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S for T in LegCo debate on motion of thanks
Following is the speech by the Secretary for Transport, Mr Haider Barma, in the Legislative Council resumed debate on Motion of Thanks on the Governor's Policy Address today (Thursday):
Mr President,
I am very grateful to those Honourable Members who have spoken on transport issues in this debate. No doubt their comments reflect public views and aspirations and provide the Administration with a clear indication of what they believe the priorities, in transport terms, should be. The fundamental message seems to be to urge the Administration to plan ahead and speed up projects. A study of the Progress Report clearly illustrates that action is in fact already in hand in respect of many of the suggestions put forward by Honourable Members. We have a full and ambitious programme and are very much on target in meeting our commitments.
All major cities have transport problems and face congestion during rush hours. Hong Kong is no exception but we should not be shy in recognising that we have one of the best transport systems in the world. That said, I am amongst the first to acknowledge that there is no room for complacency and that there is scope to do better. Indeed, we are looking ahead and will spend some $30 billion in the coming 5 years to expand our infrastructural network and enhance traffic management schemes.
Let me now try to put into perspective some of the major points that Honourable Members have made:-
Northwest New Territories and Tuen Mun Road
With a population of over 700,000 in the Northwest New Territories I agree 100% that the present transport network is over stretched. There are many reasons for this but I believe there is little to be gained in attempting to identify what went wrong. Rather, and more important, we should focus our energies on practical measures to cope with present and future demand. This is precisely what the Administration is doing.
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