WEDNESDAY, JULY 25, 1990
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TUNNEL FIGURES SHOW IMPROVED TRAFFIC FLOW IN SHA TIN
THE INTRODUCTION OF DIFFERENTIAL TOLLS AT LION ROCK TUNNEL AND SHING MUN TUNNELS, COUPLED WITH A WIDENED TAI PO ROAD, HAD IMPROVED TRAFFIC FLOW AT BOTH THE TUNNELS AND ALONG TÀI PO ROAD, THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, THE HON MICHAEL LEUNG, INFORMED THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
MR
IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON ANDREW WONG, LEUNG SAID EVEN MORE IMPROVEMENTS COULD BE EXPECTED WHEN TATE'S CAIRN TUNNEL OPENED NEXT SUMMER.
MR LEUNG SAID BEFORE THE OPENING OF THE SHING MUN TUNNELS AND THE INTRODUCTION OF DIFFERENTIAL TOLLS, THERE WERE ON AVERAGE 104,000 VEHICLES USING THE LION ROCK TUNNEL AND 47,000 VEHICLES USING TAI PO ROAD EVERY DAY.
SINCE THE OPENING OF THE SHING MUN TUNNELS AND THE INTRODUCTION OF DIFFERENTIAL TOLLS ON APRIL 20 THIS YEAR, THE CORRESPONDING FIGURES WERE CURRENTLY 92,000 AND 41,000. AN AVERAGE OF 29,000 VEHICLES USED THE SHING MUN TUNNELS DAILY.
HE SAID THESE FIGURES INDICATED THAT THERE HAD BEEN A DECREASE OF 12,000 VEHICLES, OR 12 PER CENT, USING LION ROCK TUNNEL, AND A DECREASE OF 6,000 VEHICLES, OR 13 PER CENT, USING TAI PO ROAD, EVERY DAY.
OF
ABOUT 29,000 VEHICLES, OR 18 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL NUMBER VEHICLES USING THE THREE MAIN CORRIDORS IN THIS AREA, HAD BEEN ATTRACTED TO USE THE NEW ROUTE THROUGH SHING MUN TUNNELS.
REGARDING THE EFFECT OF THE DIFFERENTIAL TOLLS ON THE TRAFFIC FLOWS OF THE TWO TUNNELS AND TAI PO ROAD, MR LEUNG SAID A RECENT SURVEY SHOWED :
AT LION ROCK TUNNEL
THE SOUTHBOUND TRAFFIC DURING MORNING PEAK PERIOD (7 AM 9 AM) HAD DROPPED BY ABOUT SIX PER CENT;
TO
THE JOURNEY TIME FROM PRINCE OF WALES HOSPITAL TO THE NORTH PORTAL OF LION ROCK TUNNEL WAS NINE MINUTES SHORTER; THE AVERAGE QUEUE LENGTH HAD BEEN REDUCED BY ONE KILOMETRE ;
NORTHBOUND TRAFFIC DURING THE MORNING PEAK HAD DECLINED BY SEVEN PER CENT, WITH IMPROVEMENTS IN JOURNEY TIME AND REDUCED QUEUE LENGTH;
DURING THE EVENING PEAK PERIOD (5 PM TO 6 PM) SOUTHBOUND TRAFFIC HAD DROPPED FROM 2,800 TO 2,500 VEHICLES: AN 11 PER CENT REDUCTION, WITH REDUCED JOURNEY TIME, AND SHORTER QUEUE LENGTH; AND
/* NORTHBOUND TRAFFIC