XN000022-1975-01-08 — Page 2

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 1975.

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MONORAIL AND TUBE COMPLEMENTARY TO EACH OTHER

THE PROPOSED MONORAIL SYSTEM AND THE UNDERGROUND RAILWAY ARE BASICALLY COMPLEMENTARY IN BOTH THE SHORT AND LONG TERM, THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, THE HON, JAMES RODSON, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

REPLYING TO A QUESTION.FROM DR. THE HON. HARRY FANG ON WHETHER THE MONORAIL COULD TAKE THE PLACE OF THE TUDE, MR. ROBSON NOTED THAT THE MONORAIL IS A RAPID TRANSIT - NOT A MASS TRANSIT SYSTEM - AND IT IS NOT CONSIDERED AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE UNDERGROUND RAILWAY.

ALTHOUGH THE MONORAIL'S CARRYING CAPACITY OF AROUND 8,000 PEOPLE AN HOUR IS SMALL IN RELATION TO THE 45,000 HOURLY CAPACITY OF THE UNDERGROUND SYSTEM'S EAST KOWLOON LING, HE SAID, IT COULD BE BUILT QUICKLY PROBABLY AT LEAST EIGHT TO TEN YEARS DEFORE THE TUDE LINE.

+IT WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE AN INVALUABLE SERVICE EVEN IF THE EAST KOWLOON LINE IS COMPLETED. IT ALSO SEEMS PROBABLE THAT THE CARRYING CAPACITY OF THE MONORAIL COULD DE EXPANDED IF THE DEMAND JUSTIFIED THIS.+

IN ADDITION, MR. RODSON SAID THE MONORAIL PASSENGERS WOULD TEND TO BE TOURISTS - PEOPLE USING THE AIRPORT AND PEOPLE FROM AREAS IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO THE ROUTE - WHEREAS THE UNDERGROUND RAILWAY WOULD GATER MAINLY FOR COMMUTERS.

IT WAS HOPED, HE ADDED, THAT A FEASIBILITY STUDY WOULD CONFIRM PRELIMINARY INDICATIONS THAT THE PROPOSED MONCRAIL SYSTEM, KNOWN AS THE ROMAG SYSTEM, WOULD BE CAPABLE OF PROVIDING SERVICES TO AREAS, SUCH AS THE MID-LEVELS, WHICH ARE INACCESSIBLE FROM TRADITIONAL MASS TRANSIT SYSTEM.

REFERRING TO ANOTHER QUESTION BY DR. FANG, MR. RODSON SAID THE PROPOSAL FOR THE MONORAIL WAS RECENTLY SUBMITTED TO THE GOVERNMENT AND CONSIDERED DY THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.

NO STUDY OF THE PROJECT WAS CURRENTLY BEING CARRIED OUT IN THE SECRETARIAT, BUT IT HAD BEEN AGREED THAT THE PROMOTERS COULD DO SO, AND THAT IF THE STUDY WOULD DEMONSTRATE THE FEASIBILITY OF THE SYSTEM THE COMPANY WOULD THEN BE PERMITTED TO DESIGN, CONSTRUCT AND OPERATE THE SYSTEM AS A PRIVATE VENTURE WITHOUT GOVERNMENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.

THE SUGGESTED AND TENTATIVE ALIGNMENT FOR THE MONORAIL SYSTEM IS FROM TSIM SHA TSUI TO THE AIRPORT VIA THE NEW HUNG HOM RAILWAY STATION WITH POSSIBLE EXTENSIONS TO CHOI HUNG AND KWUN TONG.

AR. ROBSON POINTED OUT