WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 1987
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ON FISCAL RESTRAINTS ON PRIVATE CAR OWNERSHIP, MR LEUNG SAID THIS HAD RESULTED IN A DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PRIVATE CARS LICENSED FROM ABOUT 192 000 IN 1982 TO ABOUT 139 000 TODAY.
HE NOTED HOWEVER THAT THIS DECLINE HAD BEEN OFFSET BY AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF OTHER VEHICLES SO THAT THE TOTAL VEHICLE POPULATION WAS ABOUT THE SAME AS IN 1982.
ON THE PROBLEMS OF TRAFFIC CONGESTION, MR LEUNG SAID A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF CONGESTION WAS AN INEVITABLE FEATURE OF LIFE, +AND IN THIS RESPECT HONG KONG COMPARES FAVOURABLY WITH MANY OTHER MAJOR CITIES+.
HE SAID THE ADMINISTRATION WOULD MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO KEEP CONGESTION WITHIN LIMITS AND TO IMPROVE THE SITUATION WHEREVER IT COULD.
THIS WAS ANOTHER AREA WHERE THE CTS-2 STUDY WOULD GIVE THE GOVERNMENT SOME POINTERS AS TO THE MEASURES OPEN TO HONG KONG IN THE LONGER TERM, HE ADDED.
MR LEUNG SAID THE REAL SOLUTION TO THE CONGESTION PROBLEM AT THE LION ROCK TUNNEL LAY IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE TATE'S CAIRN TUNNEL. IF APPROVED, CONSTRUCTION WORK WOULD START IN THE EARLY
SUMMER OF 1988, WITH COMPLETION IN 1992.
+UNTIL THEN THE TASK WILL BE THAT OF TRYING TO KEEP CONGESTION WITHIN ACCEPTABLE LIMITS. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF WAYS IN WHICH WE HOPE TO DO THIS, BUT NONE OF THEM I AM AFRAID IS A PERFECT ANSWER,+ HE SAID.
MEASURES INCLUDED RESERVING THE NEW THIRD SOUTHBOUND LANE ON THE SHA TIN SIDE FOR BUSES IN THE MORNING PEAK HOUR IMPROVEMENT WORKS TO THE OLD TAI PO ROAD WHICH WOULD BE COMPLETED BY STAGES OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS AND THE OPENING OF ROUTE 5 IN LATE 1989 OR EARLY 1990.
THESE WILL INCREASE THE ALL THESE WILL HELP
+ IN ADDITION, THE KCRC WILL BE TAKING DELIVERY OF 25 NEW THREE CAR UNITS FROM LATE THIS SUMMER. RAILWAY CAPACITY BY 40 TO 50 PER CENT. AMELIORATE THE PRESENT SITUATION,+ HE ADDED.
MR LEUNG ALSO OUTLINED OTHER POSSIBLE MEASURES LIKE INCREASING THE COST OF USING THE TUNNEL TO SLOW DOWN THE BUILD-UP IN TRAFFIC, RESTRICTING THE USE OF THE TUNNEL BY CERTAIN CLASSES OF VEHICLES AT CERTA IN TIMES, OR BY MAKING DIFFERENTIAL CHARGES ACCORDING TO THE TIME OF DAY AND CLASS OF VEHICLE, AND, IN THE LONGER TERM, AUTOMATED TOLL COLLECTION. HE ADDED THAT A STUDY OF SYSTEMS ADOPTED ELSEWHERE WAS UNDERWAY.
HE ASSURED MEMBERS THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS ACUTELY AWARE THAT MUCH REMAINED TO BE DONE IF HONG KONG WAS TO HAVE A TRANSPORT NETWORK ESSENTIAL FOR ITS CONTINUED ECONOMIC WELL-BEING, AND TO PROVIDE AN ACCEPTABLE, MODERN STANDARD OF FACILITIES AT A REASONABLE COST.
+THE SECOND COMPREHENSIVE TRANSPORT STUDY WILL PROVIDE US WITH INSIGHT AS TO FURTHER STEPS NEEDED AND SHOULD IDENTIFY ANY NEW INITIATIVES REQUIRED TO ACHIEVE THIS OBJECTIVE ON A CONTINUING BASIS, + HE SAID.
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