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THURSDAY, JANUARY 13, 1994
IN HONG KONG, AS IN THE PAST, WE MUST FACE UP TO OUR TRAFFIC PROBLEMS AND FIND SOLUTIONS. WORK HAS ALREADY BEGUN ON THE DUAL THREE LANE WESTERN HARBOUR CROSSING WHICH WILL BRING LASTING BENEFITS ΤΟ CROSS HARBOUR TRAVELLERS. WE HAVE RECENTLY COMMITTED
ΤΟ OURSELVES BUILDING THE $3 BILLION TING KAU BRIDGE AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN SO AS ΤΟ EASE TRAVEL BETWEEN THE NORTHWEST NEW TERRITORIES AND THE URBAN AREA. AND WE HAVE INVITED BIDS FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO BUILD THE REMAINDER OF THE ROUTE THREE COUNTRY PARK SECTION UNDER A FRANCHISE ARRANGEMENT. THIS WILL RELIEVE THE TUEN MUN ROAD AND GREATLY IMPROVE TRANSPORT LINKS BETWEEN THE BORDER AND THE CONTAINER PORT.
TRAFFIC CONGESTION IS NOT UNIQUE TO HONG KONG. IT IS A DISEASE THAT PLAGUES MOST MAJOR CITIES. SO FAR WE HAVE COPED BETTER THAN MOST. BUT KEEPING HONG KONG TRAFFIC MOVING INTO THE 21ST CENTURY WILL BE A MAJOR CHALLENGE. IT MUST BE ADDRESSED BOLDLY AND IMAGINATIVELY IF WE ARE TO MAINTAIN OUR ECONOMIC SUCCESS AND OUR EASE OF MOVEMENT. WE WILL CONTINUE TO INVEST SUBSTANTIALLY IN ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE WHILE RECOGNISING THAT THERE ARE NATURAL LIMITS ON WHAT CAN BE ACHIEVED, PARTICULARLY IN THE OLDER URBAN AREAS. WE MUST ENSURE THAT THE VEHICLE FLEET IS NOT ALLOWED TO GROW AT SUCH A PACE THAT IT LEADS ΤΟ AN UNACCEPTABLE DETERIORATION IN AIR QUALITY. IN PARTICULAR, THE NUMBER OF PRIVATE CARS, WHILE STARTING FROM A RELATIVELY LOW BASE, HAS INCREASED VERY SIGNIFICANTLY IN RECENT YEARS. GROWTH OF THIS MAGNITUDE CANNOT BE SUSTAINED INDEFINITELY.
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DEALING WITH THESE AND OTHER TRANSPORT PROBLEMS WE WILL BE FACED WITH DIFFICULT CHOICES, BALANCING THE INTERESTS OF VEHICLE OWNERS AND THE TRANSPORT INDUSTRY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE. IN THE PERIOD AHEAD, THE GOVERNMENT WILL BE LOOKING TO MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL FOR THEIR SUPPORT AND UNDERSTANDING IN REACHING DECISIONS WHICH WILL BEST SERVE THE FUTURE TRANSPORT NEEDS OF HONG KONG.
THANK YOU, MR PRESIDENT.
MR VINCENT CHENG: THANK YOU MR PRESIDENT. GOVERNOR, I HAVE A QUESTION WHICH YOU HAVE NOT COVERED. IT'S ABOUT TRANSPORTATION FOR THE UNDER PRIVILEGED, I MEAN THE SEVERELY DISABLED AND THE SEVERELY MENTALLY RETARDED. I'M NOT SURE WHETHER I WILL BE RULED OUT OF ORDER BUT I'D BETTER MAKE SOME QUESTION ON THAT. AT THE MOMENT WE ADOPT A WEALTHY APPROACH, WHICH IS TO HAVE A VOLUNTARY AGENCY RUNNING A REHAB BUS AND THE REHAB BUSES ARE REALLY DONATED BY CORPORATIONS. THIS SORT OF. IF I MAY CALL IT, BACK AND BOW APPROACH HAS NOT BEEN ABLE ΤΟ PROVIDE THE RESOURCES WE NEED AND WE HAVE TO CONSTANTLY TURN AWAY REQUESTS. I AM JUST WONDERING WHETHER THE GOVERNOR WOULD RECONSIDER THIS APPROACH TO THOSE WHO CANNOT GET ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT AND PROVIDE MORE RESOURCES TO THIS TYPE OF PEOPLE? THANK YOU.
/GOVERNOR: