TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1981
ACTION GROUP STUDIES ISLAND CORRIDOR
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A SPECIAL TRAFFIC ACTION GROUP - COMPRISING REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT, THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, THE ENVIRONMENT BRANCH AND THE POLICE -- IS STUDYING SUBSTANTIAL MODIFICATIONS TO THE ISLAND CORRIDOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT PRIORITY SCHEME TO FURTHER RELIEVE CONGESTION IN THE AREA.
A RECENT SURVEY COMPLETED BY THE TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORT SURVEY DIVISION OF THE PWD HAS SHOWN THAT THE EXISTING SCHEME IS NOT FUNCTION ING PROPERLY BETWEEN SHAU KEI WAN AND NORTH POINT. CONGESTION ALONG THIS STRETCH OF THE ROAD HAS HAD THE OVERALL EFFECT OF SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCING THE CAPACITY AND SPEED OF ALL MODES OF TRANSPORT OTHER THAN TRAMS.
HOWEVER, DESPITE A LARGER NUMBER OF TRAMS OPERATING FROM SHAU KEI WAN THE SURVEY SHOWS THAT THE INCREASED TRAM CAPACITY DURING PEAK HOURS HAS BEEN MORE THAN OFF-SET BY THE REDUCTION IN THE CAPACITY OF OTHER TRANSPORT MODES, THIS CALLS INTO QUESTION THE OVERALL EFFECTIVENESS OF PRESERVING THE TRAM RESERVE IN KING'S ROAD FROM TA ON STREET TO JAVA ROAD.
AS A FIRST STEP, THEREFORE, THE TRAM RESERVE ALONG THIS STRETCH OF ROAD -- EXCEPT FOR A SECTION AT WESTLANDS ROAD - WILL BE CANCELLED. THE CANCELLATION WILL ALLOW OTHER VEHICLES TO USE THE TRAM-ONLY LANE IN QUARRY BAY, IMPROVING TRAFFIC FLOK ALONG THE CORRIDOR.
WORK TO EFFECT THIS CHANGE WILL BEGIN ON WEDNESDAY (FEBRUARY 11) AND SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY SUNDAY (FEBRUARY 22).
A TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THE ENTIRE STRETCH OF THIS TRAM-ONLY LANE SHOULD BE COMPLETELY OPENED TO OTHER VEHICLES FROM MONDAY (FEBRUARY 23), ALTHOUGH SECTIONS OF IT CAN BE USED BY OTHER VEHICLES AS SOON AS THE DOUBLE WHITE LINES ARE REPLACED BY ORDINARY INTERMITTENT WHITE LANE MARKINGS. HE ADDED, HOWEVER, THAT DRIVERS SHOULD TAKE PARTICULAR CARE WHEN USING THE TRAM-TRACK AS SOME PEDESTRIANS MAY NOT BE AWARE OF THE CHANGES IN THE TRAFFIC ARRANGEMENTS.
+THE ADDITIONAL ROAD CAPACITY MADE AVAILABLE BY CANCELLING PART OF THE TRAM RESERVE WILL PROVIDE SOME RELIEF TO THE TRAFFIC CONGESTION IN QUARRY EAY, HE SAID.
BUT
+THIS SHOULD ALSO RELIEVE CONGESTION IN SHAU KEI WAN= THE NARROW ROADS IN THE AREA WILL MEAN THAT CONGESTION WILL REMAIN UNTIL FURTHER MEASURES ARE INTRODUCED, AND THAT IT WILL CONTINUE TO HAMPER THE EFFECTIVENESS OF BUS OPERATIONS. +
THE SPOKESMAN SAID FURTHER COMPREHENSIVE MODIFICATIONS TO THE SCHEME WERE BEING CONSIDERED TO ENSURE THE ULTIMATE SUCCESS OF THE GOVERNMENT'S PRIME OBJECTIVE OF ENHANCING PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN THE ISLAND CORRIDOR TO BENEFIT THE MAJORITY OF TRAVELLERS.
THIS INCLUDES, FOR EXAMPLE, THE FEASIBILITY OF EXTENDING THE WEST-BOUND BUS-ONLY LANE ALL THE WAY FROM CHAI WAN THROUGH SHAU KEI WAN TO CAUSEWAY BAY DURING A SHORTER MORNING PEAK PERIOD. BUT IT WAS LIKELY THAT SUCH A STEP COULD BE TAKEN ONLY IN CONJUNCTION WITH OTHER TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORT MANAGEMENT IN THE AREA.
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