XN000022-1981-10-28 — Page 31

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1981

BUS LANE CUTS JOURNEY TIMES BY 80 PER CENT

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BUS JOURNEY TIMES ALONG THE BISNEY ROAD TO POKFIELD ROAD SECTION OF POK FU LAM ROAD WERE CUT BY 80 PER CENT WHEN THE POK FU LAM ROAD BUS-ONLY LANE WAS INTRODUCED BETWEEN 7 AM AND 9 AM TODAY.

THE TIME SAVED ALONG THE 1.2-KILOMETRE SECTION TOOK 10 TO 15 MINUTES OFF OVERALL BUS JOURNEY TIMES.

QUOTING THE RESULTS OF BEFORE-AND-AFTER TRAFFIC SURVEYS, THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT'S CHIEF TRANSPORT OFFICER, TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT DIVISION, MR ALAN LUI SAID +BEFORE THE INTRODUCTION OF THE BUS LANE, BUSES TOOK 18 MINUTES TO TRAVEL BETWEEN BISNEY ROAD AND POKFIELD ROAD.

+NOW IT TAKE A MERE 3-1/2 MINUTES

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- ONE FIFTH OF THE TIME.+

MR LUI SAID THAT A CONTROL POINT SET UP AT THE JUNCTION OF POKFIELD ROAD BETWEEN 7 AM AND 9 AM TODAY RECORDED THE MOVEMENT OF 190 BUSES CARRYING MORE THAN 20 000 PEOPLE.

+ IN COMPARISON, 2 000 OTHER VEHICLES OCCUPYING TWICE AS MUCH ROAD SPACE AS THE BUSES CARRIED ONLY ABOUT 4 000 PEOPLE DURING THE SAME PERIOD, HE SAID.

MR LUI ADDED THAT OTHER ROAD-USERS WERE NOT UNDULY AFFECTED BY THE OPENING OF THE BUS-ONLY LANE, THANKS TO THE PROVISION OF SPACE FOR TWO QUEUES OF VEHICLES ALONGSIDE THE BUS LANE.

CHINA MOTOR BUS TRAFFIC MANAGER MR LYNDON REES SAID HE WAS +DEL IGHTED WITH THE SIGNIFICANT DROP IN OVERALL BUS JOURNEY TIMES+.

+AS A RESULT OF THE SCHEME, OUR BUSES WERE ABLE TO CLEAR PASSENGER QUEUES AT THE WAH FU BUS TERMINUS BY 7.40 AM, 40 MINUTES EARLIER THAN USUAL, HE SAID.

MR LEN RICHBELL, TECHNICAL ADVISER TO A FIRM OF CONSULTING ENGINEERS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SCHEME, SAID HE WAS VERY PLEASED+ WITH THE SUCCESS OF THE SCHEME.

+A NUMBER OF REFINEMENTS WILL HAVE TO BE MADE OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS BUT, ONCE MOTORISTS GET USED TO THE SCHEME, ITS BENEFIT TO THE MAJORITY OF COMMUTERS WILL QUICKLY BECOME APPARENT, MR RICHBELL SAID.

THE MUTUAL AID COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN OF WAH HING HOUSE AT WAH FU ESTATE, MR LAM WAN, SAID HE WAS HAPPY TO SEE AN IMPROVEMENT IN BUS JOURNEY TIMES WITHOUT INCONVENIENCING OTHER ROAD-USERS.

THE BUS-ONLY LANE, EXTENDING FROM BISNEY ROAD TO POKFIELD ROAD, OPERATES FROM 7 AM TO 9 AM MONDAY TO SATURDAY.

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