XN000022-1983-05-10 — Page 11

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TUESDAY, MAY 10, 1983

EXPLAINING THE REASONS BEHIND THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY OF GIVING PRIORITY TO PUBLIC TRANSPORT. MR LEEDS SAID THAT IN A SITUATION WHERE THERE WERE SEVERE LIMITATIONS ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW ROADS AND A VERY LARGE NUMBER OF VEHICLES USING THEM IT WAS NECESSARY TO HAVE SOME FORM OF RATIONING SYSTEM TO ENSURE THAT ROAD CONGESTION DID NOT REACH THE LEVEL WHERE THE WHOLE SYSTEM WOULD COME TO A HALT.

+THERE ARE TIMES AND PLACES WHERE THIS HAPPENS AND THIS INDICATES THAT WITHOUT RESTRAINTS, CHRONIC CONGESTION COULD BECOME A PERMANENT FEATURE RATHER THAN A TEMPORARY NUISANCE,+ HE SAID.

MR LEEDS ALSO SAID THAT TO MAXIMISE ROAD CAPACITY FOR MOVING TRAFFIC, IT WAS ADVISABLE TO HAVE OFF-STREET PARKING FACILITIES.

THE KWAI FONG CAR PARK ALONG WITH OTHER GOVERMENT CAR PARKS ARE LIKELY TO BE TRANSFERRED TO PRIVATE MANAGEMENT BY THE END OF THE YEAR.

+PRIVATE ENTERPRISE SHOULD ALSO BE ENCOURAGED TO BUILD AND OPERATE OTHER OFF-STREET CAR PARKS.

+A NUMBER OF SITES HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED WHICH WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR FOR DEVELOPMENT, HE SAID.

DISTRICT BOARDS CHECK ON STREET MANAGEMENT

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THE MONITORING OF GOVERNMENT'S PERFORMANCE IN STREET MANAGEMENT IS CONSIDERED BY BOTH THE YAU MA TEI AND MONG KOK DISTRICT BOARDS AS ONE OF THE IR PRIME TASKS, THE DISTRICT OFFICER, MR WILFRED WONG, SAID TODAY (TUESDAY).

HE SAID THAT THE TWO DISTRICTS WERE BEING DIVIDED INTO A NUMBER OF STREET MANAGEMENT ZONES, AND THAT THE DISTRICT BOARDS ADVISED ON WHICH TARGET AREAS SHOULD BE CHOSEN FOR CONCENTRATED GOVERNMENT EFFORTS.

ACTION WITHIN EACH ZONE WOULD NORMALLY TAKE THREE TO SIX MONTHS TO COMPLETE. SO FAR, THE EXERCISES HAD PROVED TO BE VERY SUCCESSFUL AND ZONES COVERED EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE FACE-LIFT IN THEIR STREET CONDITIONS, HE ADDED.

MR WONG WAS SPEAKING ON THE GOVERNMENT'S EFFORT IN STREET MANAGEMENT, AT A LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF KOWLOON EAST.

+STREET MANAGEMENT ACTION IS TAKEN BY GOVERNMENT ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS TO ENSURE THAT STREETS, PAVEMENTS AND REAR LANES ARE MAINTAINED TO THE REASONABLE STANDARD OF ALLOWING FREE MOVEMENT OF VEHICLES AND PEDESTRIANS AND THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL NUISANCES CAUSED BY ANY IRREGULAR ACTIVITIES ARE ABATED OR AT LEAST MINIMISED.

/+IT IS