WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1, 1979
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THE GOVERNMENT WOULD ONLY USE THE POWERS WHEN THE SITUATION BECAME A CRISIS, WHICH WOULD BE TOO LATE FOR THE PUBLIC.
HE ASKED THE GOVERNMENT TO CONSIDER ACQUIRING AN EQUITY POSITION IN THE COMPANIES SO AS TO HAVE MORE SAY IN THEIR MANAGEMENT AND EXPANSION PLANS.
ROAD SAFETY
ON ROAD SAFETY, MR. CHEONG-LEEN REGRETTED THAT THE $350,000 ALLOCATED FOR THE PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN THIS YEAR, COMPARED WITH $1 MILLION FOR THE +KEEP HONG KONG CLEAN+ CAMPAIGN, WOULD POSSIBLY BE CUT BY 10 PER CENT.
HE SAID THE FUNDS OUGHT TO BE INCREASED INSTEAD, IN VIEW OF THE MANY CASUALTIES CAUSED BY ROAD ACCIDENTS.
HE SUGGESTED THAT THE ROADWORTHINESS OF EACH BUS SHOULD BE CHECKED EVERY THREE WEEKS AND THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD REQUIRE ALL GOODS VEHICLES, PLB'S AND TAXIS TO SUBMIT TO REGULAR CHECKS BY PRIVATE GARAGES, IN ADDITION TO GOVERNMENT SPOT-CHECKS AND ANNUAL EXAMINATIONS.
PARKING POLICY
MR. CHEONG-LEEN SAID THE GOVERNMENT'S PARKING POLICY THROUGHOUT THE YEARS HAS BEEN SHORT-SIGHTED, UNCOORDINATED, AND CONFUSING TO THE PUBLIC.+ HE GAVE THE EXAMPLE OF CONGESTION ÎN KWUN TONG AND TSUEN WAN WHERE THE LACK OF FACILITIES FOR GOODS VEHICLES WAS CAUSED BY THE PLANNERS' LACK OF FORESIGHT.
HE THOUGHT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD BUILD MORE OFF-STREET MULTI-STOREY CAR PARKS IN STRATEGIC LOCATIONS FOR BOTH CARS AND GOODS VEHICLES.
TRANSPORT FOR THE DISABLED
FIVE OTHER UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS GAVE THEIR COMMENTS ON THE WHITE PAPER FOLLOWING MR. CHEONG-LEEN.
DR. THE HON. HARRY FANG FELT THAT THE PROBLEM OF TRANSPORT FACILITIES FOR THE DISABLED, WHICH WERE NECESSARY FOR THEIR INTEGRATION INTO THE COMMUNITY, WAS ONLY DEALT WITH SUPERFICIALLY.
+ IN HONG KONG WHERE TRAVEL BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT, EVEN FOR THOSE IN ROBUST HEALTH, IS AN EXHAUSTING AND NERVE-WRECKING EXPERIENCE DISABLED PERSONS, IN PARTICULAR WHEELCHAIR USERS, ARE BEING GIVEN NO OPTION TO USE PUBLIC TRANSPORT, HE SAID, CITING THE MTR AS AN EXAMPLE.
HE SAID