XN000022-1984-07-24 — Page 21

TUESDAY, JULY 24, 1934

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NO CHANGE TO ROAD PRICING SCHEME

***

OUT AS

THE ELECTRONIC ROAD PRICING SCHEME WOULD BE CARRIE SCHEDULED EVEN THOUGH THE NUMBER OF REGISTERED PRIVATE ARS HAD DROPPED, THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, THE HON ALAN SCOTT, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON ANDREW SO, MR SCOTT SAID THE NUMBER OF THESE CARS HAD DECLINED FROM 218 570 ON MAY 1, 1982 TC 192 245 ON JULY 1 THIS YEAR.

HE POINTED OUT THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS CONTRACTUALLY COMMITTED TO THE PILOT SCHEME.

+ IT HAS BEEN REPORTED RANDOMLY BY SOME TRAVELLERS THAT THE DURATION OF PEAK HOUR CONGESTION IN SOME LOCATIONS IS ON OCCASIONS NOT AS BAD AS IT USED TO BE BUT THIS SMALL IMPROVEMENT IS NOT YET SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO BE QUANTIFIABLE, HE SAID.

MOST CLEARANCES CARRIED OUT SMOOTHLY

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IN GENERAL NO MAJOR DIFFICULTIES HAD BEEN ENCOUNTERED IN THE 404 ENVIRONMENTAL CLEARANCES CARRIED OUT UNDER THE AUSPICES OF DISTRICT BOARDS OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, THE SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS, THE HON CHAN NAI-KEONG, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (TUESDAY).

MR CHAN, IN ANSWER TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON CHAN YING-LUN, SAID 3 248 PEOPLE HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN THESE CLEARANCES, OF WHOM 849 WERE RESETTLED.

HE SAID MOST OF THE CLEARANCES WERE CARRIED OUT SMOOTHLY WITHOUT INCIDENT.

ONLY IN A FEW EXCEPTIONAL CASES WAS RESISTANCE ENCOUNTERED. THE POLICY AND PROCEDURES GOVERNING THESE CLEARANCES HAD RECENTLY BEEN REVIEWED, MR CHAN SAID, AND CONSIDERATION WAS NOW BEING GIVEN TO EXTENDING TO ENVIRONMENTAL CLEARANCES THE SAME EX-GRATIA COMPENSATION AND REHOUSING THAT APPLIED TO DEVELOPMENT CLEARANCES.

THIS WOULD MEAN THAT COMPENSATION AND REHOUSING WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO SUCH CLEAREES PROVIDED THEY MET THE USUAL ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA.

+THIS WOULD, I HOPE, ENSURE THAT FUTURE CLEARANCES PROCEED EVEN MORE SMOOTHLY, MR CHAN CONCLUDED.

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