XN000022-1975-04-10 — Page 2

THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 1975

FEWER CARS ON THE ROADS -

BUT TRAFFIC PROBLEM

FAR FROM OVER, SAYS TRANSPORT COMMISSIONER

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THE COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT, MR. IAN MACPHERSON, TODAY SOUNDED A NOTE OF CAUTION ON TRAFFIC PROBLEMS AND SAID THEY WERE FAR FROM DEINS OVER DESPITE A SWITCH AWAY FROM PRIVATE CAR OWNERSHIP AND USE INTO PUBLIC TRANSPORT DURING THE PAST 15 MONTHS.

HE SAID PRELIMINARY PROJECTIONS INDICATED THAT, ON CERTAIN PERFECTLY REASONABLE ASSUMPTIONS AS TO ECONOMIC AND POPULATION GROWTH AND WITHOUT FURTHER RESTRAINTS. PRIVATE CARS WOULD BE DOUBLE THE PRESENT NUMBER OF 118,000 BY THE 1980'S.

MR.

SPEAKING AT A LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE Y'S MEN'S CLUB, MACPHERSON SAID ONE OF THE MAIN PREMISES OF THE TRANSPORT GREEN PAPER WAS THAT ROAD CONGESTION WAS THE MAIN PROBLEM AND THAT PRIVATE CARS WERE THE MAIN CONTRIBUTOR TO SUCH CONGESTION.

HE SAID THAT DESPITE A MARKED DROP OF SOME 10,000 IN VEHICLES, MAINLY IN PRIVATE CARS, IN THE PAST 15 MONTHS, IT WOULD DE NAIVE TO SUPPOSE THAT TRAFFIC PROBLEMS WERE OVER IF ONE ASSUMED THAT THE COMBINATION OF CIRCUMSTANCES AFFECTING THE PRIVATE CAR MARKET WOULD NOT CONTINUE, AND GIVEN A RESTORED ANNUAL GROWTH RATE IN HOUSEHOLD INCOME AND GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCTS PLUS A PREDICTED POPULATION INCREASE.

*IF ONE ACCEPTS THE ASSUMPTIONS, ONE IS FORCED TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE BASIC PREMISE OF THE GREEN PAPER REMAINS SOUND THE FACTS OF LIFE ON THE ROAD ARE SUCH THAT FURTHER RESTRAINTS ON PRIVATE CAR OWNERSHIP AND USE SEEM TO BE INEVITABLE,+ HE SAID.

THE COMMISSIONER POINTED OUT THAT WHILE IMPROVEMENTS COULD BE MADE TO THE ROAD NETWORKS, AND ROAD ENGINEERING AND TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT COULD BE EMPLOYED TO IMPROVE TRAFFIC FLOW, THERE WERE PRACTICAL LIMITS TO SUCH MEASURES.

WHAT THE RESTRAINTS SHOULD BE IF THERE MUST BE RESTRAINTS REMAINED TO BE SEEN, HE SAID, BUT HE DID NOT SEE TOO MANY PRACTICABLE OPTIONS OTHER THAN FISCAL ONES SO AS TO DETER ASPIRATIONS TOWARDS CAR OWNERSHIP, WHICH, THOUGH ENTIRELY LEGITIMATE, MUST BE KEPT WITHIN BOUNDS IN HONG KONG'S PHYSICAL CIRCUMSTANCES.

+1 AM FAR FROM BEING IN FAVOUR OF TOO MUCH INTERVENTION IN THE COMMERCIAL OPERATION OF EITHER THE PUBLIC OR PRIVATE

SURELY TRANSPORT FIELD, BUT IF ONE ACCEPTS THE PREDICTIONS, THERE SEEMS NOT TO BE TOO MUCH ALTERNATIVE IF WE ARE TO ACHIEVE AN ACCEPTABLE ROAD USE MIX, HE SAID.

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/HR. MACPHERSON .....