THURSDAY, MAY 12, 1988
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MTRC HAS TO SOLVE CONGESTION PROBLEM: GOVERNOR
THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY CORPORATION SHOULD BE ALLOWED ΤΟ GET ON WITH THE JOB OF SOLVING THE PROBLEM OF CONGESTION WITHOUT ANY INTERFERENCE IN THE DETAILS OF HOW THIS SHOULD BE DONE, THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).
SPEAKING то REPORTERS AFTER
VISITS TO THE MTRC AND THE THE GOVERNOR SAID IT
WAS
THE
KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY CORPORATION, IMPORTANT ΤΟ LOOK AT THE PROBLEM THAT HAD GIVEN RISE TO IMPLEMENTATION OF A SURCHARGE BY THE MTRC.
OF
"THE PROBLEM, AS WE ALL KNOW, IS THAT FOR A SHORT PERIOD TIME IN THE MORNING THERE IS VERY INTENSE OVERCROWDING, AND THAT IS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE INDEED FOR THOSE TRAVELLING AT THAT TIME, SIR DAVID SAID.
"IT'S ALSO POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS," HE ADDED.
"
SIR DAVID SAID THE MTRC HAD LOOKED AT VARIOUS OPTIONS AND HAD COME UP WITH A PRICING MECHANISM AS THE ONLY WAY THEY THOUGHT COULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
"IT'S NOW TIME, I THINK, TO SEE WHETHER THAT WORK, AND THEY'VE SAID THAT IF THEY SOLVE THE PROBLEM THEN THERE'S NO QUESTION OF KEEPING ON THE SURCHARGE HE SAID.
ADDED.
**THEY'RE JUST DOING IT TO DEAL WITH A SPECIFIC
SOLUTION DOES
OF CONGESTION INDEFINITELY,"
PROBLEM, HE
SIR DAVID NOTED THAT THE MTRC WAS MAKING A MAJOR EFFORT TO EXPLAIN BOTH TO THE DISTRICT BOARDS AND TO THE PUBLIC AT LARGE WHAT WAS BEING DONE TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM AND THE REASONS FOR IT.
THE MTRC HAD SAID THEY WOULD LOOK AT ANY IDEAS FOR SOLVING PROBLEM, AND SEE IF THESE IDEAS WERE VIABLE.
THE
NOTING THAT THE GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL HAD A POWER ΤΟ GIVE GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS TO THE MTRC IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST, SIR DAVID SAID THIS POWER SHOULD BE USED FOR GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS AND NOT FOR OPERATING CONSIDERATIONS.
"IT'S NOT ANY GOOD SETTING UP A CORPORATION TO DO A JOB AND THEN INTERFERING IN THE DETAILS OF HOW IT DOES IT, BECAUSE WHAT YOU THEN DO IS FIND THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS RUNNING THE MTR," HE ADDED.
"THE CORPORATION HAS BEEN GIVEN THE JOB OF RUNNING THE MTR AND THEY SHOULD BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO RUN IT PROPERLY AND COMMERCIALLY TO THE BENEFIT OF THE WHOLE COMMUNITY, " SIR DAVID SAID.
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