XN000022-1981-08-20 — Page 4

THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 1981

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ROAD CONGESTION HAMPERING BUS OPERATIONS, SAYS COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT

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THE EFFECTS OF ROAD CONGESTION ON BUS OPERATIONS IS AN AREA OF GREAT CONCERN, THE COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT, MR ALAN ARMSTRONG-WRIGHT| SAYS IN HIS DEPARTMENT'S 1980 ANNUAL REPORT

RELEASED TODAY (THURSDAY).

+ALTHOUGH THE MAIN BUS COMPANIES INTRODUCED MORE THAN 350 ADDITIONAL DOUBLE-DECK VEHICLES DURING THE YEAR, THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS CARRIED WAS LESS FOR KMB AND ONLY SLIGHTLY HIGHER FOR CMB, HE SAID.

*THIS SHOULD HAVE RESULTED IN BUSES ON MANY ROUTES BEING LESS CROWDED, BUT MUCH OF THE IMPROVEMENT WAS LOST BECAUSE WORSENING ROAD CONGESTION MEANT THAT JOURNEY TIMES WERE LENGTHENED AND THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS EACH BUS WAS ABLE TO CARRY THROUGHOUT THE DAY WAS REDUCED.+

MR ARMSTRONG-WRIGHT SAID THE OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY OF BUS SERVICES IN CONGESTED CONDITIONS COULD BE CONSIDERABLY IMPROVED BY TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SCHEMES INCORPORATING PUBLIC TRANSPORT PRIORITY MEASURES.

BUT HE SAID IN THE OLDER URBAN AREAS, WHERE MUCH OF THE ROAD SYSTEM WAS ESTABLISHED IN DAYS OF RELATIVELY LIGHT TRAFFIC, IT IS INEVITABLE THAT THE PROVISION OF PRIORITY FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT WILL BE AT THE EXPENSE OF OTHER ROAD-USERS.

+THE AIM WILL CONTINUE TO BE TO MOVE THE GREATEST NUMBER

OF PEOPLE AND GOODS IN VEHICLES WHICH MAKE THE MOST EFFICIENT USE OF THE LIMITED ROAD SPACE AVAILABLE.

+TRAFFIC CONGESTION IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES REGISTERED AND LICENSED, AND 1980 WAS AGAIN A RECORD YEAR WITH A NET INCREASE OF MORE THAN 38 000 REGISTERED VEHICLES, BRINGING THE TOTAL TO JUST SHORT OF 300 000.

+NEW ROAD CONSTRUCTION, PARTICULARLY IN THE URBAN AREA, OBVIOUSLY CANNOT KEEP UP WITH INCREASES OF THIS MAGNITUDE AND THE FIGURES ON THE RAPID INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES USING THE CROSS-HARBOUR AND LION ROCK TUNNELS ILLUSTRATE THE SPEED WITH WHICH TRAFFIC ON THESE ROADS IS REACHING CAPACITY.

*THE SAME IS HAPPENING ON OTHER ROADS, WHERE THE NUMBER OF HOURS PER DAY DURING WHICH CONGESTION REACHES SERIOUS PROPORTIONS IS INCREASING.-

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