XN000022-1992-04-15 — Page 18

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 1992

FERRY ROUTE WITHDRAWAL AND MTR PEAK HOUR CONGESTION

RELIEVE MEASURES DISCUSSED

AND

THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE (TAC) TODAY (WEDNESDAY) CONSIDERED AT ITS MEETING A PROPOSAL BY THE HONGKONG FERRY COMPANY (HYF) TO WITHDRAW TWO FRANCHISED FERRY ROUTES: TO SHAM SHUI PO AND CENTRAL TO TAI KOK TSUI.

YAUMATI

CENTRAL

RELIEVE

THE TAC ALSO DISCUSSED MTR PEAK HOUR CONGESTION MEASURES IN THIS SUMMER AND THE FITTING OF REAR SEAT BELTS IN NEW PRIVATE CARS.

THE EXISTING TWO FERRY PIERS ON KOWLOON SIDE WILL BE DEMOLISHED THIS YEAR TO MAKE WAY FOR WEST KOWLOON RECLAMATION WORKS INCLUDING DREDGING NEAR THE PIERS.

MEMBERS NOTED THAT THE REPROVISIONING OF THE TWO PIERS WOULD NOT BE ECONOMICALLY VIABLE AS HIGH CAPITAL INVESTMENT

ABOUT $80 MILLION AND $160 MILLION RESPECTIVELY - WOULD BE INCURRED.

EVEN IF THE PIERS WERE RELOCATED AT THE NEWLY RECLAIMED WATERFRONT, THEY WOULD BE SOME DISTANCE OFF THE EXISTING PASSENGER CATCHMENT AREAS AND MAY LEAD TO A FURTHER DECREASE IN PATRONAGE.

THE TWO FERRY SERVICES ARE UNLIKELY TO BE VIABLE IN THE LONG TERM BECAUSE WHEN THE PLANNED WESTERN HARBOUR CROSSING (WHC) OPENS IN 1996/97, THE NEW MTR LINE AND CROSS HARBOUR BUS SERVICES USING THE WHO WOULD DIRECTLY OVERLAPPING THE SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE TWO FERRY ROUTES.

AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO PASSENGERS WHO MIGHT BE AFFECTED, MEMBERS NOTED THAT A NEW CROSS-HARBOUR BUS ROUTE BETWEEN SHAM SHVI PO AND CENTRAL VIA TAI KOK TSUI WOULD BE INTRODUCED.

IN ADDITION, PASSENGERS COULD ALSO MAKE L'SE OF A NUMBER OF EXISTING CROSS-HARBOUR BUS ROUTES OPERATING ALONG LAI CHI KOK ROAD.

THE TAC'S ADVICE ON WHETHER OR NOT TO WITHDRAW THE FERRY SERVICES WOULD BE SUBMITTED TO THE GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION LATER.

AT THE MEETING, MEMBERS WERE ALSO BRIEFED ON THE PROPOSALS то TACKLE THE CONGESTION PROBLEM ALONG MTR NATHAN ROAD CORRIDOR FOR THIS SUMMER.

THESE PROPOSALS INCLUDED AN INTRODUCTION OF EXPRESS BUS ROUTES FROM YUEN LONG, TUEN MUN TO TSIM SHA TSUI; NEW CROSS-HARBOUR BUS SERVICES FROM MA ON SHAN AND KWAI CHUNG TO HONG KONG; MORE RESIDENTIAL COACH SERVICES FROM THE NEW TERRITORIES, AS WELL AS SPECIAL FERRY SERVICES FROM TUEN MUN AND TSUEN WAN TO CENTRAL.

MEMBERS ALSO NOTED THE EFFORT BY THE MTRC TO HELP RELIEVE PEAK HOUR CONGESTION, INCLUDING THE PLATFORM ASSISTANCE SCHEME THE PROMOTION OF THE USE OF THE EASTERN HARBOUR CROSSING.

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AND

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