XN000022-1977-08-10 — Page 3

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 1977

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LEGCO WELCOVES DECISION TO EXTEND PTR TO TSUEN WAN

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THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL HAS PASSED A MOTION WELCOMING THE DECISION TO EXTEND THE HASS TRANSIT RAILWAY SYSTEM TO TSUEN WAN.

FIVE UNOFFICIALS SPOKE DURING THE RESUMED DEBATE TODAY. DR. THE HON. S.Y. CHUNG, THE HON. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN, DR. THE HON. HARRY FANG AND THE HON. FRANCIS TIEN SPOKE IN FAVOUR, WHILE THE HON. .S. LO VOTED AGAINST IT.

OPPOSING THE MOTION, MR. LO REFUTED THE ARGUMENTS FOR THE EXTENSION MADE BY THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY IN THE COUNCIL TWO WEEKS AGO.

FIRSTLY, AS REGARDS THE LACK OF KERB SPACE, MR. LO SUGGESTED THAT THE PROBLEM COULD BE OVERCOME BY THE RESUMPTION OF LAND ALONG BUS ROUTES AND REQUIRING ITS REDEVELOPERS TO CREATE SUFFICIENT SPACE FOR BUS BAYS.

SECONDLY, HE COULD NOT ACCEPT THE ARGUMENT THAT THE EXTENSION HAS TO BE BUILT BECAUSE IT IS CHEAPER TO DO SO NOW THAN LATER.

THIRDLY, HE FOUND IT HARD TO AGREE THAT MOST PEOPLE WOULD PREFER TC USE THE MTR RATHER THAN A DUS UNLESS THE RAILWAY IS BOTH CHEAPER AND MORE COMFORTABLE.

MR. LO CITED THE CASE OF LONDON AND TOKYO TO PROVE HIS POINT THAT A MASS TRANSIT SYSTEM MAY NOT BE THE BEST MEANS TO SOLVE TRAFFIC CONGESTION. HE FELT THAT AN EVEN BETTER SYSTEM OF ROADS AND FLYOVERS WAS THE ANSWER, IN THIS CONNECTION, HE SAID THAT

IT WAS A PITY THAT THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE HAD NOT BEEN CONSULTED ON THE PROPOSED EXTENSION.

ESTIMATING THAT THE DIFFERENCE IN FARES BETWEEN THE MTR AND BUSES ON THE KWUN TONG TO TSUEN MAN ROUTE WOULD COME TO $9.35 A DAY OR ONE-AND-A-HALF MONTHS' PAY OF AN AVERAGE WORKER IN 1936, HE DOUBTED THE VIABILITY OF THE WTR UNLESS OTHER FORMS OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT ARE RESHAPED 30 AS TO INDUCE GOVERNMENT'S CAPTIVE CUSTOMERS IN TSUEN WAN, KWAI CHUNG, TSING YI AND TUEN MUN TO PAY WHATEVER FARE THE MTRC WILL HAVE TO CHARGE TO MAKE THE EXTENSION VIABLE.

+ INDEED, INSTEAD OF PLANNING A TRANSPORT SYSTEM TO SERVE THE POPULATION GOVERNMENT WILL HAVE TO PLAN HOW TO FORCE THE PEOPLE TO PAY FOR ITS EXTRAVAGANT VENTURE+, HE SAID.

UNCERTAINTIES OVER INTEREST RATES AND HONG KONG'S OWN GROWTH RATE MADE THE SCHEME EVEN LESS ATTRACTIVE, R. LO ADDED.

HE REITERATED THE LARNING MADE WHEN HE LAST DEBATED THE ISSUE THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS LAUNCHING ON A HUGE GAELE THAT HONG KONG COULD NOT AFFORD TO LOSE. HE SAID THAT TO INCREASE THE STAKES BY EUILDING THE EXTENSION WOULD NOT INCREASE CUP CHANCES OF INNING BUT MERELY THE EXTENT CF CUR POTENTIAL LOSS AND SUFFER ING.

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