XN000022-1976-12-04 — Page 4

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1976

ADDITIONAL ROUTES WILL BE INTRODUCED DURING THE COMING MONTHS INCLUDING FACILITIES FOR MOUNT NICHOLSON, BLUE POOL ROAD, SASSOON ROAD AND LINK ROAD TOGETHER WITH INCREASED FACILITIES ALONG CONDUIT ROAD TO PO SHAN ROAD.

THE FIRST BATCH OF NEW TERRITORIES TAXIS BEGAN OPERATION IN OCTOBER AND ABOUT 90 ARE NOW OPERATING IN THE RURAL AREAS TO THE NORTH OF TSUEN WAN AND SHA TIN,

BASED ON THE ACTUAL FIGURES SO FAR THIS YEAR, IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS USING PUBLIC TRANSPORT DAILY WILL REACH 5.8 MILLION BY THE END OF THE YEAR: 45.3 PER CENT BY BUS, 28.2 PER CENT BY MINI-BUS, 10.7 PER CENT BY TAXI, 9 PER CENT BY FERRY, 6.2 PER CENT BY TRAM AND 0.6 PER BY RAIL.

CENT

THE NUMBER OF REGISTERED PRIVATE MOTOR CARS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR WAS 114,260. FOLLOWING A FURTHER DECLINE DURING MUCH OF THE YEAR, THE PRESENT LICENSED FIGURE IS 113,228 ALTHOUGH THE DEPARTMENT CONSIDERS THERE ARE INDICATIONS THAT BY EARLY 1977 THE NUMBER OF MOTOR CARS WILL START TO INCREASE AGAIN ALTHOUGH NOT AT THE PRODIGIOUS RATE EXPERIENCED IN 1972 AND 1973.

THE INCREASE IN BUILDING CONSTRUCTION WORK THROUGHOUT HONG KONG INCLUDING THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY HAS LED TO AN INCREASE DEMAND UPON GOODS VEHICLES AND AN EXTRA 653 VEHICLES WERE LICENSED IN OCTOBER ALONE. THE PRESENT FLEET OF 36,042 GOODS VEHICLES IS THE HIGHEST FIGURE REGISTERED TO DATE.

MOTORISTS URGED TO DRIVE WITH CARE

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THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT WILL BE CLEARING THE CHOKED GULLIES ALONG THE PRINCE EDWARD ROAD FLYOVER IN FRONT OF THE WAI TAK AIRPORT FROM MIDNIGHT TO ABOUT 6 A.M. ON TUESDAY (DECEMBER 7).

TO FACILITATE THIS OPERATION, A NUMBER OF TRAFFIC LANES WILL BE CLOSED TO TRAFFIC.

MOTOR ISTS ARE ADVISED TO DRIVE WITH PARTICULAR CARE WHEN PASSING THIS FLYOVER DURING THE HOURS STATED ABOVE,

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