WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 1989
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SEPARATE FREIGHT RAILWAY LINE SUGGESTED
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THE HON EDWARD HO TODAY (WEDNESDAY) ENDORSED A PROPOSAL IN THE GREEN PAPER ON TRANSPORT POLICY ON EXPANDING THE EXISTING RAIL SERVICES. HOWEVER, HE MADE A NUMBER OF OBSERVATIONS IN CONNECTION WITH THIS.
HE SAID ALTHOUGH THE KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY HAD SERVED WELL THE NORTH EASTERN PART OF THE NEW TERRITORIES AND PART OF KOWLOON, IT WAS CONSTRAINED BY FREIGHT SERVICES AND INTERNATIONAL PASSENGER SERVICES WHICH INHIBITED MORE FREQUENT AND BETTER SERVICES FOR COMMUTERS.
"IN THE LONG TERM, WE MUST CONSIDER A SEPARATE LINE FOR FREIGHT AND INTERNATIONAL PASSENGER TRAVEL FOR THE RAILWAY, HE SAID.
IN TERMS OF FREIGHT, MR HO SAID, THE GREEN PAPER HAD NOTED THAT IN 1986 GOODS VEHICLES CONSTITUTED 42 PER CENT OF ROAD TRAFFIC AND IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT THESE VEHICLES WOULD CONSTITUTE 51 PER CENT OF ROAD TRAFFIC BY 2001.
"THIS IS AN INORDINATE PROPORTION OF ROAD USAGE BY GOODS VEHICLES. THEREFORE, MORE FREIGHT SHOULD BE TRANSPORTED BY RAIL, TAKING PRESSURE OFF THE ROAD.
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"IN THIS REGARD, IT IS NOT APPARENT IN THE GREEN PAPER PROPOSALS GOVERNMENT HAS TOWARDS IMPROVING FREIGHT TRANSPORT ON THE RAIL SYSTEM, HE COMMENTED.
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MR HO DID NOT AGREE WITH THE GREEN PAPER'S SUGGESTION THAT THE "PARK-AND-RIDE" METHOD WAS UNLIKELY TO BE EFFECTIVE IN HONG KONG BECAUSE MOST OF THE COMMUTING DISTANCES WERE TOO SHORT.
"I FAIL TO UNDERSTAND WHY, JUST TO TAKE ONE EXAMPLE, A PUBLIC CARPARK CANNOT BE BUILT NEAR THE CHOT HUNG MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY STATION SO THAT PRIVATE CAR DRIVERS CAN TAKE THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY FOR ONWARD JOURNEY, HE NOTED.
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MR HO QUESTIONED THE GREEN PAPER'S SUGGESTION THAT THE OBSTACLES TO THE "PARK-AND-RIDE" METHOD WERE THAT PARKING CHARGES WERE USUALLY HIGH, AND THAT THE "PARK-AND-RIDE" METHOD WOULD IMPOSE AN ADDITIONAL BURDEN ON THE ALREADY CONGESTED RAIL CORRIDORS DURING THE PEAK PERIODS.
"I FIND THAT THESE ARGUMENTS ARE HARD TO ACCEPT FOR THE COST OF CARPARKS CAN OFFSET CAPITAL COSTS OF ROAD CONSTRUCTION, AND IF THE RAIL SYSTEM IS INADEQUATE, THEN MORE LINES SHOULD BE ECONOMICALLY VIABLE," HE SAID.
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MR HO ALSO SAID THE GREEN PAPER HAD DEVOTED VERY LITTLE THE ATTENTION IN TERMS OF TRANSPORT PROVISIONS TO THE THIRD PHASE TSEUNG KWAN O (JUNK BAY) NEW TOWN DEVELOPMENT, THE SHUI WAI AND MA ON SHAN, WHICH WERE HOUSING AUTHORITY WOULD RELY HEAVILY LONG TERM HOUSING STRATEGY,
EXPANSION POTENTIAL AREAS WHERE IMPLEMENTATION OF
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