27
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 1990
FRINGE
"FURTHERMORE, THE MONETISATION OF CERTAIN CIVIL SERVICE BENEFITS COULD RESULT IN AN ADDITIONAL CASH OUTFLOW OF A FURTHER BILLION DOLLARS PER YEAR, SHE SAID.
H
MRS WONG STRESSED THAT ALTHOUGH THE COST TO THE PUBLIC PURSE WAS HIGH, THE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS TO HONG KONG'S HOSPITAL SYSTEM WHICH SHOULD FOLLOW AFTER THE SETTING UP OF THE HOSPITAL AUTHORITY WOULD BE MONEY WELL INVESTED.
0
INCREASE EXPLAINED
TUNNEL TOLL
* *
THE GOVERNMENT EXPECTS THAT CONGESTION AT LION ROCK TUNNEL AND IN THE APPROACH ROADS WILL BE REDUCED, BENEFITTING MOTORISTS AND PUBLIC TRANSPORT PASSENGERS, AS A RESULT OF THE TOLL REVISION LATER THIS MONTH, THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, THE HON ALBERT LAM CHI-CHIU, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
IN REPLY ΤΟ A QUESTION BY THE HON SELINA CHOW IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR LAM SAID THAT LION ROCK TUNNEL WAS CURRENTLY USED BY ABOUT 104,000 VEHICLES A DAY, 30 PER CENT MORE THAN THE OPTIMUM CAPACITY OF 80,000 VEHICLES A DAY FOR WHICH THE TUNNEL WAS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED.
AS A RESULT, CONGESTION OCCURRED AT ALL APPROACH ROADS ΤΟ THE TUNNEL, RESULTING IN LONG QUEUES OF VEHICLES DURING MUCH OF THE DAY, AND CAUSING DELAYS TO BOTH MOTORISTS AND PUBLIC TRANSPORT PASSENGERS, HE SAID.
TRAFFIC
IN RECENT YEARS, THE GOVERNMENT TRIED VARIOUS MANAGEMENT MEASURES TO RELIEVE CONGESTION AT THE TUNNEL, SUCH AS THE TIDAL FLOW EXPERIMENT, THE CONTROLLED MERGING OF VEHICLES, AND THE LENGTHENING OF BUS-ONLY LANES. HOWEVER, THESE MEASURES RESULTED IN MARGINAL IMPROVEMENTS ONLY, MR LAM EXPLAINED.
MR LAM SAID THAT ALTHOUGH THE OPENING OF THE SHING MUN TUNNELS WOULD CERTAINLY IMPROVE THE TRAFFIC FLOW BETWEEN SHA TIN AND TSUEN WAN, THE NEW TUNNEL WOULD BRING ABOUT ONLY A SMALL REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES USING THE LION ROCK TUNNEL.
"IT IS EXPECTED THAT THIS REDUCTION WOULD SOON BE ABSORBED BY THE NATURAL GROWTH IN TRAFFIC AS A RESULT OF CONTINUING HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS AND POPULATION GROWTH IN THE NORTH-EAST NEW TERRITORIES, HE SAID.
1.
"SHOULD THE PRESENT $3 TOLL REMAIN UNCHANGED, THE TRAFFIC VOLUME AT THE TUNNEL WAS EXPECTED TO GO UP TO 110,000 VEHICLES A DAY BY EARLY 1991, HE ADDED.
MR LAM SAID THAT A REVISION OF THE TOLL WAS THEREFORE NECESSARY NOW TO REGULATE TRAFFIC VOLUME AND REDUCE THE CONGESTION
AT
THE TUNNEL.
/"HOWEVER, IT