WEDNESDAY.
+ THE SECOND MAKES PROVISION FOR APPEAL BY ANY PERSON WHOSE APPLICATION FOR A LICENCE IS NOT GRANTED BY THE COMMISSIONER, + HE SAID.
MR SCOTT ALSO REFERRED TO CONCERN EXPRESSED BY MISS DUNN ABOUT THE NUMBER OF GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS INVOLVED IN THE OPERATION OF FERRIES, AND GAVE ASSURANCE THAT THESE WERE KEPT TO THE MINIMUM.
REFERRING TO A POINT RAISED BY MR WU THAT THE HONG KONG AND YAUMATI FERRY COMPANY WOULD NOT HAVE A DIRECT INTEREST IN THE LEGISLATION UNTIL OR UNLESS IT APPLIED FOR AND RECEIVED A NEW FRANCHISE. MR SCOTT POINTED OUT THAT THE COMPANY WAS NOW IN THE FINAL STAGES OF DISCUSSION WITH THE GOVERNMENT OVER THE DETAILED PROVISIONS OF A NEW FRANCHISE, TO BE OPERATED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE LEGISLATION.
TRAFFIC IMPROVEMENT PLANS FOR CENTRAL
******
THE GOVERNMENT PLANS TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL ROADS, MAXIMISE THE USE OF NEW FACILITIES AND CONTROL THE IR USE IF DEMAND SEEMS LIKELY TO OVERRUN CAPACITY IN CENTRAL, THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, THE HON A.J. SCOTT, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
QUESTIONED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL BY THE HON HENRY HU ON GOVERNMENT PLANS TO IMPROVE TRAFFIC FLOW IN CENTRAL ON COMPLETION OF THE EASTERN CORRIDOR, MR SCOTT SAID PLANNING FOR THE NEW CENTRAL ROUTE WAS BASED ON THE 1976 COMPREHENSIVE TRANSPORT STUDY FORECAST THAT THE EXISTING ROAD SYSTEM COULD CATER FOR ONLY TWO-THIRDS OF THE TRAFFIC DEMAND BY 1991, EVEN IF MEASURES WERE TAKEN TO RESTRICT THE RATE OF GROWTH OF VEHICLE OWNERSHIP TO FIVE PER CENT PER ANNUM.
BUT THE GROWTH RATE HAS SUBSTANTIALLY EXCEEDED THAT LEVEL OVER THE FIVE YEARS SINCE THE STUDY WAS COMPLETED, MR SCOTT NOTED.
HE SAID THE CTS RECOMMENDED THAT AN ELEVATED ROAD BE CONSTRUCTED FROM HARCOURT ROAD TO HILL ROAD, ASSOCIATED WITH THE WIDENING AND IMPROVEMENT OF ROADS AT GROUND LEVEL.
THE PROPOSED ELEVATED ROAD WAS SHOWN ON THE CENTRAL DISTRICT OUTLINE ZONING PLAN, TO WHICH A NUMBER OF OBJECTIONS ON ENVIRONMENTAL GROUNDS WERE LODGED WITH THE TOWN PLANNING
BOARD.
+ IN THIS CONNECTION, AND WITH THE AIM OF FINDING A SOLUTION BOTH ENVIRONMENTALLY ACCEPTABLE AND ADEQUATE IN TRAFFIC CAPACITY TERMS TO SERVE THE FURTHER TRANSPORT NEEDS OF THE AREA, A SPECIAL STUDY OF TRAFFIC ON THE ISLAND'S NORTHERN SHORE IS TO BE CARRIED OUT.
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