TUESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1980
GREEN LIGHT FOR MTR ISLAND LINE ******
THE GOVERNMENT HAS GIVEN THE GO-AHEAD FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE ISLAND LINE OF THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY BETWEEN WESTERN MARKET AND CHAI WAN AS PART OF A COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY TO MEET THE CURRENT AND GROWING DEMAND FOR PUBLIC PASSENGER TRANSPORT IN THE ISLAND CORRIDOR, SUBJECT TO THE NECESSARY FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS BEING SATISFACTORILY RESOLVED.
ANNOUNCING THE DECISION TODAY, A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THE INTENTION WAS TO COMPLETE THE SECTION FROM ADMIRALTY STATION TO CHAI WAN BY MID-1985 AND FROM WESTERN MARKET TO ADMIRALTY BY THE END OF 1986. +A FURTHER WESTWARD EXTENSION TO KENNEDY TOWN WOULD BE CONSTRUCTED AS AND WHEN DEMAND REQUIRED AND FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS PERMITTED, HE SAID.
THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE WAS CONSULTED ABOUT THE PROPOSED STRATEGY AND HAS AGREED THAT THE ISLAND LINE WOULD CERTAINLY BE REQUIRED BY THE LATE 1980'S.
THERE WILL BE 13 STATIONS ON THE LINE (EXCLUDING THE KENNEDY TOWN EXTENSION) TO SERVE THE NEEDS OF PEOPLE LIVING AND WORKING ON THE NORTH SIDE OF HONG KONG ISLAND WITH PROVISION FOR AN ADDITIONAL STATION AT FINNIE.
THE UNDERGROUND SECTION OF THE RAILWAY WILL MOSTLY BE BUILT BY THE BORED TUNNEL METHOD WITH STATION CONCOURSES LOCATED IN ADJACENT DEVELOPMENT SITES.
SOME DISRUPTION AND NOISE WOULD BE INEVITABLE, THE SPOKESMAN SAID, BUT WITH THE BORED TUNNELLING TECHNIQUE PROPOSED FOR THE ISLAND LINE THE SCALE OF SUCH PROBLEMS WOULD BE CONSIDERABLY LESS THAN THOSE ENCOUNTERED ON EITHER THE MODIFIED INITIAL SYSTEM OR THE TSUEN WAN EXTENSION.
+MOST OF THE PROPOSED WORK SITES WOULD BE OFF-STREET. OF THE REMAINDER ONLY THREE WOULD BE ON MAIN ROADS AND A SMALL NUMBER WOULD BE ON SIDE STREETS, IN ONE OR TWO CASES THERE WILL BE COMPETING REQUIREMENTS OF PEDESTRIANS, TRAFFIC AND CONSTRUCTION VEHICLES, THE SPOKESMAN CONTINUED.
ONLY ABOUT 5 500 PEOPLE WOULD REQUIRE REHOUSING, OF WHOM ABOUT 2 400 ARE IN THE CHAI WAN TEMPORARY HOUSING AREA.
+REHOUSING OF THESE PEOPLE WILL BE CARRIED OUT BY THE GOVERNMENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH ESTABLISHED PROCEDURES,+ THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
EXPLAINING THE NEED FOR AN MTR ISLAND LINE, THE SPOKESMAN DREW ATTENTION TO THE DETERIORATING TRAFFIC CONDITIONS ALONG THE ISLAND CORRIDOR.
+SURFACE MODES OF TRANSPORT CANNOT BE SUFFICIENT. TRAMS, BUSES AND PUBLIC LIGHT BUSES WILL NOT BY THEMSELVES MEET ALL THE EXPECTED DEMAND FOR THE MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE EVEN IF THEIR SERVICES WERE EXPANDED. THE NEED TO INTRODUCE AN ADDITIONAL UNDERGROUND FACILITY IS VERY CLEAR, HE SAID.
WHEN THE