XN000022-1991-10-25 — Page 6

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1991

BETTER

WHEN THE RAIL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY STUDY WAS COMPLETED BY THE

A END OF NEXT YEAR, THE GOVERNMENT WOULD BE IN

то POSITION JUDGE WHERE AND HOW THE NEW RAILWAYS SHOULD BE BUILT AND WHEN.

MR LEUNG SAID THE GOVERNMENT'S AIM WAS ΤΟ CONTINUE EXPANDING AND IMPROVING PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES TO MEET DEMAND.

A BROAD RANGE OF SERVICES OFFERING DIFFERENT DEGREES OF COMFORT, CONVENIENCE AND FARES SHOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE, AND EACH MODE SHOULD BE ALLOWED, IN A CO-ORDINATED MANNER, TO COMPETE WITH THE OTHERS FOR PATRONAGE.

MORE CHOICES AND MORE COMPETITION WERE TO PARTICULARLY TO ATTRACT THOSE WHO NOW TRAVEL IN TAXIS WHICH WERE INEFFICIENT USERS OF ROAD SPACE.

BE MADE AVAILABLE, THEIR OWN CARS OR

HE SAID IN THE LONGER TERM, RAILWAYS AND BUSES WOULD REMAIN THE CENT OF BACKBONE OF THE PUBLIC TRANSPORT SYSTEM, TAKING OVER 60 PER TOTAL PATRONAGE, WHICH WAS FORECAST TO INCREASE FROM 9.7 MILLION TO 15 PASSENGER TRIPS PER DAY AT PRESENT TO 11.1 MILLION BY 1996 AND MILLION BY 2011.

JUST

BY

MR LEUNG SAID TRAFFIC CONGESTION WAS TACKLED NOT BUILDING MORE ROADS BUT ALSO BY BETTER UTILISATION OF THE ROAD SPACE.

RANGE OF MEASURES HAD BEEN INTRODUCED TO REGULATE TRAFFIC BY PHYSICAL AND FISCAL METHODS, AND TO GIVE PRIORITY TO THE MORE EFFICIENT MASS CARRIERS.

WIDE HE SAID A

HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT STOPPED SHORT OF ADOPTING A ROAD PRICING POLICY BECAUSE IT WAS FOUND PUBLICLY UNACCEPTABLE A FEW YEARS BACK, THEORY BUT ALLOCATION OF ROAD SPACE THROUGH PRICING STILL REMAINED IN THE FAIREST METHOD.

HE SAID: "IT IS THE CAR USERS WHO PAY, NOT THOSE WHO OWN A CAR, BUT THOSE WHO ACTUALLY USED IT ON THE ROAD."

"T

"TUNNEL TOLLS ARE ALREADY A FORM OF ROAD PRICING, HE SAID.

PUBLICLY

ACCEPTABLE

FOR

THE

THE

MR LEUNG SAID TUNNEL TOLLS WERE SIMPLE REASON THAT TUNNELS WERE EXPENSIVE TO BUILD AND THEREFORE

WANT ΤΟ USE COST HAD TO BE RECOVERED, AND BECAUSE THOSE WHO DID NOT THEM CAN USE OTHER ROADS WHICH WERE FREE OR WATERBORNE TRANSPORT WHICH WAS CHEAPER BUT SLOWER.

CONSIDERATION

WHETHER

THE

ON TAKEN

THE FURTHER, ROUTES AVAILABLE AND THAT WERE WILLING TO

FOR "THUS IT WAS CLEARLY A MATTER PRINCIPLE OF

PRICING ROAD

SHOULD BE KEPT ALTERNATIVE UNDERSTANDING THAT WE TOLLED ROUTES OFFER FACILITIES FOR WHICH THE PUBLIC PAY, HE SAID.

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GOVERNMENT

MR LEUNG SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS CONSTANTLY IN TOUCH WITH OTHER MAJOR CITIES TO SEE HOW THE

COULD BETTER MANAGE THEIR

TRAFFIC BY MODERN METHODS.

ELECTRONIC

TO

PARKING COMPUTERISED TECHNOLOGICAL IMPROVE ROAD

AUTOMATIC TOLL COLLECTION AT TUNNELS, METERS WHICH COULD ACCEPT CARDS AND INSTALLATION OF MORE AREA TRAFFIC CONTROL SIGNALS WERE AMONG SOME OF THE NEW INNOVATIONS WHICH THE GOVERNMENT HAD OR WOULD ADOPT MANAGEMENT, THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT ADDED.

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