XN000022-1986-07-23 — Page 25

WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, 1986

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+ IN ADDITION, THE PROJECT WILL INCREASE COST-EFFECTIVENESS BY ACHIEVING SAVING ON MANPOWER AND STORAGE SPACE, MR HO SAID.

THE COMPUTERISED LAND RECORDS SYSTEM WOULD ALSO PAVE THE WAY FOR THE REGISTRAR GENERAL TO TAKE CHARGE OF ALL LAND RECORDS THROUGHOUT THE TERRITORY, HE ADDED.

THANKING MR HO FOR HIS SUPPORT OF THE BILL, THE SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS, THE HON NICKY CHAN, SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO ENSURE THE EARLY IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMPUTERISATION PROGRAMME.

RELOCATING TRAM DEPOT WILL IMPROVE EFFICIENCY'

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THE PROPOSED RELOCATION OF TRAM DEPOT FACILITIES WOULD BENEFIT THE TRAVELLING PUBLIC BY IMPROVING THE EFFICIENCY OF THE TRAMWAY AND MAINTAINING TRAM FARES AT THE PRESENT LEVEL UNTIL THE END OF 1988, THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, THE HON HARNAM GREWAL, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

MOVING A RESOLUTION UNDER SECTION 3(4) OF THE TRAMWAY ORDINANCE (CHAPTER 107) IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR GREWAL SAID ON JULY 15 THE GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL HAD APPROVED AN APPLICATION FOR RELOCATION BY THE HONGKONG TRAMWAYS LIMITED.

THE COMPANY PROPOSED TO RELOCATE ITS DEPOT FACILITIES BY CLOSING ITS EXISTING DEPOT AT SHARP STREET AND REPLACING IT WITH TWO NEW DEPOTS, AT SAI YING PUN AND SAI WAN HO.

MR GREWAL SAID THE SHARP STREET DEPOT WAS LOCATED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRAMWAY. THE NEED FOR TRAMS TO LEAVE AND RETURN TO THE CENTRALLY LOCATED DEPOT BEFORE AND AFTER THE SCHEDULED HOURS CREATED WASTE MILEAGE ESTIMATED TO BE ABOUT EIGHT PER CENT OF THE TOTAL DAILY MILEAGE COVERED BY TRAMS.

+RELOCATING THE DEPOT FACILITIES TO BOTH ENDS OF THE TRAMWAY WOULD ELIMINATE SUCH UNECONOMIC TRAM MILEAGE AND REDUCE THE OPERATING COST OF THE TRAMWAY, HE SAID.

THE HONGKONG TRAMWAY LIMITED HAD STATED PUBLICLY IT WOULD NOT INCREASE TRAM FARES UNTIL THE END OF 1988 IF THE RELOCATION PROPOSAL GAINED APPROVAL, HE ADDED.

MR GREWAL ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THE SHARP STREET DEPOT WAS LOCATED IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA AND THE INEVITABLE NOISE CAUSED BY OVERNIGHT MAINTENANCE AND THE MOVEMENT OF EMPTY TRAMS LATE AT NIGHT AND EARLY IN THE MORNING IN AND OUT OF THE DEPOT HAD FOR MANY YEARS BEEN A SOURCE OF COMPLAINT BY NEIGHBOURS.

+FROM AN URBAN PLANNING STANDPOINT RELOCATING THE DEPOT TO NON-RESIDENTIAL AREAS WOULD BE LOGICAL AND WOULD ELIMINATE THE PRESENT ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS,+ HE SAID.

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