XN000022-1988-04-27 — Page 28

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27,

1988

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MEANWHILE, THE STANDARD AND LEVEL OF BUS AND FERRY SERVICES, WHICH CARRIED ABOUT 4.3 MILLION PASSENGERS PER DAY, HAD CONTINUED TO BE IMPROVED THROUGH MORE EFFECTIVE PLANNING AND MONITORING OF THE FIVE-YEAR PLANS OF THE FRANCHISED BUS AND FERRY COMPANIES.

"STUDIES ARE ALSO UNDERTAKEN ON A REGULAR BASIS то IDENTIFY DEFICIENCIES OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES. ONE EXAMPLE IS THE FURTHER STUDY OF CROSS HARBOUR PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES ΤΟ COMMENCE LATER THIS YEAR, MR LEUNG SAID.

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THE SECRETARY ALSO STRESSED THAT THE GOVERNMENT MAINTAINED INTERMODAL CO-ORDINATION POLICY WHICH AIMED AT MAXIMISING THE USE THE VARIOUS TRANSPORT MODES, AND ALLOWED FOR ADJUSTMENT OF SERVICES TO COPE WITH THE CHANGING CONGESTION SITUATION.

FOR EXAMPLE, TO COPE WITH PASSENGER DEMAND AT CERTAIN MTR STATIONS ALONG NATHAN ROAD CORRIDOR DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE MORNING PEAK, ALTERNATIVE PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES HAD BEEN AND WOULD BE PROVIDED.

THESE INCLUDED AN INCREASE IN THE FREQUENCIES OF CROSS HARBOUR BUS SERVICES AND FEEDER BUS SERVICES TO FERRY CONCOURSES AS FAR AS NECESSARY.

MR LEUNG SAID ANOTHER METHOD WAS THE ADOPTION OF TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT MEASURES TO INCREASE THE EFFICIENCY OF EXISTING FACILITIES.

'EXAMPLES ARE GRADE SEPARATION ACCESS FACILITIES FOR THE WAN CHAI RECLAMATION TO HELP ALLEVIATE CONGESTION AT THE CROSS HARBOUR TUNNEL AND THE PROPOSED TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SCHEME FOR KWUN TONG TOWN CENTRE AND KWUN TONG INDUSTRIAL AREA TO COINCIDE WITH THE OPENING OF THE EASTERN HARBOUR CROSSING.

"MOREOVER, COMPUTERISED AREA TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS ARE NOW BEING EXTENDED TO KWUN TONG AND TSUEN WAN. MORE ADVANCED AND EFFECTIVE PROGRAMMES ARE ALSO BEING EXPERIMENTED ON HONG KONG ISLAND, HE SAID.

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FURTHERMORE, POLICY INITIATIVES COULD ALSO BE USED TO MAKE THE MOST ECONOMIC USE OF THE TRANSPORT SYSTEM GIVEN THAT DEMAND ALMOST ALWAYS EXCEEDED SUPPLY.

THESE INCLUDED THE INCREASES IN CAR REGISTRATION TAX AND LICENCE FEES IN 1982 AND THE INTRODUCTION OF A PASSAGE TAX FOR USERS OF THE CROSS HARBOUR TUNNEL IN 1984.

"PRICING CAN BE AN EFFECTIVE MEANS OF CONTROL AS PROVEN BY THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE CONGESTION SITUATION AT THE CROSS HARBOUR TUNNEL FOLLOWING THE IMPOSITION OF THE PASSAGE TAX IN 1984. CONGESTION LEVELS TOOK NEARLY THREE YEARS TO RETURN то LEVELS COMPARABLE WITH THE PRE-TAX SITUATION.

"HOWEVER, IT