XN000022-1978-07-07 — Page 2

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FRIDAY, JULY 7, 1978

GOVERNMENT REVEALS DETAILS OF TRANSPORT PLAN FOR

ISLAND CORRIDOR *****

THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, MR. DEREK JONES, TODAY (FRIDAY) REVEALED MORE DETAILS OF GOVERNMENT'S SHORT AND LONG TERM STRATEGY FOR IMPROVING THE TRANSPORT SITUATION IN THE ISLAND CORRIDOR, WHICH HE SPOKE ABOUT IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON WEDNESDAY.

MR. JONES TOLD A PRESS CONFERENCE THAT THE IMMEDIATE TASK WAS TO GET UNDERWAY A SERIES OF DETAILED FEASIBILITY AND

IMPLEMENTATION STUDIES.

HE SAID IT WAS PROPOSED THAT THESE STUDIES WHICH WERE EXPECTED TO TAKE ABOUT 12 MONTHS TO COMPLETE SHOULD BE CARRIED OUT JOINTLY BY THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY CORPORATION AND THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT. THEY WOULD BE CO-ORDINATED BY A STEERING GROUP CHAIRED BY THE DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.

+WHILE THE STUDIES ARE BEING CONDUCTED, AND IN ANTICIPATION OF THEIR CONFIRMING THAT THE STRATEGY IS FEASIBLE IN DETAIL, I WILL OPEN NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE HONG KONG TRAMWAYS COMPANY WITH A VIEW TO THE GOVERNMENT EXERCISING ITS RIGHT UNDER SECTION 30 OF THE TRAMWAYS ORDINANCE TO PURCHASE THE TRAMWAY, +MR. JONES SAID.

+THESE NEGOTIATIONS WILL COVER THE PERIOD BETWEEN NOW AND THE INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW LIGHT RAIL VEHICLES, THE COST OF ACQUIRING THE RELEVANT ASSETS OF THE HONG KONG TRAMWAYS COMPANY, AND THE POSITION OF THE COMPANY'S STAFF.+

HOWEVER, HE SAID, THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT PROPOSE TO ACQUIRE THE TRAM DEPOT IN SHARP STREET EAST SINCE IT WAS NOT NEEDED FOR THE NEW LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM.

MR. JONES SAID ASSUMING THAT THE DETAILED ISSUES OF IMPLEMENTATION WERE SATISFACTORILY RESOLVED, AND ALSO ASSUMING THAT THE BOARD OF THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY CORPORATION AGREED TO DEVELOP AND OPERATE THE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM, THE NEW VEHICLES COULD BEGIN TO ARRIVE IN HONG KONG WITHIN THREE YEARS.

·

+THIS MEANS THAT, IF NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE HONG KONG TRAMWAYS COMPANY PROCEED SATISFACTORILY, THESE MODERN, SINGLE-DECKED, ARTICULATED VEHICLES COULD BE IN OPERATION BY MID-1981, + HE SAID.

BY THIS TIME, ALSO, A GREAT DEAL OF THE SEGREGATED RIGHT OF WAY REQUIRED TO EXPLOIT THE POTENTIAL OF THE LIGHT RAIL VEHICLES WOULD BE IN EXISTENCE, TAKING THE FORM OF FENCES, RAISED KERBS, FLYOVERS AND SPECIAL PEDESTRIAN ACCESS FACILITIES, HE SAID. THIS TIMING EMPHASISED A MAJOR ADVANTAGE OF THE STRATEGY, NAMELY THAT IT WOULD RESULT IN EARLY IMPROVEMENT IN PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN THE CORRIDOR.

/+AT THE SAME