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TUESDAY. OCTOBER 31, 1989
TAC DISCUSSES PUBLIC COMMENTS ON GREEN PAPER
THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE TODAY (TUESDAY) DISCUSSED THE PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THE GREEN PAPER ON TRANSPORT POLICY IN HONG KONG, IN PARTICULAR. ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF HIGHWAYS AND RAILWAYS.
OTHER TRANSPORT POLICY PROPOSALS COMMENTED ON BY THE PUBLIC WILL BE DISCUSSED AT ANOTHER MEETING TO BE HELD ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6.
THE TAC NOTED THAT THE PROPOSED TRANSPORT STRATEGY IN THE GREEN PAPER WAS EXTENSIVELY DEBATED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN JULY AND WAS WIDELY DISCUSSED BY THE 19 DISTRICT BOARDS. MORE THAN 20 OTHER ORGANISATIONS HAD BEEN BRIEFED AND CONSULTED.
MEMBERS LEARNED THAT DURING THE FOUR-MONTH CONSULTATION PERIOD. WHICH ENDED ON SEPTEMBER 30. A TOTAL OF 131 WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS AND 98 TELEPHONE CALLS ON THE "GREEN PAPER HOTLINE" HAD BEEN RECEIVED.
OF THE WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS, 23 WERE FROM 35 FROM GROUPS AND 73 FROM INDIVIDUALS.
TRANSPORT OPERATORS,
AMONG THE COMMENTS. THE MEMBERS NOTED THAT THE PUBLIC GENERALLY AGREED THAT THE THREE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF IMPROVING THE TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE. EXPANDING AND IMPROVING PUBLIC TRANSPORT, AND MANAGING ROAD USE SHOULD CONTINUE TO FORM THE BASIS OF THE FUTURE TRANSPORT STRATEGY.
ON THE COMMENTS ON TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS, THE TAC OBSERVED THAT THERE WAS GENERAL SUPPORT FOR THE PROPOSED TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME. ONE OF THE POPULAR VIEWS WAS TO ADVANCE THE CONSTRUCTION OF MAJOR PROPOSED PROJECTS. SUCH AS ROUTE 3 AND ROUTE 7. AND BUILD MORE RAILS.
AS REGARDS TRANSPORT LINKS FOR FUTURE PORT AND AIRPORT FACILITIES. THE COMMITTEE WAS TOLD THAT THE PUBLIC WANTED THESE LINKS TO BE CONSIDERED AS PART AND PARCEL OF THE TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME.
THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR THE PROPOSED RAILWAY
PROJECTS.
THE DISTRICT BOARDS CONCERNED, HOWEVER, HAD DIVIDED VIEWS ON THE ALIGNMENT OF THE NORTHWESTERN NEW TERRITORIES URBAN RAIL LINK. THE RAILWAY OPERATORS HAD ALSO PUT FORWARD VIEWS ON THE MATTER.
ON THE WHOLE. DIFFERENT GROUPS SUPPORTED GREATER EMPHASIS ON RAIL DEVELOPMENTS BOTH ON TRANSPORT AND ENVIRONMENTAL GROUNDS. SOME REGARD THIS INEVITABLE IN THE LONGER TERM WITH DIMINISHING LAND FOR HIGHWAY PROJECTS.
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