WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1935
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JI PENGFEI ATTENDS VICTORIA HOUSE LUNCH
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CHINA'S STATE COUNCILLOR AND DIRECTOR OF THE HONG KONG AND MACAU AFFAIRS OFFICE, MR JI PENGFEI, THIS (WEDNESDAY) AFTERNOON ATTENDED A LUNCH HOSTED BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID AKERS- JONES, AT HIS HOME IN VICTORIA HOUSE, BARKER ROAD.
ACCOMPANYING MR JI WERE THE DIRECTOR OF THE XINHUA NEWS AGENCY (HONG KONG BRANCH), MR XU JIATUN AND MADAM GU YIPING; THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE HONG KONG AND MACAU AFFAIRS OFFICE, MR LI HOU: DIRECTOR OF THE SECOND DEPARTMENT OF THE HONG KONG AND MACAU AFFAIRS OFFICE, MR RONG KANG; ACTING HEAD OF THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT OF THE XINHUA NEWS AGENCY (HONG KONG BRANCH), MR JI SHAOXIANG SECRETARY TO MR JI PENGFE, MR ZONG GUANGYAO; RESEARCHER OF THE FIRST DEPARTMENT OF THE HONG KONG AND MACAU AFFAIRS OFFICE, MR LU YUCHUN; INTERPRETER MR WU HONGBO; AND MR LI RUOHE OF THE XINHUA NEWS AGENCY (HONG KONG BRANCH).
OTHER GUESTS AT TODAY'S LUNCH INCLUDED LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLORS MRS RITA FAN, MRS ROSANNA TAM, AND MR LEE YU-TAI; URBAN COUNCILLORS MR LO KING-MAN AND MRS MARGARET LI PROVISIONAL REGIONAL COUNCIL MEMBER MRS MIRIAM LAU: MR JOSEPH CHENG AND LAU SIU-KAI OF THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY; MR LEE MING-KWAN OF THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC; MR STEPHEN NG OF THE UNIVERSITY GRADUATES ASSOCIATION
MR CHRISTOPHER LEONG OF THE HONG KONG OBSERVERS; MR MAN SAI-CHEONG OF THE HONG KONG AFFAIRS SOCIETY: MR LAU NAI-KEUNG OF MEETING POINT; DEPUTY SECRETARY (GENERAL DUTIES) MR JOHN CHAN; AND ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT, MISS ALICE TAI,
DECISION ON ELECTRONIC ROAD PRICING POSTPONED *****
THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, MR IAN MACPHERSON ANNOUNCED IN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY THAT THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL HAD DECIDED THAT A DECISION ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ELECTRONIC ROAD PRICING SHOULD BE POSTPONED.
HE SAID THAT THE ERP PILOT STUDY HAD ESTABLISHED THAT ROAD PRICING WAS TECHNICALLY FEASIBLE AS AN OPTION IN TACKLING TRAFFIC CONGESTION, BUT THERE WAS CONCERN AT THE MIXED PUBLIC REACTION TO THE PROPOSALS. HE NOTED THAT A MAJORITY OF THE DISTRICT BOARDS HAD BEEN IN FAVOUR OF A POSTPONEMENT. THE USE OF ERP MIGHT BE RECONSIDERED AFTER A PERIOD OF SUSTAINED GROWTH IN VEHICLE OWNERSHIP AND/OR IF TRAFFIC CONGESTION INCREASED, HE SAID,
/HOWEVER, T
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