TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 1987
5
CONSULTANTS TO STUDY LION ROCK TUNNEL CONGESTION
THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT WILL SOON COMMISSION A CONSULTANCY STUDY TO EXPLORE WAYS OF EASING CONGESTION AT THE LION ROCK TUNnel, THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE (TAC) LEARNT TODAY (TUESDAY).
THE CONSULTANCY STUDY WILL LOOK INTO VARIOUS POSSIBILITIES, INCLUDING EXTENSION OF THE 'BUS ONLY' LANE, TIDAL FLOW ARRANGEMENTS AT THE TUNNEL AND TAI PO ROAD, BANNING HEAVY GOODS VEHICLES DURING PEAK PERIODS, ADJUSTING THE TOLL LEVELS AND STRUCTURES AT THE TUNNEL, DEVISING THE APPROPRIATE TOLL LEVELS AND STRUCTURES AT ROUTE 5 BETWEEN SHA TIN AND TSUEN WAN DUE FOR COMPLETION IN LATE 1989, AND OTHER MEASURES TO INCREASE THE TUNNEL THROUGHPUT.
AT ITS MEETING THIS AFTERNOON, TAC MEMBERS NOTED THAT A NUMBER OF IMPROVEMENT MEASURES HAD ALREADY BEEN TAKEN. THESE INCLUDE THE INTRODUCTION OF PRE-PAID TUNNEL TICKETS IN FEBRUARY LAST YEAR, THE PROVISION OF FOUR EXTRA TOLL BOOTHS ONE MONTH LATER AND THE RECENT INTRODUCTION OF A BUS-ONLY LANE BETWEEN WORLDWIDE GARDENS AND THE TOLL PLAZA DURING MORNING PEAK HOURS.
HAD IMPROVED THE USERS, THEY COULD THE TUNNEL WAS OPERATING AT ITS
MEMBERS AGREED THAT ALTHOUGH THESE MEASURES SITUATION AND HAD REDUCED INCONVENIENCE TO TUNNEL NOT INCREASE THE THROUGHPUT WHEN
CAPACITY,
WERE ΤΟ
LATEST TRAFFIC PROJECTIONS SUGGEST THAT IF TOLLS REMAIN CONSTANT IN REAL TERMS, THE AVERAGE DAILY DEMAND WILL INCREASE FROM 85,000 JOURNEYS PER DAY IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 1986 TO 117,000 BY THE END OF 1991, WITH CONGESTION SPREADING FROM PEAK HOURS TO OTHER TIMES OF THE DAY BETWEEN NOW AND THE OPENING OF THE TATE'S CAIRN TUNNEL IN 1992.
MEMBERS CONSIDERED A PROPOSAL TO INCREASE THE TUNNEL TOLL FROM $3 TO $5 AS A MEANS TO DEFER THE BUILD UP OF TRAFFIC BUT REJECTED THIS PROPOSAL BECAUSE IT IS NOT EFFECTIVE ENOUGH TO CREATE A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN THE TRAFFIC VOLUME.
THE TAC ALSO DISCUSSED AN APPLICATION BY NEW OPERATORS FOR A 25 PER CENT FARE INCREASE,
AFTER EXAMINING THE OPERATING ECONOMICS OF THE RECOMMENDED THAT THE INCREASE SHOULD BE RESTRICTED TO FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
TERRITORIES TAXI
TRADE, MEMBERS 12.6 PER CENT
16