XN000022-1979-08-01 — Page 10

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1, 1979

HE THOUGHT THAT IF GOODS VEHICLES WERE REQUIRED TO BE INSPECTED ANNUALLY LIKE BUSES, THE MECHANICALLY UNSOUND ONES WOULD BE WEEDED OUT AND HOPEFULLY REPLACED BY NEW ONES MECHANICALLY GEARED TO SPEED UP LOADING AND UNLOADING AND THUS CONTRIBUTE TO BETTER ROAD USE.

USE OF KERBSIDE SPACE

THE HON. S.L. CHEN, WHO WAS OUT OF HONG KONG AND WHOSE SPEECH WAS DELIVERED BY THE HON. T.S. LO, OBSERVED THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD NEVER TRIED TO USE KERBSIDE SPACE MORE EFFICIENTLY, ALTHOUGH LIMITATION TO HAVING MORE SUCH SPACE WAS ONE OF THE ARGUMENTS WHICH LED IT TO DECIDE ON HAVING THE MTR.

HE POINTED OUT THAT THERE WERE FAR TOO MANY BUS AND TRAM STOPS AT THE KERBSIDE.

FOR EXAMPLE, FOR THE TWO-KILOMETRE JOURNEY BETWEEN YEE WO STREET AND ARSENAL STREET, THERE WERE NINE AND 10 RESPECTIVELY - THIS LED. TO SLOWER TRAVELLING TIME AND IN TURN MORE TRAFFIC CONGESTION AND LESS PASSENGER-JOURNEYS.

HE REFERRED TO HIS PREVIOUS SUGGESTION FOR FIXING STOPPING PLACES FOR MINI-BUSES. THIS WAS REJECTED BY THE GOVERNMENT ON THE GROUND THAT IT WOULD REMOVE THE ATTRACTION AND REDUCE THE FLEXIBILITY OF PLB SERVICE.

SUCH A VIEW, MR. CHEN SAID, WAS INCONSISTENT WITH EFFICIENT UTILISATION OF OUR LIMITED KERBSIDE SPACE.

ISLAND CORRIDOR

MR. CHEN QUESTIONED THE WHITE PAPER'S VIEWS ON A LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT (LRT) SYSTEM TO REPLACE THE EXISTING TRAMWAY.

SUCH A SYSTEM COULD ONLY BE SUCCESSFUL IF IT HAD A SEGREGATED RIGHT OF WAY, AT THE EXPENSE OF OTHER ROAD USERS.

THE WHITE PAPER'S SWEEPING STATEMENT THAT THIS WOULD BE OUTWEIGHED BY THE GAINS TO PASSENGERS AND THAT OVERALL THEY WOULD ENJOY A SUBSTANTIAL NET BENEFIT WAS UNACCEPTABLE WITHOUT SUBSTANTIAL JUSTIFICATION IN THE FORM OF FACTS AND FIGURES, HE SAID.

MR. CHEN WAS SURE THAT GIVEN THE SAME FACILITIES AND PRIVILEGE, INCLUDING LESS STOPS, THE EXISTING TRAMWAY SERVICE COULD BE GREATLY IMPROVED, PERHAPS NOT TO THE EXTENT OF AN LRT SYSTEM, BUT CERTAINLY CHEAPER THAN THE ONE BILLION DOLLARS IT WAS REPORTED TO COST.

HE WOULD LIKE TO SEE A COMPARISON OF THE TWO SYSTEMS WITH REGARD TO THEIR COST EFFECTIVENESS.

HE ASKED THE GOVERNMENT NOT TO DISMISS THE POTENTIAL VALUE OF A COASTAL FERRY SERVICE WHICH WAS DESCRIBED AS AN UNPOPULAR AND NON-VIABLE PROPOSITION IN THE WHITE PAPER.

/HE SAID

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