XN000022-1982-02-15 — Page 15

PR 33

H 香港政府 GIS 新聞處

DAILY INFORMATION BULLETIN

SUPPLEMENT

SPEECH BY 1.E. THE GOVERNOR AT THE OPENING CEREMONY

OF THE TRANSPORT CONFERENCE ON "TRANSPORT INTO THE 80s" ON HONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1982

Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Hong Kong is honoured to have been chosen by the UK-Department of Transport and the UK-Institute of Civil Engineers for this exciting conference and I am delighted to be invited to open it.

First of all I welcome the visiting participants and wish

them a pleasant and interesting stay here.

Modern Hong Kong has grown to its present stature inspite of great difficulties largely arising out of a massive influx of population. These difficulties have left scars still to be seen, for instance the squatters and the overcrowding. But problems are being tackled, often dramatically, and the visible combination of the challenge of the problems and the economic and social response to them makes Hong Kong a fascinating and impressive place for most visitors.

You are transport experts. Well our public transport system includes buses, trains, trans, ferries, a wide range of smaller vehicles and even a funicular tran and a cable car, 7.5m passenger journeye are made each day. The modes range from the sleekly modern to the interestingly antique. I am afraid that if you have come expecting rickshaws and sedan chairs you will be disappointed, but many of the old stone paths built centuries ago for traditional foot-bome transport still exist, though now maintained for hikers, and I hope you will see junks under

sail in the harbour.

In Hong Kong we have the usual combination of most big cities

Our case is of high urban density and huge daily passenger loads.

omplicated by division of the conurbation by both harbour and mountains.

The problems

Issued by Government Information Services, Beaconsfield House, Hong Kong. Tel: 5-233191