XN000022-1977-12-21 — Page 22

20

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1977

TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORT CAREFULLY PLANNED TO

COPE WLTH SUNDAY RACING AT SHATIN

****

THE GOVERNMENT HAS GIVEN MOST CAREFUL CONSIDERATION TO THE MATTERS OF TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORT IN THE NEW TERRITORIES BEFORE THE DECISION WAS TAKEN TO ALLOW SUNDAY RACING AT SHATIN, THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, THE HON. DEREK JONES, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

IN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM REV. THE HON. JOYCE M. BENNETT, MR. JONES SAID THE AVAILABILITY OF ADEQUATE ROAD AND RAIL COMMUNICATIONS TO COPE WITH THE EXPECTED TRAFFIC AND THE TIME OF RACE MEETINGS TO AVOID CONFLICT WITH CTHER RECREATIONAL TRAFFIC WERE CAREFULLY TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.

MR. JONES SAID THE RACE COURSE WOULD HAVE A CAPACITY OF 35,000 AND, AS NO MORE THAN 1,000 CAR PARKING SPACES WOULD BE PROVIDED AND ALLOCATED, THE MAJORITY OF THOSE ATTENDING WOULD NEED TO USE PUBLIC TRANSPORT TO GET THERE.

HE NOTED: THE KOWLOON CANTON RAILWAY, WHOSE SHATIN RACE COURSE STATION WILL BE COMPLETED BY SEPTEMBER 1978, AND THE BUS COMPANIES, WILL BETWEEN THEM BE ABLE TO CARRY 28,000 PASSENGERS TO THE COURSE AND 33,000 HOME AFTERWARDS.

→THE CAPACITY OF THE ROAD SYSTEM WILL ALSO BE IMPROVED NEXT YEAR WITH THE OPENING OF THE SECOND TUBE OF THE LION ROCK TUNNEL AND ITS ASSOCIATED ROAD WORKS, AND IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT THE ROADS WILL BE ABLE TO COPE WITH THE BALANCE OF RACEGOERS USING OTHER MEANS OF TRANSPORT, AS WELL AS OTHER TRAFFIC,+ MR. JONES SAID.

REPLYING TO ANOTHER QUESTION CONCERNING TAXIS RAISED BY THE HON. JOHN BREMRIDGE, MR. JONES SAID THAT PROGRAMME FOR CONVERTING PUBLIC HIRE CARS TO TAXIS WAS PROCEEDING AS RAPIDLY AS THE RESOURCES OF THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT PERMIT.

HE SAID: THEY SHOULD ALL BE CONVERTED BY EARLY JULY 1978 AND, FROM MAY ONWARDS, IT SHOULD BE POSSIBLE TO RESUME THE AGREED POLICY FOR THE DIRECT ISSUE OF FURTHER URBAN TAXI LICENCES. BY THEN THERE WILL BE OVER 7,000 TAXIS AVAILABLE. +

/21