XN000022-1978-07-19 — Page 12

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 1978

TRAFFIC FLOW IN WEST KOWLOON IMPROVED

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A CONSIDERABLE IMPROVEMENT IN TRAFFIC FLOW IN WEST KOWLOON HAS BEEN ACHIEVED WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF THE COMPUTERISED TRAFFIC MONITORING SYSTEM, THE HCN. DEREK JONES, SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRON- MENT, SAID TODAY.

REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON. PETER C. WONG IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR. JONES SAID THE SCHEME HAD RESULTED IN A 30 PER CENT REDUCTION IN AVERAGE JOURNEY TIMES, A 52 PER CENT REDUCTION IN THE TIME DURING WHICH VEHICLES WERE STOPPED AND 42 PER CENT INCREASE IN THE AVERAGE SPEED OF MOVEMENT.

IN REPLY TO ANOTHER QUESTION BY MR. WONG, MR. JONES SAID IN ORDER TO AVOID ACCIDENT AND DANGER TO MOTORISTS AND PEDESTRIANS, IT WAS THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY TO INSTALL TRAFFIC LIGHTS AT MORE PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS.

HE SAID THAT AT PRESENT THERE ARE 216 SIGNAL CONTROLLED CROSSINGS AND 145 ZEBRA CROSSINGS THROUGHOUT HONG KONG.

MOST OF THE SIGNAL CONTROLLED CROSSINGS WERE PROGRAMMED TO SYNCHRONISE WITH OTHER TRAFFIC LIGHTS IN THE AREA AND THEY HAD REGULAR TIMINGS TO ALLOW PEDESTRIANS TO CROSS.

MR. JONES SAID THIS SYSTEM WAS PREFERABLE WHERE THERE WAS A CONSTANT FLOW OF VEHICLES AND PEDESTRIANS.

+PEDESTRIAN ACTIVATED SIGNALS ARE ONLY PROVIDED IN PLACES WHERE IT IS NOT NECESSARY FOR THEM TO BE SYNCHRONISED WITH OTHER TRAFFIC LIGHTS, HE ADDED.

QUERY ON TAXI DRIVERS PRACTICE

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THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, THE HON. DEREK JONES SAID TODAY THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS AWARE THAT MANY TAXI DRIVERS WERE USING +OUT-OF-SERVICE+ SIGNS OR COVERING THEIR METERS WITH RAGS AND REFUSING TO HIRE OUT HIS TAXI.

HE WAS ANSWERING A QUESTION FROM THE HON. CHARLES YEUNG IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

BUT, MR. JONES CAUTIONED THAT A TAXI DRIVER IS NOT ACTING ILLEGALLY IF HE REFUSES TO ACCEPT A HIRING WHEN HIS FLAG IS COVERED IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT IS NOT VISIBLE OUTSIDE THE TAXI.

+ IT IS THEREFORE DIFFICULT TO PROVE AN OFFENCE IN SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES AND IT IS REALLY UP TO THE PUBLIC TO REFUSE TO TAKE PART IN SUGH BARGAINING,+ HE SAID,

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