESEARCH ARE THE DIRECT RESPONSIBILITY OF THE UNIVERSITIES AND OF THE POLYTECHNIC NOT OF UPGC NOR OF THE GOVERNMENT.
+WE MUST ALSO NEVER FORGET THAT LEARNING AS AN END IN ITSELF SHOULD NOT BE OVER-SUBJECTED TO COMMERCIAL OR POLITICAL EVALUATION= THOUGH COST IS INEVITABLY A MAJOR CRITERION, BECAUSE EDUCATION MUST TAKE ITS PLACE AMONGST OTHER COMMUNITY PRIORITIES, AND BECAUSE MOST OF THE MONEY INEVITABLY COMES FROM THE TAXPAYER, HE SAID.
FACTORS CONSIDERED IN CROSS-HARBOUR
TUNNEL TOLL CHARGE
X X X
THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, THE HON. DEREK JONES SAID TODAY REGARD MUST ALSO BE GIVEN TO OTHER VERY IMPORTANT TRANSPORT REQUIREMENTS IN CONSIDERING THE TOLLS CHARGED FOR THE USE OF THE CROSS-HARBOUR TUNNEL, APART FROM THE COMPANY'S FINANCIAL POSITION.
IN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON. WONG LAM IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR. JONES SAID THERE IS A LIMIT TO THE DEMANDS THAT CAN BE PLACED ON THE TUNNEL AND IF TOLLS WERE LOWERED NOW, THIS WOULD ONLY RESULT IN YET MORE VEHICLES SEEKING TO USE IT.
+THIS WOULD NOT ONLY BRING ABOUT CONGESTION AND QUEUES, BUT WOULD CAUSE AN UNDESIRABLE DIVERSION OF DEMAND FROM THE VEHÍCULAR FERRIES WHICH ARE, ONCE AGAIN, BEGINNING TO EXPERIENCE A GROWTH IN USAGE,+ SAID MR. JONES.
HE NOTED THAT THE DESIGN CAPACITY OF THE TUNNEL IS ABOUT 70,000 VEHICLES A DAY, THE AVERAGE DAILY USAGE WAS INCREASED FROM 20,000 VEHICLES A DAY WHEN IT OPENED IN AUGUST 1972, TO 42,000 IN 1975, 50,000 LAST YEAR AND 56,000 IN THE FIRST FOUR MONTHS THIS YEAR.
DURING THE CHINESE NEW YEAR THIS YEAR, DEMAND REACHED A PEAK LEVEL OF 71,000 VEHICLES A DAY AND THE TUNNEL AND ITS APPROACH ROADS, PARTICULARLY ON THE HONG KONG SIDE, DEMONSTRABLY NEARED SATURATION.
MR. JONES SAID THAT AT PRESENT, THERE IS A HIGH AND GROWING DEMAND FROM MOTORISTS AND OTHER TRAFFIC TO USE THE TUNNEL.
MR. JONES ALSO POINTED OUT THAT 12-1/2 PER CENT OF THE COMPANY'S PROF ITS IS PAID TO THE GOVERNMENT AS ROYALTY AND 17-1/2 PER CENT IN CORPORATION PROFITS TAX. OF THE REMAINDER, ABOUT 25 PER CENT ACCRUES TO THE GOVERNMENT AS A SHAREHOLDER.
+SO THE TAXPAYERS AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE ARE CONSIDERABLE BENEFICIARIES FROM THE SUCCESS OF THIS ENTERPRISE, SAID MR. JONES.
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