WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 1977
NEED FOR MTR TSUEN WAN EXTENSION FIRMLY
ESTABLISHED ****
THE NEED FOR A MASS TRANS IT RAILWAY EXTENSION TO TSUEN WAN HAS BEEN FIRMLY ESTABLISHED BY TRANSPORT STUDIES UNDERTAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, THE HON. PHILIP HADDON-CAVE TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THIS AFTERNOON WHEN MOVING A MOTION TO WELCOME THE DECISION ON THE EXTENSION.
IT SHOULD HELP TO MEET THE GROWING TRANSPORT NEEDS OF THE LARGE COMMUNITIES NOW TAKING SHAPE IN TSUEN WAN, KWAI CHUNG, TSING YI AND TUEN MUN, MR. HADDON-CAVE SAID.
+ THE REPORT ON THE COMPREHENSIVE TRANSPORT STUDY ESTIMATES THAT ABOUT 75 PER CENT OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT JOURNEYS ORIGINATING IN TSUEN WAN WILL HAVE DESTINATIONS IN THE AREAS SERVED BY THE COMBINED MODIFIED INITIAL SYSTEM/TSUEN WAN EXTENSION SYSTEM,
+SO THE OPERATION OF THE RAILWAY TO TSUEN WAN WILL UNDOUBTEDLY EASE THE LOT OF A GREAT NUMBER OF PEOPLE LIVING IN THESE AREAS AS THE IR USUAL TRAVELLING TIME FROM, FOR EXAMPLE, TSUEN WAN TO CENTRAL WILL, IN MANY INSTANCES, BE CUT BY AS MUCH AS 50 PER CENT, HE SAID.
HE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THE REPORT HAD CONCLUDED THAT THE EXTENSION WOULD GENERATE REVENUES SIGNIFICANTLY IN EXCESS OF ITS RELATIVE SHARE OF THE TOTAL COST OF THE SYSTEM.
HE EXPLAINED THAT THE GOVERNMENT AND THE MTR CORPORATION
HAD ELECTED TO PROCEED WITH THE EXTENSION NOW BECAUSE
*
THE PRESSURES ON THE WEST KOWLOON OR TSUEN WAN CORRIDOR WOULD BE MUCH MORE APPARENT BY THE END OF 1982
SO THAT AN UNDERGROUND RAILWAY TO BE BUILT IN TIME TO RELIEVE THE CONGESTION WOULD HAVE TO START WORK AS SOON AS POSSIBLE,
* IT SEEMS HIGHLY LIKELY THAT VERY COMPETITIVE BIDS WILL BE
RECEIVED FROM CONTRACTORS ALREADY EMPLOYED ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE MODIFIED INITIAL SYSTEM SINCE THE NECESSARY HEAVY EQUIPMENT IS ALREADY HERE,
*
THE CORPORATION WOULD BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO UTILIZE THE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE OF THE 700 OR SO TECHNICAL AND ENGINEERING STAFF WHICH IT HAS BUILT UP TO SUPERVISE THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE INITIAL SYSTEM,
* TO DELAY EXTENDING THE INITIAL SYSTEM WHEN THE CORPORATION
HAS THE OVERALL CAPACITY TO DO SO WOULD ONLY MEAN INFLATION WOULD SWELL THE TOTAL COST OF THE RAILWAY, AND
* THE CORPORATION BELIEVES THAT IT IS NOW A FAVOURABLE TIME
TO NEGOTIATE LOANS TO FINANCE THE COST OF THE EXTENSION.
/ THE FINANCIAL