XN000022-1986-07-16 — Page 44

41

WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 1986

MR GREWAL OUTLINED THE BACKGROUND CONCERNING THE LRT SYSTEM +1N VIEW OF THE PUBLIC INTEREST AND CONCERN THAT HAS BEEN ENGENDERED.+

IN PLANNING THE DEVELOPMENT OF TUEN MUN NEW TOWN AND THE NORTHWESTERN NEW TERRITORIES. CAREFUL THOUGHT WAS GIVEN AS TO THE BEST FORM OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT FOR THE REGION. THE NEW TOWN WAS PLANNED FROM THE OUTSET WITH AN EXCLUSIVE PUBLIC TRANSPORT RIGHT OF WAY+ SEGREGATED FROM THE ORDINARY ROAD NETWORK.

A DETAILED EVALUATION OF THE RESPECTIVE MERITS AND DEMERITS OF BUSES, LRT AND OTHER MODES WAS CARRIED OUT TO DETERMINE WHICH WOULD BEST MEET THE NEEDS OF THE AREA.

+THE LRT WAS FINALLY CHOSEN BECAUSE IT BLENDS THE MODERN TECHNOLOGY AND COMFORT OF THE ELECTRIC RAILWAY WITH THE CONVENIENCE AND EASY ACCESSIBILITY OF THE TRAM AND BECAUSE IT IS FAST AND RELIABLE WITHOUT THE SMOKE, NOISE AND CONGESTION WHICH ARE ALL TOO FAMILIAR IN MANY PARTS OF HONG KONG, HE SAID.

MR GREWAL NOTED THAT THE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM WITH ITS SUPPORTING FEEDER BUS SERVICES IN A DEDICATED TRANSIT SERVICE AREA WAS EXPLAINED TO AND DISCUSSED WITH THE TUEN MUN AND YUEN LONG DISTRICT BOARDS TWO YEARS AGO AND RECEIVED THEIR SUPPORT.

IT WAS ON THIS BASIS AND WITH THIS COMMUNITY SUPPORT THAT THE KCRC UNDERTOOK TO CONSTRUCT AND OPERATE THE LRT SYSTEM, THE FIRST PHASE OF WHICH WAS DUE TO BE COMPLETED BY MID-1988.

THUS, THE LRT HAD BECOME AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE OF TUEN MUN NEW TOWN AND THE NORTHWESTERN NEW TERRITORIES. WITH A CARRYING CAPACITY CAPABLE OF MEETING DEMAND WELL INTO THE NEXT CENTURY. IT WAS AN INVESTMENT NOT ONLY FOR THE PRESENT BUT THE LONG-TERM FUTURE AS WELL. IT WAS IN ESSENCE A VISIBLE FORM OF GOVERNMENT'S COMMITMENT TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NORTHWEST,

+

MR GREWAL ALSO EXPLAINED THE CONCEPT OF THE TRANSIT SERVICE AREA, WHICH WAS INTENDED TO COVER THE WHOLE OF THE TUEN MUN DISTRICT AND THAT PART OF THE YUEN LONG DISTRICT WEST OF THE EASTERN END OF YUEN LONG TOWN.

WITHIN THE TRANSIT SERVICE AREA, PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES WILL BE FULLY INTEGRATED, WITH THE LRT FUNCTIONING AS THE BACKBONE AND OTHER MODES PLAYING A COMPLEMENTARY ROLE.

+ I AM AWARE THAT CONCERN HAS BEEN EXPRESSED IN SOME QUARTERS THAT AS THE LRT WILL BE THE ONLY MASS CARRIER IN THE TRANSIT SERVICE AREA, PEOPLE WILL BE LEFT WITH NO CHOICE IF KCRC WERE TO CHARGE VERY HIGH FARES ON ITS SYSTEM. THIS CONCERN THOUGH UNDERSTANDABLE IS UNFOUNDED, HE SAID.

THE KURJ HAD