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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12, 1994
WITH THE COMPANY'S CHANGE IN STATUS IN 1987 TO BECOME A MEMBER OF THE HONG KONG TELECOM GROUP IT HAS ACQUIRED A MORE LOCAL CHARACTER, MR SIU SAID.
KONG
HE ALSO SAID THE CHINA LIGHT AND POWER COMPANY AND ELECTRIC COMPANY DID NOT OPERATE UNDER ANY LICENCE
GOVERNMENT.
THE HONG FROM THE
THEY HAVE VOLUNTARILY ENTERED INTO SCHEME OF CONTROL AGREEMENTS WITH THE GOVERNMENT.
IN COMMON WITH THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE UTILITIES HERE, THE TWO COMPANIES ARE LOCALLY BASED AND ARE LOCALLY OWNED AND THE REQUIREMENT FOR A PROVISION SIMILAR TO THAT IN THE 1981 LICENCE DOES NOT ARISE, THE SECRETARY SAID.
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MEASURES TO SOLVE CONGESTION IN ISLAND EASTERN CORRIDOR
EASTERN HARBOUR CROSSING TRAFFIC HAS INCREASED AT A VERY RAPID RATE,
WITH THE DAILY AVERAGE NUMBER OF CARS USING THIS TUNNEL RISING FROM 38,000 FOUR YEARS AGO TO 87,000 TODAY, THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, MR HAIDER BARMA, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
REPLYING то A QUESTION BY THE HON MRS MIRIAM LAU IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR BARMA SAID THE INCREASE IN TRAFFIC CAUSED CONGESTION ALONG THE ISLAND EASTERN CORRIDOR DURING BOTH THE MORNING RUSH AND THE EVENING PEAK.
MR BARMA SAID A NUMBER OF MEASURES HAD BEEN TAKEN TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM BY TRYING TO SEGREGATE TRAFFIC QUEUING FOR THE TUNNEL FROM THROUGH TRAFFIC.
HE SAID THE ROAD MARKINGS ON THE ISLAND EASTERN CORRIDOR EASTBOUND WERE MODIFIED LAST JUNE TO PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL LANE FOR TRAFFIC ENTERING THE TUNNEL.
GANTRY SIGNS AND ROAD MARKINGS WERE FURTHER MODIFIED LAST WEEK TO REDUCE THE OBSTRUCTION TO EASTBOUND TRAFFIC CAUSED BY CARS QUEUING TO ENTER THE TUNNEL, HE SAID.
MR BARMA SAID A TIDAL FLOW ARRANGEMENT HAD ALSO BEEN TRIED OUT IN THE TUNNEL BY PROVIDING AN ADDITIONAL LANE FOR KOWLOON BOUND TRAFFIC DURING THE EVENING RUSH.
HE NOTED THAT WHILE THIS EASED PRESSURE ON THE IEC. THE EXPERIMENT HAD NOT PROVED TOO SUCCESSFUL SINCE IT RESULTED IN LONG QUEUES IN KWUN TONG FOR HONG KONG-BOUND TRAFFIC.
"THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE TRAFFIC SITUATION ALONG THE ISLAND EASTERN CORRIDOR CLOSELY, AND WILL IN CO- ORDINATION WITH THE NEW HONG KONG TUNNEL COMPANY AND THE POLICE, TAKE WHATEVER ADDITIONAL MEASURES ARE PRACTICAL TO ENHANCE TRAFFIC FLOW THROUGH THE EASTERN HARBOUR CROSSING AND ALONG THE ISLAND BASTERN CORRIDOR," MR BARMA SAID.
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