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EDNE TAI, POVEMBER 19, 1980
HE REFUTED SOME OF THE CRITICISMS OF THE HON T.S. LO WHOSE SPEECH, HE SAID, FOR HIM AT LEAST, +HAD ABOUT IT A CURIOUSLY NOSTALGIC FLAVOUR OF DEJA VU, FOR VIRTUALLY ALL THE MATTERS HE RAISED HAVE BEEN THOUGHT ABOUT AND DEBATED LONG AND HARD OVER THE YEARS. BOTH WITHIN THE ADMINISTRATION AND IN THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE.+
MR JONES SAID MR LO HAD, IN MAKING GREAT PLAY WITH PERCENTAGES OF TOTAL CAPITAL EXPENDITURE DEVOTED TO ROADS AND RAILWAYS, NOT MENTIONED THAT ACTUAL EXPENDITURE ON THEM THROUGH THE PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME HAD, IN FACT, BEEN INCREASING SUBSTANTIALLY.
FURTHERMORE, MR LO DID NOT MAKE IT CLEAR THAT BY 'RAILWAYS' HE WAS REFERRING ONLY TO THE KCR AND OMITTED THE MTR +PERHAPS BECAUSE, TO DRAW ATTENTION TO MTR EXPENDITURE ON THIS PARTICULAR OCCASION WOULD RATHER SPOIL HIS ARGUMENT, MR JONES SAID.
MR JONES POINTED OUT THAT TOTAL EXPENDITURE ON ROADS AND RAILWAYS, INCLUDING THE MTR, WAS ABOUT $2 800 MILLION LAST YEAR AND WOULD BE ABOUT $2 600 MILLION THIS YEAR, NOT A BAD RECORD BY ANY STANDARDS+.
STILL ON THE ISSUE OF THE MTR, AND IN REPLY TO THE HON DAVID NEWBIGGING, MR JONES SAID A GREAT DEAL OF WORK WAS CURRENTLY EE ING DONE ON THE SHAPE OF THE FUTURE TRANSPORT SYSTEM MOST SUITABLE FOR THE HONG KONG ISLAND CORRIDOR, AND IT WAS HOPED THAT A DECISION WOULD BE REACHED IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE.
HE ADDED THAT, IN THE LONGER TERM, CONSIDERATION WAS BEING GIVEN TO POSSIBILITIES FOR FUTURE HARBOUR CROSSINGS, AND MR NEWBIGGING'S IDEA OF A RAIL LINK FROM EASTERN HONG KONG ISLAND TO THE EXISTING MTR AT KWUN TONG WAS NOT BEING LOST SIGHT OF.
ON OTHER TRANSPORT MATTERS, MR JONES SAID A CONSULTANCY WAS JUST ABOUT TO BE LET ON MEANS TO IMPROVE THE OPERATIONS OF THE CONTAINER TRADE GENERALLY, TO INCREASE THE THROUGHPUT AT THE CONTAINER PORT AND TO ALLEVIATE CONGESTION IN ITS ENVIRONS.
CONSIDERATION WOULD BE GIVEN TO DEVELOPMENTS SIMILAR TO THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE JUBILEE STREET PIER RECENTLY APPROVED, + WHERE PRACTICABLE, AND ANY ARRANGEMENTS MADE WOULD PROBABLY BE
INCLUDED IN FRANCHISES TO BE ISSUED UNDER THE NEW FERRIES SERVICES BILL UNDER PREPARATION.
HE SAID PROVIDING MORE CAR PARKING SPACES AS WOULD MEET DEMAND IN VERY CONGESTED AREAS WOULD ONLY WORSEN CONGESTION, AND WHAT SHOULD BE DONE WAS TO PROVIDE SUFFICIENT OFF-STREET SPACES TO MATCH THE CAPACITY OF THE ROADS. EXCESSIVE ILLEGAL PARKING ON THE STREETS WILL HAVE TO BE DEALT WITH BY MORE ENFORCEMENT ACTION, HE SAID.
HE AGREED WITH MR LO THAT A LARGE PART. IF NOT THE GREATER PART OF HONG KONG'S TRANSPORT PROBLEMS+ STEM FROM THE GROWING NUMBERS OF VEHICLES ON THE ROADE, PARTICULARLY PRIVATE CARS THERE WAS A NNCREASE OF 17 PER CENT OR SOME 27 000 CARS REGISTE ED OVER THE LAT 1. MONTHS AND MEASURES WOULD NEED TO BE TAKEN BEFORE LON
BROWTH.
CU- B T-
/AS TC