XN000022-1980-10-07 — Page 4

- 3

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1980

+ IT HAS ASSISTED THE BACKBONE OF OUR ECONOMY THE MANUFACTURING AND EXPORTING INDUSTRIES PARTICULARLY WHERE SPEED AND TIMELINESS OF DELIVERY ARE IMPORTANT. FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THIS YEAR, IN VALUE TERMS, ABOUT 23 PER CENT OF OUR EXPORTS AND 28 PER CENT OF RE-EXPORTS LEFT HONG KONG BY AIR- A HIGH AND INCREASING PROPORTION OF OUR MANUFACTURED GOODS.+

THE TOURIST INDUSTRY, MR NEWBIGGING POINTED OUT, IS ANOTHER VITAL SECTOR OF OUR ECONOMY WHICH HAS BENEFITED FROM AND REMAINS HEAVILY DEPENDENT ON AVIATION.

→THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS CARRIED IN AND OUT OF HONG KONG HAS MULTIPLIED BY NEARLY SEVEN TIMES SINCE 1965 FROM 900 000 TO 6.2 MILLION IN 1979, OF WHICH 72 PER CENT WERE TOURISTS.+

MR NEWBIGGING ALSO NOTED THAT WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AIRLINKS BETWEEN CITIES IN CHINA AND HONG KONG, IT IS LIKELY THAT HONG KONG WILL INCREASINGLY BENEFIT FROM BEING A GATEWAY TO CHINA AND THIS COULD HAVE A MAJOR IMPACT ON FUTURE PASSENGER GROWTH.

GO-AHEAD FOR PARK-AND-RIDE FACILITIES AT MTR, KCR STATIONS

******

THE GOVERNMENT IS GOING AHEAD WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF CAR PARKS AT MTR AND KCR STATIONS TO PROVIDE PARK-AND-RIDE FACILITIES FOR MOTORISTS.

MULTI-STOREY CAR PARKS HAVE BEEN INCORPORATED INTO THE TRANSPORT INTERCHANGE LAYOUTS AT BOTH TSUEN WAN AND KWAI FONG STATIONS ON THE MTR TSUEN WAN EXTENSION.

IT IS INTENDED THAT THESE FACILITIES WILL BE AVAILABLE TO COINCIDE WITH THE OPENING OF THE EXTENSION IN LATE 1981 OR 1982.

PROJECTS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF MULTI-STOREY CAR PARKS AT MTR STATIONS AT CHOI HUNG AND ALSO AT KOWLOON TONG ARE NOW BEING ACTIVELY PROCEEDED WITH. BOTH ARE DUE FOR COMPLETION IN 1983.

LARGE CAR PARKS HAVE ALSO BEEN INCORPORATED INTO THE INTERCHANGE LAYOUTS AT SHA TIN, TAI PO, FANLING AND SHEUNG SHUI STATIONS ON THE KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY.

ALL THESE STATIONS ARE UNDERGOING MAJOR RE-DEVELOPMENT IN CONNECTION WITH THE MODERNISATION OF THE KCR, AND WILL PROVIDE CONVENIENT TRANSFER POINTS FOR MOTORISTS WISHING TO TRAVEL BETWEEN THE NEW TERRITORIES AND THE EXISTING URBAN AREAS.

SENIOR TRANSPORT OFFICER, MR PAUL WILLIAMS SAID1 +CONSIDERABLE EFFORT IS BEING MADE TO CATCH UP' WITH REGARD TO THE PROVISION OF PARK-AND-RIDE FACILITIES BOTH ON THE MTR AND KCR, BUT CARE HAS TO BE TAKEN TO ENSURE THAT DEMAND FOR EXTENSIVE PARKING FACILITIES WILL MATERIALISE IN ORDER TO AVOID CREATING WHITE ELEPHANTS'.+

/HE STRESSED