XN000022-1983-11-22 — Page 2

TUESE, OVE 1BER 22, 1983 NOVEMBER

KCRC ASKED TO TAKE ON TUEN MUN LRT

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THE GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL HAS REAFFIRMED THE LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT SYSTEM AS THE MOST SUITABLE PRINCIPAL MODE OF INTERNAL TRANSPORT FOR THE WESTERN NEW TERRITORIES.

IT WAS ALSO DECIDED THAT THE KOWLOON CANTON RAILWAY CORPORATION SHOULD BE INVITED TO CONSIDER TAKING ON THE LRT AS OWNER AND OPERATOR, AND TO BEGIN DISCUSSIONS WITH THE SIX CONSORTIA WHICH HAVE SHOWN STRONG AND CONTINUING INTEREST IN THE PROJECT. THE KCRC WILL MAKE ITS OWN ASSESSMENT OF VIABILITY, BEFORE COMING TO ITS DECISION.

ANNOUNCING THIS TODAY, THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT,

MR ALAN SCOTT, SAID ANALYSIS OF THE PROPOSALS SUBMITTED BY THE CONSORTIA, BOTH FROM THE TRANSPORT AND ECONOMIC POINTS OF VIEW, INDICATED THAT PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION IN FUNDING THIS MAJOR PROJECT COULD BEST BE ACHIEVED BY COOPERATION WITH A PUBLIC CORPORATION.

THE DECISION BY THE GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL FOLLOWS A RE-EXAMINATION OF THE LRT AND BUS OPTIONS FOR THE CORE PUBLIC TRANSPORT SYSTEM FOR TUEN MUN, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGES AND CHANGING TRANSPORT NEEDS AND TRAFFIC PATTERNS.

THE ORIGINAL TUEN MUN TRANSPORT STUDY OF 1978 FORECAST THAT 37 PER CENT OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT TRIPS WOULD BE MADE TO OR FROM LOCALITIES OUTSIDE THE NEW TOWN, OF WHICH 22 PER CENT WOULD BE TRIPS WITHIN THE REGION AND 15 PER CENT WOULD BE MADE BY PEOPLE COMMUTING TO OR FROM THE METROPOLITAN AREA. BUT IT HAS BEEN FOUND THAT IN ALL THE NEW TOWNS, INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT HAS BEEN SLOWER THAN FORECAST AND NEW RESIDENTS HAVE TENDED TO HOLD THEIR EXISTING JOBS, WITH THE RESULT THAT COMMUTING TO THE METROPOLITAN AREA IS AT A HIGHER LEVEL THAN FORECAST. WITH SMALLER HOUSEHOLDS AND THEREFORE SLOWER POPULATION GROWTH THAN PREDICTED, REVISED FORECASTS WERE MADE.

MR SCOTT SAID AS A RESULT, THE REVISED FORECASTS PREDICTED THAT BY THE MID-1990S, ABOUT 47 PER CENT OF TRIPS WOULD BE MADE TO AND FROM LOCALITIES OUTSIDE THE WESTERN NEW TERRITORIES REGION.

+SUCH A MOVEMENT PATTERN WILL PLACE CONSIDERABLE DEMANDS ON BOTH THE REGIONAL TRANSPORT SYSTEM AND ON EXTERNAL SERVICES TO OTHER AREAS, AND RATHER THAN REDUCING THE VIABILITY OF THE LRT SYSTEM, THE REDISTRIBUTION OF THE PREDICTED POPULATION FROM A CONCENTRATION IN TUEN MUN TO A LARGER AREA MEANS THAT A MORE EXTENSIVE NETWORK WILL BE REQUIRED, HE EXPLAINED.

THE 1977-78 STUDY FORECAST 651 000 DAILY BOARDINGS IN 1991, OF WHICH 515 000 WOULD BE ON LRT SERVICES. THE LATEST PREDICTIONS (MADE IN AUGUST THIS YEAR) FORECAST THAT IN 1997, LOCAL PUBLIC TRANSPORT BOARDINGS WILL RANGE FROM 666 000 TO 703 000 DAILY, OF WHICH 478 000 TO 515 000 WOULD BE ON LRT SERVICES.

/THUS THE