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THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 1987
HE SAID IT APPEARED THAT TRAFFIC CONGESTION SEEMED TO BE AN ORDINARY PROBLEM HERE, BUT ITS ADVERSE EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY WERE FAR-REACHING, SUCH AS WASTAGE OF COMMUTERS' TIME, AND INCREASES IN PETROL CONSUMPTION AND TRANSPORTATION COSTS.
MR POON CALLED ON THE GOVERNMENT TO EXPEDITE STUDIES ON FINDING A LONG-TERM SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM.
HE SAID HE DISAGREED WITH THE PROPOSAL BY AUTHORITIES TO INCREASE TOLLS AT THE LION ROCK TUNNEL IN ORDER TO REDUCE CONGESTION.
+IT WOULD IMPOSE EXTRA BURDEN ON PEOPLE LIVING OR WORKING IN SHA TIN AND ITS NEIGHBOURING AREAS.
+NOT ONLY WILL THE COST OF LIVING AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES OF PEOPLE IN THOSE AREAS BE AFFECTED, THE PROCEEDS FROM THE SALE OF RESIDENTIAL OR INDUSTRIAL LAND IN THOSE AREAS WILL ALSO SUFFER DIRECTLY, + HE SAID.
CITING THE CROSS HAR BOUR TUNNEL AS AN EXAMPLE, MR POON SAID UNLESS GOVERNMENT WAS PREPARED TO MAKE DRASTIC AND PERSISTENT INCREASES IN TUNNEL TOLLS, THE EFFECT OF A SLIGHT INCREASE TO EASE CONGESTION WAS ONLY TEMPORARY.
+IN THE LONG RUN, APART FROM SPEEDING UP THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE TATE'S CAIRN TUNNEL, THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD CONSIDER OTHER RELIEVING MEASURES, SUCH AS COMPULSORY USE OF PREPAID TUNNEL TOKENS- INSTALLING AUTOMATIC TOLLING MACHINES AT THE TUNNEL ENTRANCE AND IMPOSING DOUBLE CHARGES ON DRIVERS WHO PAY THEIR TOLLS ON THE SPOT.
+THESE MEASURES MIGHT SPEED UP THE PASSAGE OF VEHICLES THROUGH TOLL BOOTHS AND HELP IMPROVE THE SERVICE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT, AS WELL AS PROVIDING A LONG-TERM SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM OF CONGESTION IN THE LION ROCK TUNNEL, MR POON SAID.
ON THE WIDENING OF THE SCOPE OF INDIRECT TAXATION, MR POON SAID HE FELT IT MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO GENERATE, AS EXPECTED BY THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, A STABLE REVENUE FOR THE GOVERNMENT,
ON THE CONTRARY, HE SAID, MORE PEOPLE OF THE MIDDLE AND LOWER CLASSES WOULD BE CAUGHT IN THE NET OF INDIRECT TAXES.
TURNING TO THE GRAND PROJECT CONCERNING THE PROPOSED NEW AIRPORT RECENTLY PUT UP BY THE HOPEWELL-HUTCHISON CONSORTIUM, MR POON SAID IT WOULD NO DOUBT HAVE A FAR-REACHING IMPACT ON PUBLIC CONFIDENCE AS WELL AS THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG.
BUT IN VIEW OF THE TREMENDOUS SCALE OF THE PROJECT, THE ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF CAPITAL INVOLVED, AND THE SERIOUS IMPACT ON THE OVERALL DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG, WE SHOULD NOT ACT RASHLY AND MUST EXERCISE EXTREME CARE AND CARRY OUT METICULOUS EXAMINATION BEFORE DRAWING A CONCLUSION, HE SAID.
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