XN000022-1988-04-27 — Page 27

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 1988

НЕ POINTED OUT

THAT MUCH OF THE GOVERNMENT'S PLANNING WAS DESIGNED TO REDUCE CONGESTION AND ΤΟ MOBILITY OF PEOPLE AND GOODS.

TRANSPORT IMPROVE THE

MAXIMUM PLANNING THESE PEAK

"AS THE DEMAND FOR MOST TRANSPORT FACILITIES IS AT A DURING THE MORNING AND EVENING PEAK PERIODS, MOST OF OUR EFFORTS ARE DIRECTED TOWARDS ENSURING THAT TRAVEL DURING PERIODS IS AS EFFICIENT AS POSSIBLE,'

11

HE SAID.

WHICH INCLUDED

BOTH

MR LEUNG SAID THAT PEAK HOUR CONGESTION, TRAFFIC CONGESTION AND CONGESTION ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT, WAS AN ON GOING PROBLEM AND COULD BE ADDRESSED THROUGH THE ADOPTION OF A OF MEASURES MOST APPROPRIATE AT THE TIME.

VARIETY

ONE Ог THE MEASURES WAS PROVIDING ADDITIONAL FACILITIES FOR BOTH VEHICULAR TRAFFIC AND PEDESTRIAN MOVEMENT.

TRANSPORT

EXAMPLES OF NEW TRANSPORT FACILITIES ARK THE NUMEROUS ROAD

AND PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES BUILT OR UNDER CONSTRUCTION.

"THE BETTER KNOWN EXAMPLES ARE THE EASTERN HARBOUR CROSSING AND TATE'S CAIRN TUNNEL. THEIR COMPLETION IN 1989 AND 1991 RESPECTIVELY WILL BRING LONG TERM RELIEF TO THE CONGESTION PROBLEM AT THE CROSS HARBOUR AND THE LION ROCK TUNNELS.

"OTHER HIGHWAYS AND TRUNK ROADS WHICH ARE BEING BUILT INCLUDE ROUTE 5 AND THE NEW TERRITORIES CIRCULAR ROAD, HE SAID.

THE PROBLEM COULD ALSO BE ALLEVIATED BY THE PROVISION AND CO-ORDINATION OF A RANGE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES, WHICH CARRIED SOME NINE MILLION PASSENGERS EVERY DAY.

MR LEUNG POINTED OUT THAT THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY NOW CARRIED A DAILY AVERAGE OF 1.8 MILLION PASSENGERS AND TRAINS WERE ALREADY RUNNING AT TWO-MINUTE FREQUENCY ΤΟ COPE WITH DEMAND DURING PEAK PERJODS.

"WITH THE EXTENSION OF THE MTR THROUGH THE EASTERN HARBOUR CROSSING BETWEEN KWUN TONG AND QUARRY BAY, THERE SHOULD BE MUCH NEEDED RELIEF ALONG THE NATHAN ROAD CORRIDOR, HE ADDED.

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AS REGARDS THE KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY SERVICE, IT CARRIED OVER 400,000 PASSENGERS A DAY, AND ITS CAPACITY WOULD BE FURTHER INCREASED THROUGH THE ACQUISITION OF NINE ADDITIONAL SETS OF SIX-CAR UNITS FOR INTRODUCTION BY STAGES BEFORE 1992.

IN ADDITION, PHASE I OF THE LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT SYSTEM BETWEEN TUEN MUN AND YUEN LONG WOULD BE COMPLETED IN AUGUST THIS YEAR, AND FIVE ADDITIONAL REGIONAL EXTENSIONS OF THE SYSTEM WERE ALSO PLANNED OVER THE NEXT SIX YEARS.

/MEANWHILE, THE