FRIDAY, JUNE 8, 1979
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HONG KONG DELEGATION TO STUDY EUROPEAN
LIGHT RAIL SYSTEMS
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A HONG KONG DELEGATION WILL VISIT SIX EUROPEAN CITIES LATER THIS MONTH TO STUDY THE OPERATION OF LIGHT RAIL SYSTEMS -
THE ITINERARY OF THE ONE-WEEK VISIT, BEGINNING ON
JUNE 17 INCLUDES HANOVER AND FRANKFURT IN WEST GERMANY, BASEL AND ZURICH IN SWITZERLAND AND BRUSSELS IN BELGIUM,
LEADING MEMBERS OF THE DELEGATION WILL ALSO ATTEND THE ANNUAL CONGRESS OF THE INTERNATIONAL UNION OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT OPERATORS TO BE HELD A WEEK EARLIER IN HELSINKI, FINLAND.
THE CONGRESS WILL INCLUDE SESSIONS ON LIGHT RAIL SYSTEMS, MASS TRANSIT SYSTEMS, BUS SYSTEMS AND LONG TERM PROBLEMS OF THE PUBLIC TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.
THE RECENT GOVERNMENT WHITE PAPER ON INTERNAL TRANSPORT POLICY DISCLOSED THAT DETAILED STUDIES OF THE POSSIBLE IMPLEMENTATION OF A LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM ALONG THE NORTH SHORE OF HONG KONG ISLAND THE ISLAND CORRIDOR -- ARE WELL ADVANCED.
THE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM IS BEING DESIGNED TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN STAGES FROM THE EXISTING TRAMWAY.
THIS WILL RESULT IN AN INTERCHANGE WITH THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY AT ADMIRALTY AND CHATER-PEDDER STATIONS SO THAT ULTIMATELY, A TOTALLY UNDERGROUND SYSTEM CAN BE ACHIEVED,
THE PHASED IMPLEMENTATION OF SUCH A SYSTEM FORMS THE CENTRAL FEATURE OF THE TRANSPORT STRATEGY ADOPTED BY TRANSPORT AUTHORITIES IN A NUMBER OF EUROPEAN CITIES AND THE IMPLEMENTATION STUDIES OF THE HONG KONG LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM HAVE BENEFITTED FROM THEIR ADVICE AND EXPERIENCE.
THE HONG KONG DELEGATION'S VISIT TO WEST GERMANY, SWITZERLAND AND BELGIUM WILL FAMILIARISE SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WITH LIGHT RAIL SYSTEMS AND WILL INCLUDE AN ASSESSMENT OF THE EXTENT TO WHICH PRACTICES ADOPTED IN EUROPE CAN BE SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTED IN HONG KONG.
THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, MR. DEREK JONES WILL LEAD THE SEVEN-MAN DELEGATION WHICH WILL INCLUDE THE COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT, MR. A.T. ARMSTRONG-WRIGHT AND THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT'S MASS TRANSIT ADVISER, MR. A.H. WILKINS.
THE GROUP WILL ALSO BE ACCOMPANIED BY A REPRESENTATIVE OF MARTIN AND VOORHEES ASSOCIATES, THE BRITISH FIRM OF CONSULTANTS WHO ARE CONDUCTING IMPLEMENTATION STUDIES INTO A POSSIBLE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM FOR HONG KONG AND WHO ARE ORGANISING THE DELEGATION'S VISIT TO EUROPE.
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