XN000022-1987-01-28 — Page 3

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28, 1987

2

MAN KAM TO BORDER CROSSING POINT

*****

THE GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED TODAY THAT WITH EFFECT FROM FEBRUARY 1, 1987, PROCESSING OF NEW APPLICATIONS FOR MAN KAM TO CLOSED ROAD PERMITS WOULD BE RESUMED.

THE TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF PROCESSING NEW APPLICATIONS WAS INTRODUCED AS PART OF A PACKAGE OF MEASURES TO REDUCE NORTHBOUND TRAFFIC CONGESTION ALONG MAN KAM TO ROAD.

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS PACKAGE OF MEASURES HAS PROVED EFFECTIVE AND THE CONGESTION IN THE AREA HAS BEEN MUCH REDUCED.

ALSO BEING WITHDRAWN ON THE SAME DAY WILL BE THE TEMPORARY MEASURE ALLOWING HOLDERS OF EXISTING MAN KAM TO CLOSED ROAD PERMITS TO CROSS AT SHA TAU KOK WITHOUT THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL PERMITS.

FROM FEBRUARY 1 DRIVERS OF VEHICLES CROSSING THE BORDER WILL BE REQUIRED TO POSSESS A CLOSED ROAD PERMIT FOR THE CROSSING POINT BEING USED.

FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS INTO AUTOMATIC TOLL SYSTEMS

****

THE GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL HAS DECIDED THAT AS IT IS UNLIKELY TO RESULT IN ANY IMPROVEMENT IN TRAFFIC CONDITIONS, AN AUTOMATED TOLL COLLECTION SYSTEM SHOULD NOT BE INTRODUCED AT HONG KONG'S ROAD TUNNELS FOR THE TIME BEING.

AN AUTOMATED SYSTEM MIGHT, HOWEVER, BE MORE ATTRACTIVE_IN FOUR OR FIVE YEARS' TIME WHEN MORE TUNNELS ARE OPERATING. THE TRANSPORT BRANCH AND TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT WILL THEREFORE UNDERTAKE FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS, IN PARTICULAR IN THE UNITED STATES AND JAPAN, TO SEE IF ANY SYSTEMS ARE AVAILABLE WHICH COULD BE DEPLOYED IN HONG KONG.

EARLIER, THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE HAD ADVISED THAT IN THE ABSENCE OF ANY SIGNIFICANT BENEFITS, AN AUTOTOLL SYSTEM SHOULD NOT BE PURSUED FOR THE TIME BEING, BUT THAT THE POSSIBILITY OF INTRODUCING ONE AT SOME FUTURE DATE SHOULD BE BORNE IN MIND.

/3