WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 1986
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SPECIAL MEASURES TO EASE LO WU TRAFFIC
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THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT ADOPTS SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS AT THE LO WU BORDER CROSSING DURING PEAK TIMES AND FESTIVAL PERIODS TO REDUCE THE WAITING TIME, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, THE HON MICHAEL THOMAS, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON HILTON CHEONG-LEEN,
MR THOMAS SAID THE DEPARTMENT DEPLOYED STAFF FROM OTHER DUTIES TO LO WU TO MAN 14 TEMPORARY CLEARANCE COUNTERS IN ADDITION TO THE 35 REGULAR COUNTERS.
SECONDLY, HE SAID, RE-ENTRY PERMIT HOLDERS WHO DID NOT HAVE TO COMPLETE ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE CARDS AND THEREFORE REQUIRED LESS PROCESSING TIME THAN PASSENGERS TRAVELLING ON OTHER DOCUMENTS WERE SEGREGATED AND DIRECTED TO SPECIAL COUNTERS FOR CLEARANCES,
+THIRDLY, THE CONTROL POINT OPERATES FROM 3 AM TO 10.30 PM DURING THE BUSIEST PERIODS, AND FOURTHLY, AN ADDITIONAL FOURTH THROUGH TRAIN DAILY FROM KOWLOON TO CANTON AND EXTRA EXPRESS TRAINS TO LO WU ARE RUN. PASSENGERS TRAVELLING ON ALL THESE TRAINS ARE PROCESSED AT KOWLOON STATION, THUS HELPING TO RELIEVE THE CONGESTION AT LO WU.+
MR THOMAS SAID ALL THOSE MEASURES WERE ADOPTED IN THE LAST FESTIVAL PERIOD FROM DECEMBER 21 TO JANUARY 2 AND THEY PROVED TO BE REASONABLY EFFECTIVE.
+A SURVEY OF THE PASSENGER WAITING TIME DURING THAT PERIOD SHOWED THAT FOR THE 90 PER CENT OF THE TIME PASSENGERS HAD TO WAIT FOR LESS THAN 30 MINUTES EVEN THOUGH THERE WERE 23 PER CENT MORE PASSENGERS THAN AT THE SAME TIME LAST YEAR, HE SAID.
MR THOMAS SAID THE LONG WAITING TIMES AT LO WU WERE DUE TO A SHORTAGE OF SPACE AND A STEEP INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS.
+THERE CAN BE NO DRAMATIC IMPROVEMENT UNTIL THE NEW TERMINAL AT LO WU HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND PROPERLY STAFFED, HE SAID.
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