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WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, 1978
IMPROVEMENTS BEING MADE TO ARRIVAL ARRANGEMENTS AT AIRPORT ******
THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT SATISFIED WITH THE EXISTING PASSENGER ARRIVAL ARRANGEMENTS AT KAI TAK AIRPORT BUT THESE ARE BEING IMPROVED UNDER THE RE-DEVELOPMENT OF THE TERMINAL BUILDING WHICH WILL BE COMPLETED IN 1981.
THIS WAS STATED BY THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC SERVICES, THE HON. DAVID T.K. WONG IN A REPLY TO THE HON, PETER C. WONG IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
MR. WONG SAID THE EXISTING ARRANGEMENTS AT THE BUFFER ARRIVAL HALL WERE ONLY TRANSITIONAL.
+THEY FORM ONLY ONE PHASE OF A $300 MILLION PROGRAMME TO RE- DEVELOPE AND EXPAND THE AIRPORT TERMINAL BUILDING, HE SAID.
MR. WONG SAID THIS PROGRAMME INVOLVED TEARING DOWN AND RE- BUILDING MUCH OF THE INTERNAL PART OF THE TERMINAL BUILDING WHILST MAINTAINING AT THE SAME TIME ITS FULL OPERATIONAL CAPABILITY.
+THIS IS NO EASY TASK WHEN THE FLOW OF IN-COMING AND OUT- GOING PASSENGERS EXCEEDS 4,000 PERSONS PER HOUR AT THE PEAK, UNDER SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES CONDITIONS MUST OF NECESSITY BE LESS THAN IDEAL,+ HE ADDED.
IMPROVEMENTS, HOWEVER, WERE BEING MADE TO THE BUFFER HALL AS AND WHEN DEFICIENCIES CAME TO LIGHT AND WHEN PROGRESS IN CONSTRUCTION PERMITTED, MR. WONG SAID.
+FOR EXAMPLE, DURING THE LAST TWO MONTHS DEFICIENCIES IN THE SYSTEM OF DIRECTIONAL SIGNS IN THE HALL BECAME APPARENT.
+AS A CONSEQUENCE, TEMPORARY SIGNS HAVE BEEN PUT UP AND PERMANENT SIGNS ARE BEING REDESIGNED, RELOCATED AND INCREASED IN NUMBER.+
MR. WONG STATED THAT SINCE MONDAY, THE COMPLETION OF ANOTHER PHASE OF THE CONSTRUCTION WORK PERMITTED THE OPENING OF A THIRD EXIT FROM THE BUFFER HALL.
THE ADDITIONAL EXIT LEADS TO THE SEPARATE PARKING AREA SET ASIDE FOR BUSES CATERING FOR TOUR GROUPS.
+HITHERTO, TOUR GROUPS HAD TO SHARE THE KERB SPACE ALLOCATED TO HOTEL TRANSPORT, THUS LEADING TO A DEGREE OF CONGESTION. SINCE TOUR GROUPS ACCOUNT FOR 41 PER CENT OF ARRIVING TOURISTS, THIS HAS GREATLY EASED THE CONGESTION AT THE KERB-SIDES,+ MR. WONG NOTED.
HE ADDED THAT OTHER IMPROVEMENTS WOULD PROGRESSIVELY BE MADE UNTIL THE ENTIRE RE-DEVELOPMENT OF THE TERMINAL BUILDING IS COMPLETED BY THE END OF 1981.
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