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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1986
HE NOTED THAT AN ANNUAL EXPENDITURE OF ABOUT $300 MILLION HAD BEEN INCURRED IN ROAD MAINTENANCE IN PAST YEARS.
+A COMPUTERISED INVENTORY OF ROADS, WHICH INCLUDES AN ASSESSMENT OF THE PRESENT PAVEMENT CONDITION, HAS NOW BEEN ESTABLISHED, WHICH PROVIDES A SOUND BASIS FOR MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT AND BUDGETING USING OBJECTIVE PRIORITY RATINGS.
+A STUDY HAS BEEN CARRIED OUT WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF A SPECIALIST FROM THE TRANSPORT AND ROAD RESEARCH LABORATORY OF THE U.K. TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECT OF HEAVY VEHICLES ON THE DURABILITY OF ROADS IN HONG KONG,+ HE SAID.
MR LAN NOTED THAT HONG KONG HAD MADE A SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENT IN THE EXPANSION OF ITS HIGHWAY NETWORK, ESPECIALLY WHEN CONSIDERED IN THE CONTEXT OF THE LIMITED RESOURCES AVAILABLE.
HE POINTED OUT THAT ALL IMPROVEMENTS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THOSE INVOLVING PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION, WERE FUNDED BY PUBLIC EXPENDITURE WITHOUT RECOURSE TO EXTERNAL LOANS.
HOWEVER, HE SAID, IT WAS NOT PHYSICALLY, FINANCIALLY OR ENVIRONMENTALLY POSSIBLE IN HONG KONG TO MEET TOTALLY UNRESTRAINED DEMAND FOR TRANSPORT SERVICES.
THE FISCAL MEASURES INTRODUCED IN 1982 AND 1983 BROUGHT ABOUT SOME RELIEF IN CONGESTION, BUT THERE WERE SIGNS THAT ANNUAL VEHICLE MILEAGE WAS INCREASING, AND THAT THE DROP IN THE NUMBER OF PRIVATE CARS WAS BEING OFFSET TO SOME EXTENT BY AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF COMMERCIAL AND PUBLIC TRANSPORT VEHICLES.
+ALSO, EVEN GIVEN CONTINUED HEAVY INVESTMENT IN ROADS, TRUNK ROADS ARE BECOMING INCREASINGLY MORE EXPENSIVE TO BUILD BECAUSE OF THE SHORTAGE OF SPACE, DENSITY OF DEVELOPMENT IN THE EXISTING URBAN AREA AND THE USUALLY DIFFICULT TOPOGRAPHICAL CONDITIONS, MR LAN SAID.
BUT HE STRESSED THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD CONTINUE TO INVEST A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF RESOURCES AND EFFORT IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE ROAD SYSTEM WHICH WAS ESSENTIAL TO THE TERRITORY'S CONTINUED ECONOMIC WELL-BEING.
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