XN000022-1982-05-14 — Page 3

FRIDAY, MAY 14, 1982

TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT LOOKS INTO THE FUTURE

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THE COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT, MR ALAN ARMSTRONG-WRIGHT ANNOUNCED TODAY THAT HIS DEPARTMENT WILL BE CARRYING OUT AN IN- DEPTH STUDY INTO DETERMINING THE NEED FOR RESTRUCTURING ALL PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES BY 1986 WHEN THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY'S ISLAND LINE COMES INTO OPERATION,

THE RESEARCH, HE ADDED, IS ALSO AIMED AT DEVELOPING A MORE +INTEGRATED PUBLIC TRANSPORT SYSTEM+ (DIPTRANS) FOR THE ISLAND CORRIDOR FROM 1986 ONWARDS.

TWO CONSULTANCY FIRMS A BRITISH AND AN AMERICAN HAVE BEEN ENGAGED TO HELP IN THE STUDIES AND MR ARMSTRONG-WRIGHT TODAY SIGNED AN AGREEMENT WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM HALCROW FOX AND ASSOCIATES AND WILBUR SMITH AND ASSOCIATES.

ALTHOUGH THIS IS THE FOURTH DIPTRANS STUDY - THE PREVIOUS THREE HAVING BEEN CARRIED OUT BEFORE AND AFTER THE COMMISSIONING

OF THE MTR'S MODIFIED INITIAL SYSTEM AND BEFORE THE OPENING OF THE TSUEN WAN EXTENSION - IT WILL BE THE FIRST TO BE HEADED AND SUPERVISED BY A TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT OFFICER,

THE TEAM WILL BE HEADED BY CHIEF TRANSPORT OFFICER, MR ERNEST LEE AND WILL INCLUDE TEN OF HIS COLLEAGUES, THREE EXPERTS FROM THE TWO CONSULTANCY FIRMS, A SYSTEM ANALYST, AN ECONOMIST, AND A PUBLIC TRANSPORT PLANNER.

THE STUDIES WILL BEGIN ON MAY 17 AND ARE EXPECTED TO TAKE EIGHT MONTHS TO COMPLETE.

+THE STUDY WILL ENABLE US TO PROJECT THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS MAJOR TRANSPORT MODES WILL BE CARRYING ON HONG KONG ISLAND BY 1986, 1991 AND 1996, + MR LEE SAID.

*THE RESEARCH WILL BE BASED ON A SET OF ASSUMPTIONS SPECIFYING POPULATION DISTRIBUTION, PRIVATE CAR GROWTH RATE, THE NUMBER OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT TRIPS MADE PER PERSON, FARE LEVELS AND SEVERAL OTHER FACTORS, HE ADDED.

MR LEE SAID ANOTHER IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THE STUDY WAS THAT THE DATA OBTAINED WILL GREATLY ASSIST TRANSPORT ADMINISTRATORS TO DECIDE THE RATE OF BUS FLEET EXPANSION BEFORE AND AFTER THE OPENING OF THE MTR'S ISLAND LINE.

+THE EFFECTS THE ISLAND LINE WILL HAVE ON FERRY SERVICES AND PUBLIC LIGHT BUSES, AND THE OPTION TO CURTAIL TRAM SERVICES WILL ALSO BE RESEARCHED IN DETAIL,+ MR LEE SAID.

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