XN000022-1977-03-21 — Page 4

MONDAY, MARCH 21, 1977

OVER FIVE MILLION VEHICLES USE LION ROCK TUNNEL

A RECORD 5.18 MILLION

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VEHICLES PASSED THROUGH THE LION ROCK TUNNEL LAST YEAR, ACCORDING TO FIGURES RELEASED TODAY BY THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT.

THIS REPRESENTED A 17.4 PER CENT INCREASE OVER 1975 AND BROUGHT THE OVERALL TOTAL SINCE THE OPENING OF THE TUNNEL IN 1967 TO 34.75 MILLION.

PRIVATE CARS MADE UP 70.59 PER CENT OF LAST YEAR'S TRAFFIC, WITH HEAVY AND MEDIUM VEHICLES CONSITUTING 15.68 AND 13.73 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY.

THE UPSURGE IN THE VOLUME OF TRAFFIC THROUGH THIS IMPORTANT LINK BETWEEN URBAN KOWLOON AND SHA TIN WAS CAUSED BY THE DEVELOPMENT OF LEK YUEN ESTATE AND OTHER PUBLIC HOUSING PROJECTS AS WELL AS RECLAMATION WORK FOR THE NEW RACE COURSE IN SHA TIN.

MORE LORRIES ARE USING THE TUNNEL, BRINGING EARTH EXCAVATED FROM MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY SITES TO THE DUMPING AREA IN SHA TIN.

AT THE SAME TIME, FOUR MORE NEW TERRITORIES RURAL BUS ROUTES VIA THE TUNNEL WERE INTRODUCED DURING THE YEAR. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF BUS TRIPS THROUGH THE TUNNEL STOCD AT 185,922, AN INCREASE OF 163 PER CENT OVER 1975.

THE TOTAL REVENUE FROM TUNNEL TOLL LAST YEAR WAS $6.14 MILLION COMPARED WITH $4.29 MILLION IN 1975.

1976 WAS ALSO A BUSY YEAR FOR THE CROSS HARBOUR TUNNEL, WITH 18,218,000 VEHICLES PASSING THROUGH IT, REGISTERING A 19.1 PER CENT INCREASE OVER THE PRECEDING YEAR.

REVENUE FROM THE TOLLS, WHICH RANGE FROM TWO TO 20 DOLLARS A VEHICLE, AMOUNTED TO $113,854,000.

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