XN000022-1991-10-30 — Page 10

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1991

DEPENDING ON THE EXTENT OF OVERLOADING, THE DRIVERS WERE WARNED, SUBJECTED TO FIXED PENALTY FINS OR PROSECUTED AS APPROPRIATE.

IN ADDITION, ENFORCEMENT ACTION WAS ALSO TAKEN AGAINST THE OWNERS OF THE VEHICLES IF THERE WAS SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE.

LAST YEAR, ACCORDING TO MR LEUNG, POLICE ENFORCEMENT ACTION WAS TAKEN IN 33,340 CASES.

ON THE 18 EXISTING WEIGH STATIONS, PERMANENT AND 13 WERE PORTABLE WEIGH PADS.

MR LEUNG SAID FIVE WERE

DYNAMIC

THE HIGHWAYS DEPARTMENT HAD INSTALLED FIVE WEIGHBRIDGES AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS TO COLLECT STATISTICAL DATA ON THE EXTENT OF OVERLOADING, FOR MONITORING AND PLANNING PURPOSES, MR LEUNG ADDED.

OPERATING-HOUR ADJUSTMENT OF TUNNEL RESTS WITH DEMAND

THE EXISTING OPERATING HOURS OF TSEUNG KWAN 0 TUNNEL MAY BE ADJUSTED SHOULD FUTURE DEMAND SO WARRANTS, THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, MR MICHAEL LEUNG, INFORMED THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON LAU WAH-SUM, MR LEUNG SAID BECAUSE OF LOW PATRONAGE AND THE AVAILABILITY OF

AN ALTERNATIVE ROUTE, THE TUNNEL WAS OPENED TO TRAFFIC INITIALLY POR 18 HOURS EACH DAY FROM 6.30 AM TO 10.30 PM.

AS AT SEPTEMBER, AN AVERAGE OF 11,500 VEHICLES USED THE TUNNEL EACH DAY, WHICH WAS WELL BELOW THE DESIGN CAPACITY OF 80,000 VEHICLES,

MR LEUNG SAID THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES LIKELY TO UBR THE TUNNEL DURING THE HOURS OF CLOSURE WAS NOT LARGE ENOUGH ΤΟ JUSTIFY THE DEPLOYMENT OF MORE STAFF THAN THE 66 CURRENTLY WORKING IN TWO SHIFTS.

BESIDES, DURING THE HOURS OF CLOSURE, VEHICLES COULD STILL USE THE ALTERNATIVE ROUTE VIA PO LAM ROAD.

HOWEVER, MR LEUNG ADDED THAT THE SITUATION WAS BRING KEPT UNDER REVIEW.

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