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FRIDAY, APRIL 2, 1982
NEW ROADS TO LINK SHA TIN WITH NEW TOWNS
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NEW ROAD PROJECTS LINKING SHA TIN WITH TSUEN WAN, TAI PO AND SAI KUNG ARE EITHER ALREADY IN HAND OR LIKELY to START WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR, THE SHA TIN DISTRICT OFFICER, DR PATRICK HASE, SAID TODAY.
SPEAKING AT THE INAUGURATION CEREMONY OF THE 23RD TERM OF SHA TIN RURAL COMMITTEE, HE SAID FINE NEW ROADS TO THESE THREE DESTINATIONS WOULD BE OPEN BY 1984-86 AND SHOULD COPE WITH ALL ANTICIPATED TRAFFIC IN THESE DIRECTIONS FOR THE NEXT 15 YEARS.
AMONG THE PEOPLE ATTENDING THE CEREMONY WERE THE RE-ELECTED CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE, MR WAI HON-LEUNG, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE NEW TERRITORIES HEUNG YEE KUK,
MR LAU WONG-FAT, AND LEADERS FROM LOCAL AND OTHER DISTRICTS.
SPEAKING OF THE REGARDING LINK TO CENTRAL KOWLOON, DR HASE SAID THE PRESENT PLANNING PROVIDED ONLY THE EXISTING ROAD AND RAIL TUNNELS UNDER THE LION ROCK. THESE TUNNELS MUST COPE WITH ALL THE TRAFFIC TO CENTRAL KOWLOON GENERATED BY A TOTAL POPULATION OF 1.6 MILLION FROM SHA TIN, INCLUDING MA ON SHAN, AND TAI PO AND FANLING.
+AT THE MOMENT, HE SAID, THE NEED FOR FURTHER SITES FOR THE HOUSING PROGRAMME BEYOND 1987 IS LEADING TO THE CONSIDERATION OF FURTHER SITES IN THE EASTERN NEW TERRITORIES WHICH, IF AGREED, WOULD PUSH THE TOTAL POPULATION DEPENDENT ON THE LION ROCK CORRIDOR TUNNELS TO ALMOST TWO MILLION.
+THERE IS VERY CONSIDERABLE DOUBT THAT THE LION ROCK CORRIDOR TUNNELS AS PLANNED CAN COPE WITH THE LIKELY TRAFFIC GENERATED BY SO HUGE A POPULATION. THE DISTRICT OFFICE HAS BEEN PRESSING FOR SOME TIME FOR AGREEMENT TO CONSTRUCT A SECOND RAIL LINE TO RUN BETWEEN MA ON SHAN AND TSIM SHA TSUI AND, HOPEFULLY, CENTRAL.
+ IF SUCH AN ADDITIONAL RAIL LINK IS BUILT, 84 PER CENT OF THE RESIDENTS IN SHA TIN WILL LIVE WITHIN ONE-THIRD OF A MILE FROM A RAILWAY STATION, AND 90 PER CENT OF INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS WILL BE EQUALLY CLOSED.+
+WITH SUCH A SECOND RAIL LINE SHA TIN WILL HAVE AN ADEQUATE PUBLIC TRANSPORT NET, BUT, NONETHELESS, TWO MAJOR PROBLEMS REMAIN.+
THE FIRST WAS THAT EVEN IF A DECISION WERE TAKEN THIS YEAR ON THE SECOND RAIL LINE, ITS CONSTRUCTION COULD NOT BE COMPLETE BEFORE 1986 WHEN THE EASTERN NEW TERRITORIES POPULATION WOULD ALREADY HAVE DOUBLED TO MORE THAN A MILLION.
THE SECOND, DR HASE SAID, WAS THAT NOT ALL TRAFFIC COULD GO BY RAIL SOME WOULD NEED TO GO BY ROAD AND WATERLOO ROAD WAS ALREADY CLOSE TO SATURATION POINT.
+NONETHELESS, THE PROBLEMS ARE RECOGNISED AND WORK TO ALLEVIATE THEM IS IN HAND.+
/HE WENT