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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 1989
EHC WILL OFFER RELIEF TO TUNNEL CONGESTION
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NOT
LONG-TERM RELIEF TO THE CROSS HARBOUR TUNNEL CONGESTION COULD BE EXPECTED UNTIL THE EASTERN HARBOUR CROSSING OPENED IN SEPTEMBER, THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, THE HON MICHAEL LEUNG, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON SELINA CHOW, MR LEUNG SAID THE GOVERNMENT LAST YEAR EXAMINED WHETHER VEHICULAR FERRIES MIGHT OFFER SOME RELIEF TO TUNNEL CONGESTION BUT FOUND NO SCOPE FOR ADDITIONAL CAPACITY AS ALL AVAILABLE VESSELS WERE FULLY USED.
ADDITIONAL FERRIES COULD NOT BE BUILT IN TIME, AND, EVEN IF ADDITIONAL VESSELS COULD SOMEHOW BE OBTAINED, THEY WOULD BE SURPLUS TO REQUIREMENTS LATER THIS YEAR WHEN THE NEW TUNNEL OPENED.
MR LEUNG SAID THE HONGKONG AND YAUMATI FERRY COMPANY AT PRESENT RAN 17 VEHICULAR FERRIES ON THERE ROUTES.
THEY COULD CARRY ABOUT 870 VEHICLES, PROVIDING A TWO-WAY CAPACITY OF OVER 2,000 VEHICLES PER PEAK HOUR.
THE AVERAGE UTILISATION RATE OF AVAILABLE CAPACITY HAD INCREASED STEADILY IN THE LAST THREE YEARS FROM OVER 60 PER CENT IN 1986, TO ABOUT 85 PER CENT LAST YEAR.
MR LEUNG SAID THE ACTUAL RATE VARIED ACCORDING TO THE TIME OF DAY AND DIRECTION OF TRAVEL.
IN THE MORNING PEAK HOURS, THE FERRIES WERE USUALLY FULL TRAVELLING TOWARDS HONG KONG, AND LIKEWISE TOWARES KOWLOON IN THE EVENING PEAK.
AT THESE TIMES, VESSELS TRAVELLING AGAINST THE MAIN DIRECTION OF DEMAND HAD ABOUT 30 PER CENT SPARE CAPACITY.
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DURING THE OFF-PEAK HOURS, THERE WAS ONLY ABOUT 15 PER CENT 20 PER CENT SPARE CAPACITY IN EITHER DIRECTION AS (0005 VEHICLE UTILISATION WAS AT ITS HIGHEST AT THESE TIMES.
THIS OFF-PEAK SPARE CAPACITY REPRESENTED ABOUT 150 VEHICLES HOUR, OR A SMALLER NUMBER OF LARGER VEHICLES.
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EVEN IF THIS SPACE COULD BE FILLED, THE RELIEF TO THE CROSS HARBOUR TUNNEL CONGESTION WOULD BE NEGLIGIBLE, MR LEUNG ADDED.
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