XN000022-1975-08-04 — Page 4

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MONDAY, AUGUST 4, 1975

APART FROM HIS SECTION CARRYING OUT RESEARCH AND PLANNING WORK, HE SAID, THERE ARE OTHER VALUABLE RESOURCES AVAILABLE, PARTICI ARLY THE TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORT SURVEY DIVISION OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WHICH HELPS IN PROJECTS REQUESTED BY THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT.

MR. CHOY SAID THAT DURING THE YEAR 1974-75, HIS SECTION ISSUED AN ANNUAL STATISTICAL REPORT AS WELL AS MONTHLY STATISTICAL DIGESTS WHICH HE DESCRIBED AS IMPORTANT COMPILATIONS PROVIDING STATISTICS ON THE VARIOUS MODES OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT WITH REGARD TO PASSENGER VOLUMES AND MILEAGE OPERATED, FLEET ALLOCATION, VEHICLE INSPECTIONS, DRIVING TESTS AND LICENCES, VEHICLE REGISTRATION AND CAR PARK UTILISATION.

+STUDIES OF REGIONAL TRANSPORT REQUIREMENTS WERE MADE FOR AREAS LIKE LAM TIN, TSZ WAN SHAN, TSUEN WAN NEW TOWN AND CHAI WAN, HE SAID.

IN ADDITION, SOME 220 FIELD SURVEYS AND INVESTIGATIONS WERE CONDUCTED. THE FINDINGS OF WHICH WERE PRESENTED IN THE FORM OF INSPECTION REPORTS AND TRANSPORT STUDIES REPORTS.

IN FACT, CHECKS ARE CARRIED OUT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR ON VARIOUS BUS ROUTES TO ASCERTAIN WHETHER THE LEVEL OF SERVICE PROVIDED IS REASONABLY ACCEPTABLE TO THE TRAVELLING PUBLIC,

+SURVEYS ARE MADE ON THE GENERAL CONDITION OF WINDOWS, SEATS, INTERNAL LIGHTING, HANDGRIPS, THE CLEANLINESS OF THE BODYWORK, THE ADEQUACY AND THE UTILIZATION OF ROUTES TO EXAMINE THE FREQUENCY, TERMINAL LAY-OVER TIME, CARRYING AND SPARE CAPACITY AND NUMBER OF PASSENGERS CARRIED,+ HE SAID.'

IT IS CONDSIDERED THAT AN EFFICIENT AND ADEQUATE PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICE IS ESSENTIAL TO ATTRACT COMMUTERS TO GIVE UP THEIR PRIVATE CARS AS A MEANS OF REDUCING THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES ON THE ROADS AND DEMANDS ON ROAD AND KERB-SIDE SPACE, HE ADDED.

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AS REGARDS TRAMS MR. CHOY SAID THAT SURVEYS WERE OFTEN CARRIED OUT ON CERTAIN TRAM SÉRVICE +BLACK SPOTS+ WHERE TRAMS WERE FREQUENTLY DELAYED BY THE TURNING MOVEMENT OF OTHER VEHICLES.

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+THERE ARE ALSO THE PEDESTRIAN AND ROAD TRAFFIC SURVEYS, AMONG OTHERS, WHICH GENERALLY FOLLOW PUBLIC COMPLAINTS OR SUGGESTIONS MAINLY CONCERNING VEHICULAR CONFLICTS AT ROAD JUNCTIONS, PEDESTRIAN- VEHICULAR CONFLICTS ON BUSY ROADS, TRAFFIC DELAYS CAUSED BY KERBSIDE ACTIVITIES, LACK OF TRAFFIC SIGNALS AND PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS. THE FINDINGS ARE WRITTEN INTO REPORTS FOR DELIBERATION BY TRANSPORT PLANNERS, HE SAID.

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