XN000022-1988-05-04 — Page 38

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 1988

FOR EXAMPLE, EXPENDITURE ON CAPITAL WORKS PROJECTS UNDER THE HIGHWAYS DEPARTMENT WAS ESTIMATED TO COST NEARLY $1.2 BILLION AND, TOGETHER WITH PROJECTS IN THE NEW TOWNS, CURRENT AND PROJECTED EXPENDITURE ON OUR TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAMME WAS RUNNING AT ALMOST $1.5 BILLION PER YEAR, OR MORE

ONE-FIFTH OF THE TOTAL PUBLIC WORKS BUDGET.

THAN

THE ABOVE EXCLUDED ADDITIONAL EXPENDITURE ARISING OUT OF THE ACCELERATED PROGRAMME OF THE KWUN TONG BYPASS AND APPROACH ROADS FOR THE TATE'S CAIRN TUNNEL TO FACILITATE THE TUNNEL'S EARLY OPENING IN MID-1991.

NOR DID IT INCLUDE PROJECTS UNDERTAKEN BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR, SUCH AS THE EASTERN HARBOUR CROSSING AND THE TATE'S CAIRN TUNNEL.

MR LEUNG POINTED OUT THAT IT WAS THE GOVERNMENT'S AIM TO CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO TAKE PART IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF MAJOR TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, SO LONG AS THESE SERVED THE PUBLIC INTEREST AND COULD BE DONE EFFECTIVELY AND

EFFICIENTLY.

"BUT NOT ALL PROJECTS ARE OF RELEVANCE OR PRIVATE SECTOR UNLESS THEY ARE FINANCIALLY VIABLE ATTRACTIVE," HE SAID.

INTEREST ΤΟ THE AND COMMERCIALLY

"GOVERNMENT MUST

CONTINUE TO SHOULDER THE MAJOR SHARE OF INFRASTRUCTURE

RESPONSIBILITIES FOR IMPROVING AND EXPANDING THE BASIC AND TO TAKE THE INITIATIVE IN PLANNING AHEAD.

中中

MR LEUNG SAID THE GOVERNMENT FULLY ACCEPTED THAT THERE WERE SEVERE PHYSICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL LIMITATIONS TO BUILDING MORE ROADS IN THE BUILT-UP AREAS, AND THAT ROADS WERE BECOMING MORE EXPENSIVE TO BUILD.

SO PARALLEL EFFORTS HAD TO CONTINUE TO BE MADE TO EXPAND AND IMPROVE PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES.

HONG KONG COULD JUSTLY BE PROUD OF ITS PUBLIC TRANSPORT SYSTEM, WHICH OFFERED A BROAD RANGE OF MODES PROVIDING RELATIVELY SPEEDY, RELIABLE AND CHEAP SERVICES FOR OVER NINE MILLION PASSENGERS A DAY,

THE BASIC INGREDIENTS OF THE SUCCESS LAY IN THE RIGHT MIX OF REGULATION AND INCENTIVES.

/THE GOVERNMENT