XN000022-1974-10-16 — Page 36

WEDNEDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1974

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DETAILED DISCUSSIONS OVER THE PAST MONTHS HAD ALREADY PRODUCED AGREEMENT ON DETAILED SCHEDULES OF SERVICES, ROUTE-BY-ROUTE FOR 1975/76 TOGETHER WITH THE NUMBERS OF BUSES TO BE PROVIDED TO ACHIEVE ACCEPTABLE FREQUENCIES, HE CONTINUED, AND PLANS FOR BUS CAPACITY LOOKING AHEAD TO THE YEAR 1980 HAVE ALSO BEEN AGREED, ON REASONABLE ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT THE DEMAND FOR.BUS TRAVEL OVER THIS PERIOD.

TURNING TO THE KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY, THE GOVERNOR SAID NEW PASSENGER ROLLING STOCK HAD BEEN DELIVERED AND DOUBLE TRACKING BETWEEN HUNG HOM AND SHA TIN WOULD BEGIN SHORTLY.

+A REVIEW OF THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF THE RAILWAY HAS BEEN UNDERTAKEN, AND I HOPE THAT THESE IMPROVEMENTS I HAVE REFERRED TO WILL PROVE TO BE ONLY THE FIRST STEPS IN ESTABLISHING IT ON THE ONE HAND AS A MODERN SUBURBAN RAILWAY, LINKING URBAN KOWLOON WITH THE NEW TERRITORIES, AND ON THE OTHER AS AN IMPROVED COMMUNICATION LINK WITH CHINA FOR FREIGHT AND PASSENGERS ALIKE.+

ON HONG KONG'S ROADS, SIR MURRAY SAID THERE HAD BEEN A SHARP INCREASE THIS YEAR IN EXPENDITURE ON-NEW ROADS, AND THE INTENTION WAS TO SPEND AN AVERAGE OF $350 MILLION CAT 1974 PRICES) ON ROADS IN EACH OF THE NEXT FOUR FINANCIAL YEARS, COMPARED WITH AN AVERAGE OF LESS THAN $130 MILLION DURING THE THREE PRECEDING YEARS.

+ ALL THESE DEVELOPMENTS, INDICATE THAT YOUR GOVERNMENT IS PUTTING A GREAT DEAL OF EFFORT AND PRIORITY INTO MEASURES TO COPE WITH HONG KONG'S GROWING TRANSPORT NEEDS, AND THAT THIS EFFORT WILL BE CONTINUED AND INTENSIFIED IN THE YEARS TO COME,+ HE SAID.

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