XN000022-1981-12-06 — Page 6

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1981

SHA TIN CYCLE TRACK OPENED TODAY

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THE FIRST 11 KILOMETRES OF CYCLE TRACK IN SHA TIN WERE OFFICIALLY OPENED TODAY (SUNDAY).

THE TRACK, WHICH IS PLANNED FOR BOTH ROAD SAFETY AND RECREATIONAL PUR ̃OSES, RUNS FROM MEI LAM ESTATE, THROUGH TAI WAI, SHA TIN TAJ, SHA TIN TOWN CENTRE, LEK YUEN AND WO CHE HOUSING ESTATIS. ENDING AT FO TAN INDUSTRIAL AREA,

IT WILL EXTEND OVER A DISTANCE OF 47.5 KILOMETRES IN AND AROUND THE NEW TOWN WHEN FULLY DEVELOPED.

CONSTRUCTION WORK FOR THE FIRST STAGE OF THE TRACK NETWORK INVOLVED BUILDING 19 TUNNELS AND TWO BRIDGES.

THE GENERAL WIDTH IS 3.5 METRES, RUNNING ON DIFFERENT LEVELS PARALLEL TO THE MAIN CARRIAGEWAYS,

ONLY.

IT HAS ITS OWN SIGNPOSTS AND IS FOR THE USE OF CYCLISTS

THE SECRETARY FOR CITY AND NEW TERRITORIES ADMISTRATION MR DAVID AKERS-JONES, WHO WAS PERFORMING THE JOINT OPENING OF THE SHA TIN ROAD SAFETY CAMPAIGN AND THE CYCLE TRACK, SAID IT WAS HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT THAT THE TWO EVENTS WERE TAKING PLACE ON SAME DAY BECAUSE THEY WERE BOTH CONNECTED WITH ROAD SAFETY.

+ON THE ONE HAND WE HAVE TO MAKE PEOPLE MORE AWARE OF THE SIMPLE RULES OF ROAD SAFETY AND ON THE OTHER TO ENSURE THAT BY

INTELLIGENT CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS AND OTHER FACILITIES WE AVOID CAUSING UNNECESSARY ANGER AND ADOPT MEASURES WHICH HELP ELIMINATE ACCIDENTS, HE SAID.

IT IS A SAD FACT THAT WHILE THE POPULATION OF THE

NEW TERRITORIES HAS GROWN 37 PER CENT IN THE PAST FOUR YEARS THE TOTAL NUMBER OF SERIOUS ACCIDENTS ON THE ROADS HAS GROWN BY THE SAME AMOUNT - 37 PER CENT.+

CYCLE TRACKS ON THIS SCALE HAD NOT PREVIOUSLY BEEN INTRODUCED INTO HONG KONG, MR AKERS-JONES SAID.

J

+OUR INTENTION IN SHA TIN WAS TO PROVIDE A QUICK, CHEAP AND SAFE METHOD OF LINKING UP PARTS OF THE TOWN, PARTICULARLY THE RESIDENTIAL AND INDUSTRIAL AREAS,+ HE SAID.

SHA TIN CYCLE TRACKS WOULD EVENTUALLY LINK WITH TAI PO AND TAI PO TO THE PAT SIN COUNTRY PARK.

+ IN ADDITION WE ARE, WHEREVER POSSIBLE, SEPARATING PEDESTRIANS AND VEHICLES BY THE CONSTRUCTION, FROM THE VERY BEGINNING IN THE NEW TOWNS, OF SUBWAYS AND BRIDGES AND PODIUM DECKS, HE SAID.

THE ENVIRONMENT OF WO CHE AND LEK YUEN ESTATES WAS A FINE EXAMPLE OF THIS NEW APPROACH TO THE BUILDING OF PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES.