XN000022-1974-11-14 — Page 19

18.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1974

I

THE HONG KONG COMPREHENSIVE TRANSPORT STUDY, WHICH WOULD FORM THE BASIS ON WHICH FUTURE ROAD CONSTRUCTION AND IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMMES WOULD BE COMPILED, WOULD BE COMPLETED EARLY IN 1975.

+OTHER PARALLEL STUDIES COMPLETED INCLUDED THE ISLAND EASTERN CORRIDOR SCHEME, WHICH INVOLVES A HIGH-CAPACITY LINK AS AN EXTENSION OF THE WATERFRONT ROAD THROUGH NORTH POINT TO SHAU KEI WAN AND CHAI WAN, AND THE WEST KOWLOON CORRIDOR SCHEME DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A FAST NEW TRAFFIC ARTERY LINKING THE CROSS HARBOUR TUNNEL APPROACHES IN THE EAST TO THE CONTAINER FACILITIES AT KWAI CHUNG IN THE WEST.

——

THE SECTION GASCOIGNE

—

+THE FIRST CONTRACT FOR THIS SCHEME ROAD TO THE YAU MA TEI MULTI-STOREY CAR PARK WAS LET, WHILE TENDERS FOR A SECOND CONTRACT TO EXTEND THE ROAD THROUGH TO TONG MI ROAD WILL BE INVITED FAIRLY.SOON.

+ANOTHER MAJOR PROJECT LIKELY TO BE RECOMMENDED TO THE PUBLIC WORKS SUB-COMMITTEE FOR UPGRADING TO CATEGORY A OF THE PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME AS SOON AS FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS ARE COMPLETED, IS THE ABERDEEN TUNNEL AND ASSOCIATED APPROACHES.+

M.T.R. AND THE HANDICAPPED

MR. BELL THEN TURNED TO MASS TRANSIT. HE SAID THAT IN READINESS FOR THE START OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE RAILWAY NEXT YEAR, PLANS FOR THE NECESSARY TRAFFIC DIVERSIONS WERE NEARING COMPLETION.

+IN FAIRNESS TO THE PUBLIC AT LARGE, HOWEVER, I WOULD LIKE TO SOUND A CAUTIONARY WARNING THAT, DESPITE THIS ADVANCE PLANNING, CONGESTION LEADING TO CONSIDERABLE DELAYS IS INEVITABLE IN MANY AREAS WHERE THE RAILWAY IS TO BE CONSTRUCTED. IT WILL BE OUR AIM HOWEVER TO KEEP THESE TO AN ABSOLUTE MINIMUM,+

ON THE QUESTION OF SPECIAL FACILITIES FOR HANDICAPPED PERSONS TO USE THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY, MR. BELL SAID THIS MATTER WAS VERY FULLY CONSIDERED BY A GROUP COMPRISING FIVE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND TWO UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL IN JUNE THIS YEAR.

+MY COLLEAGUES THE COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT AND DIRECTOR OF MASS TRANSIT STUDIES AND HELD A VERY FULL DISCUSSION WITH THESE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS, WHO CONCLUDED THAT THE PROVISION OF SUCH SPECIAL FACILITIES COULD NOT BE SUPPORTED.

+IN REACHING THIS CONCLUSION, AS MUCH CONSIDERATION WAS GIVEN TO THE FEELINGS OF THE HANDICAPPED PERSONS AS TO THE COST OF PROVIDING SPECIAL FACILITIES FOR THEM. THERE IS LITTLE DOUBT THAT ON THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY IT WILL BE RUSH-HOUR+ ALL DAY LONG, THERE BEING ONLY AN EIGHT PER CENT REDUCTION FORECAST IN THE NUMBER OF PERSONS USING THE RAILWAY IN THE +OFF-PEAK+ PERIODS, SUCH AS THEY WILL BE,+ HE SAID.

/TRAINS, HE NOTED,