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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1982
+DISCUSSIONS ARE IN PROGRESS WITH GUANGDONG AUTHORITIES ON HOW NEW FACILITIES ON EACH SIDE CAN BEST BE MATCHED. TO MAKE THE NEW RAILWAY MORE RESPONSIVE TO COMMERCIAL DEMANDS, WORK IS
IN HAND TO ESTABLISH A KCR CORPORATION+ HE SAID.
THE MTR ISLAND LINE NOW BEING BUILT AND PROJECTED TO OPEN IN 1985 AND TO BE IN FULL OPERATION THE NEXT YEAR WILL RELIEVE THE SERIOUS CONGESTION ALONG THE KING'S ROAD CORRIDOR, HE SAID.
+FEASIBILITY STUDIES ARE BEING UNDERTAKEN IN RESPECT OF THE EXTENSION OF THE MODIFIED INITIAL SYSTEM TO JUNK BAY AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE EAST KOWLOON LINE, HE ADDED.
SIR EDWARD SAID A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE OPERATIONS OF THE TWO MAJOR BUS COMPANIES HAD JUST BEEN CONCLUDED AND AS A RESULT A FIVE-YEAR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME WOULD BE AGREED WITH THE COMPANIES, AND REVIEWED ANNUALLY.
+THE COST OF IMPLEMENTING SUCH PROGRAMMES WILL BE REALISTICALLY ASSESSED, WHICH WILL ENABLE A PROPER BALANCE TO BE FOUND BETWEEN A STEADY IMPROVEMENT IN SERVICE, AND ACCEPTABLE FARE LEVELS,+ HE SAID.
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SIR EDWARD POINTED OUT THAT THE CAPACITY OF THE MAJOR BUS COMPANIES HAS CONTINUED TO EXPAND IN THE LAST THREE YEARS THE IR COMBINED FLEET OF DOUBLE DECKER BUSES HAS RISEN FROM 2 600 TO 3 300 AND THE IR COMBINED CARRYING CAPACITY FROM 260 000 PASSENGERS TO 360 000.
ON THE USE OF THE ROAD SYSTEM, SIR EDWARD SAID PUBLIC TRANSPORT PRIORITY SCHEMES AND TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT IN VARIOUS FORMS WERE HELPING TO FACILITATE THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC ON THE VERY CROWDED ROADS.
EARLIER THIS YEAR, THE GOVERNMENT CONCLUDED THAT INCREASINGLY SERIOUS CONGESTION HAD TO BE TACKLED BY FISCAL MEASURES TO RESTRAIN THE RATE OF GROWTH OF PRIVATE VEHICLE NUMBERS, HE SAID.
*THE NEW POLICY PROVIDES FOR A GROWTH RATE OF NOT MORE THAN FIVE PER CENT PER ANNUM, A TARGET EXPECTED TO BE ACHIEVED THIS YEAR, FOR 1982-83, THIS MEANS NOT MORE THAN 1 000 NEW PRIVATE VEHICLE REGISTRATIONS EVERY MONTH, BUT IT IS UNCERTAIN WHETHER THIS TARGET WILL BE MAINTAINED IN LATER YEARS, HE SAID.
SIR EDWARD ADDED: THE GOVERNMENT HAS THUS FACED THE REALITY THAT UNRESTRICTED GROWTH IS INTOLERABLE, ECONOMICALLY AND SOCIALLY.
I HAVE JUST REFERRED TO PUBLIC TRANSPORT PASSENGER TRIPS AS APPROACHING EIGHT MILLION EVERY DAY. THIS IS 12 TIMES THE NUMBER OF PASSENGER TRIPS MADE BY PRIVATE CARS WHICH COMPRISE TWO-THIRDS OF OUR TOTAL VEHICLES ON THE ROADS.+
HE ALSO SAID A CONSULTANCY STUDY WAS TO BE CARRIED OUT ON THE ECONOMICS OF THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY SO THAT THE GOVERNMENT MIGHT CONSIDER WHETHER RESTRICTIONS WERE ALSO JUSTIFIED ON GOODS VEHICLES.
+DECISIONS ON THIS DIFFICULT AND COMPLEX PROBLEM SHOULD BE REACHED BY THE END OF 1983, SIR EDWARD SAID.
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