XN000022-1986-01-15 — Page 9

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DNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 1986

IN JUNE, JULY AND AUGUST 1984, THE THREE MONTHS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE INTRODUCTION OF THE PASSAGE TAX. THE DAILY AVERAGE WAS 92 155, 96 670 AND 96 436 RESPECTIVELY, REPRESENTING AN AVERAGE DROP IN TRAFFIC OF 13 PER CENT.

J

+AS EXPECTED, USAGE OF THE TUNNEL HAS SINCE THEN INCREASED STEADILY, MR MACPHERSON SAID.

+BY DECEMBER 1984 THE DAILY AVERAGE WAS 104 198 VEHICLES, AND BY NOVEMBER 1985, 106 036 VEHICLES, WHICH IS ONLY 3.8 PER CENT LOWER THAN THE 1983 ANNUAL DAILY AVERAGE OF 110 194.+

MR NGAI HAD ASKED FOR THE LATEST STATISTICS AND THE TRAFFIC FLOW CONDITIONS IN THE CROSS HARBOUR TUNNEL SINCE THE LAST TOLL

INCREASE.+

CLOSURE OF STUDENTS CENTRE EXPLAINED

*****

LIMITED PRESENCE, DECREASING OCCUPANCY RATE AND UNJUSTIFIED HIGH RUNNING COSTS WERE THE REASONS FOR CLOSING THE HONG KONG STUDENTS CENTRE IN LONDON, THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, THE HON NEIL HENDERSON, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON RITA FAN, MR HENDERSON SAID THE CENTRE PROVIDED ACCOMMODATION FOR ONLY 90 STUDENTS IN LONDON OUT OF A TOTAL OF OVER 12 000 IN THE UK.

OCCUPANCY RATE HAD ALSO BEEN DECREASING STEADILY IN THE PAST FEW YEARS DUE LARGELY TO COLLEGE MAINTAINED ACCOMMODATION BE ING MORE READILY AVAILABLE ESPECIALLY TO OVERSEAS STUDENTS, HE SAID.

+THIRDLY, COSTS CONTINUED TO EXCEED INCOME AND THE 50 PER CENT SUBSIDY COULD NOT BE JUSTIFIED FOR THE SMALL NUMBERS INVOLVED.

+GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY FOR THE CENTRE IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS WAS $6.9 MILLION AND THE ANNUAL RUNNING COSTS ARE EXPECTED TO RISE FURTHER IN FUTURE YEARS BECAUSE OF THE AGE OF THE BUILDING.

+ IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, IT IS NO LONGER CONSIDERED JUSTIFIABLE TO KEEP THE CENTRE OPEN AT THIS COST TO THE HONG KONG TAXPAYER, MR HENDERSON SAID.

HE SAID MAJOR INTERNAL ALTERATIONS HAD BEEN UNDERTAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT IN SEPTEMBER 1977 TO IMPROVE THE FACILITIES OF THE CENTRE BEFORE DECISION OF ITS CLOSURE WAS MADE.

/MAIN IMPROVEMENTS