WEDNESDAY, MAY 5, 1988
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SEVERAL LARGE PROJECTS WOULD BE COMPLETED DURING THE NEXT FEW YEARS, INCLUDING THE ISLAND EASTERN CORRIDOR, THE SHA TIN/ TAI PO COASTAL ROAD, THE ADDITIONAL CARRIAGEWAY OF TUEN MUN ROAD, THE TUEN MUN BY-PASS, AND THE AIRPORT TUNNEL ROAD.
EVEN IF CONSIDERABLE ADDITIONAL FUNDS COULD BE INJECTED, THE PROGRAMME COULD NOT BE SPEEDED UP SIGNIFICANTLY, GIVEN NECESSARY LEAD TIMES, TECHNICAL RESOURCES AND OTHER DEMANDS ON THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, HE SAID.
A LONG LIST OF OTHER MAJOR AND MUCH NEEDED PROJECTS, INCLUDING A SECOND FIXED HARBOUR CROSSING, WAS IN THE PLANNING STAGE OR APPROACHING THAT POINT, BUT THE HIGH COST AND TECHNICAL COMPLEXITY MEANT THEY MUST BE LOOKED AT VERY CAREFULLY AGAINST OTHER FINANCIAL AND RESOURCE PRIORITIES.
MR SCOTT SAID THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADDING TO THE DENSE ROAD NETWORK IN THE URBAN AREA WERE OBVIOUSLY LIMITED. THE ROAD CAPACITY SIMPLY CANNOT BE INCREASED TO MEET UNRESTRAINED GROWTH IN VEHICLES.+
HE NOTED THAT EXPENDITURE ON ROAD BUILDING AT CURRENT PRICES HAD INCREASED AT THE RATE OF 24 PER CENT PER ANNUM DURING THE PAST DECADE. THIS DID NOT INCLUDE CONSIDERABLE SPENDING ON ROAD CONSTRUCTION IN THE NEW TOWNS.
+ IN SPITE OF THESE EFFORTS, THE LENGTH OF TRAFFICABLE ROADS INCREASED BY AN AVERAGE OF SOME TWO PER CENT PER ANNUM ONLY OVER THAT PERIOD.+
MR SCOTT SAID PUBLIC TRANSPORT JOURNEY SPEEDS HAD DROPPED IN RECENT YEARS AS A RESULT OF CONGESTION. IN RESPECT OF ONE OF THE TWO BUS COMPANIES, IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT TO KEEP UP THE 1979 LEVEL OF SERVICE TO 1981 REQUIRED 86 ADDITIONAL BUSES. IN THE CASE OF THE HONG KONG TRAMWAYS, THE SAME SIZE OF FLEET IN 1981 WAS ABLE TO COVER 38 PER CENT LESS MILEAGE THAN IN 1971.
+NOT ONLY IS THIS INEFFICIENT IN TERMS OF SERVICE, IT IS INEFFICIENT ECONOMICALLY, IT MEANS HIGHER FARES TO PAY FOR MAINTAINING THE SAME LEVEL OF SERVICE, OR WORSE, DECREASING LEVEL OF SERVICE, HE SAID.
AT PRESENT, THERE WERE 56 MAJOR INTERSECTIONS IN URBAN KOWLOON AND HONG KONG AT WHICH CONGESTION IS A REGULAR PEAK PERIOD FEATURE. THIS WAS PROJECTED TO RISE TO 132 IN FIVE YEARS IF THE CURRENT VEHICLE GROWTH RATE CONTINUED.
AND IN ONE WEEK IN THE MIDDLE OF MARCH, HE NOTED, THE NUMBER OF REPORTED CONGESTION IN URBAN HONG KONG AND KOWLOON AVERAGE 46 PER DAY.
WORSENING CONGESTION, HE SAID, COULD HAVE SERIOUS EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY, ON LAW AND ORDER, AND ON LIFE AND PROPERTY.
FOR EXAMPLE,
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