WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 1977
HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD CONSIDER SERIOUSLY FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF TRAVELLING COSTS AND THE EFFECT ON LIVING STANDARDS, WHETHER THESE FARES WOULD BE COMPATIBLE WITH BUS AND OTHER PUBLIC TRANSPORT FARES, WHETHER THE LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD DAILY USE THE SYSTEM WOULD BE ABLE TO AFFORD THEM AND TO WHAT EXTENT THE FARE STRUCTURE WOULD ESCALATE PRODUCTION AND WAGE COSTS THUS ADVERSELY AFFECTING HONG KONG'S EXPORT-ORIENTED ECONOMY.
REFERRING TO THE PLANNED STUDIES BY THE GOVERNMENT DURING THE NEXT TWO YEARS OF THE FULL IMPLICATIONS OF THE MTR ON THE PUBLIC TRANSPORT SYSTEM, HE URGED THE GOVERNMENT TO KEEP IN
MIND THAT THE MTR, APART FROM PROVIDING AN EFFICIENT SERVICE, SHOULD CHARGE FARES THE PUBLIC COULD REASONABLY BEAR, AND THAT THE FARES OF THE MTR SHOULD BE LOW ENOUGH SO THAT IT IS UTILISED TO CAPACITY WITH MINIMUM DISCOMFORT TO THE TRAVELLING PUBLIC.
HE ALSO NOTED THAT THE COUNCIL WOULD HAVE TO MONITOR CAREFULLY WHETHER OR NOT IT WAS IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST TO ALLOW THE CORPORATION TO RETAIN ITS SPECIAL STATUS OF NOT REQUIRING ITS FARE STRUCTURE TO BE APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL.
THE HON. FRANCIS TIEN STRONGLY SUPPORTED THE MOTION AND RECALLED THAT HE HAD ASKED A QUESTION IN THE COUNCIL LAST DECEMBER TO HAVE AN EARLY DECISION ON THE PROPOSED EXTENSION.
THE EXTENSION, WHEN COMPLETED, WOULD NOT ONLY DEAL EFFECTIVELY WITH OVER-CROWDING ON EXISTING TRANSPORT MODES AND AVOID CONGESTION ALONG THE WEST KOWLOON AND TSUEN WAN CORRIDORS, BUT ALSO ENABLE THE URBAN AREA OF KOWLOON TO BE EXTENDED TO INCLUDE TSUEN WAN AND ITS ENVIRONS, HE SAID.
MR. TIEN THOUGHT IT WOULD BE ILLOGICAL NOT TO EXTEND. +THE SYSTEM WOULD BE INCOMPLETE AND, SOONER OR LATER, SUCH AN EXTENSION WILL HAVE TO BE BUILT AND THIS WILL CERTAINLY COST MUCH MORE AT A LATER DATE.+
HE ADDED THAT ALTHOUGH MANY SCHEMES INVOLVING FLYOVERS, DOUBLE-DECKED HIGHWAYS AND SIMILAR STRUCTURES TO ALLEVIATE CONGESTION HAD BEEN CONSIDERED AND PLANNED, +WE MUST REMEMBER TO LOOK AHEAD TO THE NEXT DECADE WHEN THE ACTUAL CONGESTION IS SUCH, THAT THE PRACTICAL MEASURES MUST BE TAKEN NOW TO PLAN PUBLIC TRANSPORT FOR LARGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE WITHOUT ADDING TO EXISTING CONGESTION.+
IN THE MTR, HE CONTINUED, +HONG KONG WILL BE GETTING A SYSTEM WHICH EMPLOYS NOT ONLY THE MOST UP-TO-DATE TECHNIQUES BUT MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL, A SYSTEM WHOSE RELIABILITY AND SAFETY FEATURES ARE THOSE WHICH ARE PROVEN BEYOND DOUBT.+
THIS VITAL CONSIDERATION OF SAFETY+ SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE EXPECTED SPEED, REGULARITY, COMFORT AND CONVENIENCE OF THE MTR SYSTEM. + IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THE TRAVELLING PUBLIC WILL APPRECIATE THESE FEATURES OF THE SYSTEM AND BE PREPARED TO TRAVEL ON IT,+ HE SAID.
/DR. THE HCN. EARRY
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