WEDNESDAY, JU 27, 377
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+ THE PRESENT SYSTEM OF ADVANCE PAYMENTS DEVISED TO MITIGATE ANY HARDSHIP CAUSED BY BUSINESS LOSSES ARISING FROM STREET CLOSURES WILL ALSO APPLY, HE SAID..
+ IN THOSE CASES WHERE STATUTORY CLAIMS FOR BUSINESS LOSSES SUSTAINED CANNOT BE ENTERTAINED BECAUSE OF LEGAL TECHNICALITIES, EX GRATIA COMPENSATION WILL BE CONSIDERED, HE ADDED.
+ IN OTHER WORDS, THE CORPORATION AND THE GOVERNMENT WILL DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO MINIMISE THE INEVITABLE INCONVENIENCE AND ANNOYANCE THAT WILL BE CAUSED TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC BY THE BUILDING OF THIS EXTENSION, HE ASSURED.
BUT UNOFFICIAL MEMBER, THE HON. S.L. CHEN, QUERIED SOME OF THE ASSUMPTIONS UNDERLYING THE MTR CORPORATION'S PROPOSALS TO EXTEND THE MODIFIED INITIAL SYSTEM.
THE FIRST ASSUMPTION ON WHICH MR. CHEN HAD RESERVATIONS WAS THE CORPORATION'S PREDICTION THAT THE INITIAL SYSTEM AND THE TSUEN WAN EXTENSION WILL CARRY 1.8 MILLION PASSENGERS A DAY BY 1986.
HE NOTED THAT THE TOTAL WORKFORCE AND NUMBER OF STUDENTS BY 1986 WOULD BE 2.76 MILLION, BASED ON 1976 FIGURES AND THE AVERAGE 2 PER CENT POPULATION GROWTH RATE.
ALL OF THEM WILL HAVE TO TRAVEL TO THE IR PLACE OF WORK OR STUDY BUT NOT ALL WOULD NECESSARILY REQUIRE THE SERVICE OF THE MTR ESPECIALLY THE MAJORITY OF THOSE WHO LIVE AND WORK ON HONG KONG ISLAND AND IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, HE SAID.
GENERALLY SPEAKING, HE SAID, NO ONE WOULD DESIRE TO TRAVEL A GREAT DISTANCE EVERY DAY TO WORK OR TO STUDY AND SOONER OR LATER ONE WOULD EITHER FIND A JOB CLOSE TO WHERE ONE LIVES OR FIND A HOME NEAR WHERE ONE WORKS, PARTICULARLY IN THE FACE OF RAPIDLY INCREASING TRANSPORTATION COSTS.
HE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW TOWNS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES WOULD EVENTUALLY ABSORB SOMETHING LIKE 2 MILLION OF THE TOTAL POPULATION OF 5.4 MILLION PROJECTED FOR 1986 AND MOST OF THEM WOULD BE EXPECTED TO LIVE AND WORK IN THESE TOWNS.
+FROM THESE OBSERVATIONS, I CANNOT HELP FEELING THAT THE CORPORATION'S PASSENGER PREDICTION IS RATHER OPTIMISTIC, HE
SAID.
THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBER ALSO QUESTIONED THE OPTIMISM OF THE CORPORATION, THAT THE DIFFERENTIAL BETWEEN MTR AND OTHER LAND TRANSPORT FARES WAS REASONABLE AND JUSTIFIABLE BECAUSE OF SAVINGS IN MTR TRAVEL TIME AND RELIABILITY.
HE POINTED OUT THAT THE AVERAGE FARE FOR PUBLIC BUS SERVICES IN 1975 IN THE URBAN AREA WAS ABOUT 30 CENTS WHILE THE FARE STRUCTURE FOR THE MODIFIED INITIAL SYSTEM/TSUEN WAN EXTENSION WOULD RANGE FROM $1 TO $2.50 AT 1975 PRICES,
/ -THESTE