XN000022-1984-12-13 — Page 5

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1984

+THERE IS NOTHING NEW IN THE THEORY BUT APART FROM INDIRECT METHODS OF USING PARKING CHARGES AND ZONAL PRICING SYSTEMS, IT HAS NEVER BEEN PUT INTO PRACTICE. HOWEVER, IN RECENT YEARS, PROGRESS IN TECHNOLOGY IS SUCH THAT IT IS NOW A PRACTICAL PROPOSITION RATHER THAN A THEORIST'S DREAM AND IT IS FOR THIS REASON THAT GOVERNMENT IS NOW CARRYING OUT THE TRIAL SCHEME FOR ELECTRONIC ROAD PRICING.

+ IF THE TRIAL IS SUCCESSFUL A PRICING SCHEME OF THIS KIND COULD PROVIDE A MORE EFFECTIVE AND CERTAINLY FAIRER SYSTEM OF CONTROL THAN THE PRESENT CRUDE RESTRAINTS WHICH RELY ON EXCEPTIONALLY HIGH FIRST REGISTRATION TAX AND ANNUAL LICENCE FEES+.

THE ELECTRONIC ROAD PRICING SCHEME IS AIMED AT ACHIEVING

A MORE ECONOMIC USE OF THE ROAD SYSTEM. OTHER MEASURES WITH THE SAME OBJECTIVE INCLUDE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SCHEMES, PUBLIC TRANSPORT PRIORITY SCHEMES AND THE EXTENSION OF COMPUTERISED TRAFFIC SIGNAL CONTROLS.

MR LEEDS SAID THE ECONOMIC ROAD USE PRINCIPLE WAS ONE OF THREE BASIC PRINCIPLES IN GOVERNMENT'S CURRENT POLICY TO MAINTAIN AN IMPROVING TRAFFIC MOBILITY. THE OTHER TWO PRINCIPLES ARE THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE ROAD SYSTEM AND EXPANSION AND IMPROVEMENT OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT.

HE SAID THE PRINCIPLES WERE IN LINE WITH POLICY GUIDELINES SET DOWN IN THE 1979 WHITE PAPER ON INTERNAL TRANSPORT POLICY, +KEEPING HONG KONG MOVING+, ADDING THAT GREATER EMPHASIS HAD NOW BEEN GIVEN TO THE ECONOMIC ROAD USE PRINCIPLE, AS ROAD ADDITIONS IN DEVELOPED AREAS HAD BECOME INCREASINGLY EXPENSIVE.

NEVERTHELESS, INVESTMENT IN THE ROAD SYSTEM HAD CONTINUED TO INCREASE DURING THE LAST FEW YEARS, WITH ANNUAL EXPENDITURE RISING FROM $440 MILLION IN 1979 TO ABOUT $1 400 MILLION IN 1984.

THE PRINCIPLE TO EXPAND AND IMPROVE PUBLIC TRANSPORT HAS ALSO BEEN PUT INTO PRACTICE, THE MOST OBVIOUS EXAMPLES BEING THE EXTENSION OF THE MTR AND ELECTRIFICATION OF THE KCR.

ALTHOUGH THE RAILWAYS NOW CARRY 1.3 MILLION PASSENGERS A DAY, THE OVERALL NUMBER OF PASSENGERS CARRIED ON OTHER TRANSPORT MODÉS HAS NOT BEEN REDUCED. BUS SERVICES STILL CARRY THE BULK OF THE PASSENGERS, AND PATRONAGE HAS INCREASED BY 20.4 PER CENT COMPARED WITH 1979.

+LOOK ING BACK OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS IT IS PROBABLY TRUE THAT HONG KONG WAS SLOW IN TACKLING ITS TRANSPORT PROBLEMS TO BEGIN WITH BUT ONCE THE PROBLEMS WERE IDENTIFIED RAPID PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE IN IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PUBLIC TRANSPORT NETWORK AND IN THE OVERALL MANAGEMENT OF ROAD TRAFFIC.

+THERE IS STILL MUCH TO BE DONE BOTH IN TERMS OF MEETING THE PREDICTED FUTURE DEMANDS AND IN IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF WHAT WE HAVE, HE SAID,

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