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THIS MEANT CLOSING THE TUBE BETWEEN 10 PM AND 6 AM FOR OVER THREE WEEKS, ALTHOUGH THE WORK HAD BEEN SUSPENDED AT WEEKENDS, PUBLIC HOLIDAYS AND RACE DAYS, HE SAID.
MR MACPHERSON NOTED THAT THE NEED TO CLOSE THE TUBE AT 10 PM HAD BEEN CAUSED BY THE SPECIAL MATERIALS USED BY CONTRACTOR WHICH REQUIRED TIME TO SET AND HARDEN IN TIME FOR THE 6 AM RE-OPENING.
HE SAID HE THEREFORE COULD NOT GUARANTEE THAT THERE WOULD NOT BE OCCASIONS WHEN ONE TUBE OR ONE LANE HAVE TO BE CLOSED BEFORE TRAFFIC CONDITIONS WOULD NORMALLY ALLOW. NEVERTHELESS HE ASSURED THAT THOSE WOULD BE KEPT TO THE ABSOLUTE MINIMUM.
RAMPED ACCESS FOR DISABLED NECESSARY
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IT IS GOVERNMENT'S POLICY TO PROVIDE RAMPED ACCESS WHEREVER THERE ARE FOOTBRIDGES OR SUBWAYS, UNLESS THERE WERE OVERRIDING REASONS FOR NOT DOING SO, THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, THE HON NEIL HENDERSON, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
IN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON POON CHI-FAI, MR HENDERSON SAID TRANSPORT SERVICES FOR THE DIABLED WAS COMPLEMENTARY TO RAMPED FOOTBRIDGES AND SUBWAYS, RATHER THAN A SUBSTITUTE.
AS IN MANY OTHER CITIES, MR HENDERSON SAID, THE RATIONALE FOR CONSTRUCTING RAMPS FOR ALL FOOTBRIDGES AND SUBWAYS PROVIDED FOR THE PRINCIPLE OF EQUAL ACCESSIBILITY FOR ALL SECTORS OF THE POPULATION.
+ THE GOVERNMENT IN GENERAL SUPPORTS THE CURRENT EFFORTS BEING MADE TO RENDER HONG KONG MORE ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE, HE SAID.
MR HENDERSON SAID A FOOTBRIDGE WITH RAMPS WAS ABOUT 130 PER CENT MORE COSTLY THAN A FOOTBRIDGE WITH STAIRCASES, AND A RAMPED SUBWAY ABOUT 40 PER CENT MORE COSTLY THAN A SUBWAY WITH STAIRCASES.
THE AVERAGE LAND USE RATIO FOR A FOOTBRIDGE WITH RAMPS WAS ABOUT 310 PER CENT HIGHER THAN A FOOTBRIDGE WITH STAIRCASES WHILE THAT FOR A RAMPED SUBWAY WAS ABOUT 260 PER CENT HIGHER THAN A SUBWAY WITH STAIRCASES, HE ADDED.
MR HENDERSON ADDED THAT THERE WAS NO AVAILABLE DATA ON THE USAGE RATE OF THE TWO PEDESTRIAN FOOTBRIDGE SYSTEMS ACROSS MODY ROAD AND SALISBURY ROAD IN TSIM SHA TSUI EAST BY THE PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED.
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