XN000022-1991-06-12 — Page 2

LRT

+

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 1991

- 1 -

AN EFFICIENT MODE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT

THE LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT SYSTEM (LMT) OFFERS A SAFE, RELIABLE, RELATIVELY POLLUTION-FREE AND EFFICIENT SERVIOR AT AN AVERAGE FARE NO HIGHER THAN THAT OF AN EQUIVALENT RUS TRIP, THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT THE HON MNICHARL LEUNG, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

+

SPEAKING IN THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON THE LRT SERVICES IN THE NORTHWEST NEW TERRITORIES, MR LEUNG SAID STATISTICS SINCE 1989 CONSISTENTLY SHOWED THAT THE LIGHT RATI VEHICLES HAD THE LOWEST ACCIDENT RECORD AMONGST ROAD-BASED VEHICLES IN HONG KONG.

IT HAD ACHIEVED A PUNCTUALITY RATE OF 99 PER CENT,

MR LEUNG SAID

AN AVERAGE LRT RIDE AT PRESENT COST $2.1, AGAINST $1.5 IN 1988. THIS INCREASE HAD TO BE SEEN AGAINST THE LOW

INITIAL FARES CHARGED ON THE SYSTEN.

HE POINTED OUT THAT WHEN THE TUEN MUN AND YUEN LONG DISTRICT BOARDS WERE CONSULTED I

IN 1984, THEY SUPPORTED THE LRT PROJECT ON THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE LRT FARES WOULD SLIGHTLY EXCEED THE FARES FOR AN EQUIVALENT BUS TRIP.

THE CURRENT LRT FARES WERE NO HIGHER THAN WHAT WOULD HAVE BREN CHARGED BY BUSES. THEY WERE IN FACT LOWER THAN PARES PAYABLE ON PUBLIC LIGHT BUSES SERVING ROUTES OF SIMILAR DISTANCE, MR LEUNG SAID.

HE SAID CURRENTLY THE LRT CARRIED MORE THAN 250,000 PASSENGERS PER DAY, COMPARED WITH 180,000 IN

1988. OVER 40 PER CENT OF THE PASSENGERS USED MULTE-RIDE PASSES.

WHILST THE FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF THE LRT WAS IMPROVING, THERE REMAINED A CONSIDERABLE ELEMENT OF CROSS-SUBSIDY FROM THE HEAVY RAIL. SUCH A POSITION WOULD CONTINUE FOR SOME YEARS, MR LEUNG SAID.

++

HE SAID UNDER THE CURRENT "TRANSIT SERVICE AREA (TSA) ARRANGEMENTS, THE LRT BY AND LARGE ENJOYED NO MORE PROTECTION THAN THE FRANCHISED BUS SERVICES WHICH WOULD OTHERWISE BE PUT IN ITS PLACE.

WITHIN THE TSA, THE LRT ALSO FACED COMPETITION FROM TAXIS AND PUBLIC LIGHT HOUSES.

ON FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF LRT, THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT SAID THE KORO HAD INVESTED $1.2 BILLION IN THE LRT AND WOULD SPEND ANOTHER $800 MILLION IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS ON EXTENSIONS. TO THE SYSTEM AND BUYING MORE LIGHT RAIL VEHICLES.

THREE ADDITIONAL LRT LINKS WITHIN TUEN MUN AND A NEW LINE ΤΟ TIN SHUI WAI, ESTIMATED TO COST $450 MILLION, WERE UNDER CONSTRUCTION.

WHEN COMPLETED IN EARLY 1992, THE TUEN MUN EXTENSIONS WOULD REDUCE THE TRAVELLING TIME OF MANY JOURNEYS, MAKING THE SYSTEM MORE CONVENIENT TO PSK.

/HE SAID