XN000022-1992-04-30 — Page 6

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THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 1992

MEASURES TO RELIEVE MTR PEAK HOUR CONGESTION ANNOUNCED

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A SERIES OF STRATEGIC MEASURES COMBINING NEW BUS ROUTES, FERRY IMPROVEMENT PLANS AND TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SCHEMES WILL BE LAUNCHED IN SUMMER WITH AN AIM TO TACKLE THE CONGESTION PROBLEM ALONG THE MTR NATHAN ROAD CORRIDOR.

THESE MEASURES INCLUDED THE 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 NEW TERRITORIES, AS WELL AS SPECIAL FERRY SERVICES FROM TUEN MUN AND TSUEN WAN TO CENTRAL.

(BUS

ANNOUNCING THE RELIEVE MEASURES AT A PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY (THURSDAY), THE ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT DEVELOPMENT), MRS DOROTHY CHAN YUEN TAK-FAI, SAID THE FIRST STAGE OF THE BUS PLAN WOULD BE LAUNCHED ON MAY 18.

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TWO NEW AIR-CONDITIONED CROSS-HARBOUR BUS ROUTES WILL BE INTRODUCED BY KOWLOON MOTOR BUS COMPANY ON THAT DATE. ONE ROUTE ROUTE 336 WILL PLY BETWEEN LEI MUK SHU AND SHEUNG WAN AND THE OTHER

ROUTE 312 BETWEEN THE CROSS HARBOUR TUNNEL TOLL PLAZA AND TIN HAU.

"THESE SERVICES WILL PROVIDE AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE MTR FOR PASSENGERS FROM TSUEN WAN AND WILL ENCOURAGE KCR PASSENGERS TO INTERCHANGE FOR BUSES AT HUNG HOM INSTEAD OF THE MTR AT KOWLOON TONG,' MRS CHAN SAID.

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"AT THE SAME TIME, THE FREQUENCY ON ROUTES 300 AND 301 INTRODUCED LAST SUMMER WILL BE ENHANCED TO INCREASE THE CAPACITY WHILE THEY WILL ALSO BE EXTENDED TO SHEUNG WAN SERVING A LARGER CATCHMENT, SHE ADDED.

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ALSO EXTENDED TO SHEUNG WAN ARE ROUTES 305, 307, 337 AND 348.

TO ENCOURAGE COMMUTERS TO DIRECT FROM THE MTR TO BUSES, THERE BE A FARE REDUCTION ON ALL '300' SERIES OF SERVICES MORNING PEAK HOUR.

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TO PROVIDE MORE LOADING AREA FOR CROSS HARBOUR THE TOLL PLAZA OF THE CROSS HARBOUR TUNNEL, A NEW FRANCHISED BUSES WILL ВЕ DESIGNATED OUTSIDE THE BUILDING OF THE TUNNEL.

DURING THE

BUSES OUTSIDE BUS STOP FOR ADMINISTRATION

ALSO, THERE WILL BE A SHORT SECTION OF BUS LANE AT THE TOLL PLAZA TO HELP BUSES TO BYPASS THE QUEUING TRAFFIC.

MRS CHAN SAID MORE BUS SERVICES WILL BE COMING MONTHS IN STAGES WHICH ALTOGETHER WILL CAPACITY FOR 7,000 COMMUTERS AT THE PEAK HOUR.

INTRODUCED IN THE PROVIDE AN EXTRA

INCLUDED IN THE STRATEGY IS A NEW BUS LANE ON WEST KOWLOON CORRIDOR SOUTHBOUND WITH LINKED TRAFFIC SIGNALS WHICH WILL ENABLE NEW TERRITORIES EXPRESS BUSES TO TRAVEL FASTER INTO URBAN KOWLOON.

/NEW FERRIES