REPLY
(C)
MR PRESIDENT,
38
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1994
OF THE AVERAGE PERCENTAGE OF TRAVELLING TIME SAVED BY BUSES RUNNING ON BUS LANES AS COMPARED WITH THOSE NOT USING SUCH LANES?
(A)
(B)
IN
BE
AT PRESENT, THERE ARE 65 BUS PRIORITY SCHEMES OPERATION, INCLUDING 49 BUS ONLY LANES. THESE CAN USED BY. BOTH FRANCHISED AND PRIVATE BUSES, INCLUDING SCHOOL BUSES AND RESIDENTIAL COACHES.
THE REVIEW OF TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT MEASURES BY THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT IS A CONTINUOUS PROCESS AND, IN LINE WITH OUR POLICY TO GIVE PRIORITY TO PUBLIC TRANSPORT, NEW BUS PRIORITY SCHEMES ARE PROVIDED WHENEVER PRACTICAL. SIX NEW BUS ONLY LANES WILL BE INTRODUCED BY THE END OF THE YEAR AND ANOTHER 12 BUS PRIORITY SCHEMES ARE NOW UNDER CONSIDERATION. DISTRICT BOARDS ARE CONSULTED ON TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SCHEMES, FOR EXAMPLE, ON THE FEASIBILITY OF PROVIDING A BUS ONLY LANE ON TUEN MUN ROAD.
(C)
IT IS DIFFICULT TO BE SPECIFIC ABOUT THE TIME SAVED BY BUSES, SINCE IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO HAVE BUS ONLY LANES FOR ENTIRE ROUTES I.E. FROM ONE DESTINATION TO ANOTHER. MUCH DEPENDS ON THE LENGTH OF LANES, THE LOCAL TRAFFIC SITUATION AND THE EXTENT OF CONGESTION. AS A ROUGH INDICATION IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE TIME SAVED IS ABOUT TWO TO THREE MINUTES PER KILOMETRE. AS EXAMPLES, THE 2.5 KM BUS ONLY LANE IN LION ROCK TUNNEL ROAD REDUCES BUS JOURNEY TIMES DURING PEAK HOURS FROM 15 TO EIGHT MINUTES, AND THE 1.4 KM BUS ONLY LANE IN POK FU LAM ROAD REDUCES JOURNEY TIMES DURING PEAK HOURS FROM 19 TO EIGHT MINUTES.
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