WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 19:0
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TRANSPORT STUDY TO BE UPDATED IN FEW MONTHS
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WORK SHOULD START IN A FEW MONTHS TO UPDATE THE TEN-YEAR-OLD COMPREHENSIVE TRANSPORT STUDY WHICH FORMED THE BEDROCK OF THE TERRITORY'S TRANSPORT POLICY, THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, MR IAN MACPHERSON SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
THE TWO-YEAR EXERCISE WILL ENABLE THE GOVERNMENT TO ASSESS PRECISELY OPTIONS STEMMING FROM THE MORE GENERALISED LAND USE AND TRANSPORT OPTIMISATION STUDIES OF THE LANDS AND WORKS BRANCH, MR MACPHERSON TOLD A LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE PO LEUNG KUK DIRECTORS.
+ THE END PRODUCTS SHOULD INCLUDE ROAD AND RAIL DEVELOPMENT PLANS AND FURTHER STATEMENTS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES, HE SAID.
HOWEVER, MR MACPHERSON STRESSED THAT HONG KONG'S TRANSPORT POLICY ITSELF WAS GENERALLY SOUND AND NOT IN NEED OF RADICAL CHANGE.
HE POINTED OUT THAT THERE WERE THREE MAIN +PLANKS+ WHICH COULD BE CONTINUALLY SUPPORTED. THEY WERE THE EXTENSION AND IMPROVEMET T OF THE TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT OF THE AVAILABILITY AND EFFICIENCY OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT- AND BETTER USE OF THE ROAD SYSTE 4.
ADDRESSING THE QUESTION ON WHETHER THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE SHOULD BE BY THE PUBLIC ON PRIVATE SECTJK, MR MACPHERSON SAID IT WAS CLEAR THAT OVERALL PLANNING HAD TO BE FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO COORDINATE BUT HE WELCOMED PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENT IN COMMERCIALLY VIABLE PROJECTS.
THE OPERATION OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT SHOULD BE BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR OR BY PUBLIC CORPORATIONS WORKING ON COMMERCIAL LINES, HE SAID.
AND ON THE OPTIMUM USE OF ROADS, MR MACPHERSON REITERATEU THAT DUE TO PUBLIC OPINION, THE GOVERNMENT WOULD RECONSIDER THE ERP ONLY AFTER A PERIOD OF SUSTAINED GROWTH IN VEHICLE OWNERSHIP AND/OR INCREASED CONGESTION. IN THE MEANTIME, THE POLICY OF RESTRAINING CAR OWNERSHIP THROUGH FISCAL MEANS WOULD REMAIN IN FORCE.
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