XN000022-1992-07-29 — Page 3

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I

WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 1992

MR PATTEN CONCLUDED HIS

PROGRAMME WITH A VISIT ΤΟ QUEEN ELIZABETH HOSPITAL WHERE REFORM MEASURES HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED то IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF PATIENT CARE.

THE GOVERNOR WAS LATER SHOWN AROUND THE OLD AND NEW WARDS AND WAS GLAD TO HEAR THAT THERE WERE IMMINENT IMPROVEMENTS TO THE OLDER WARDS, INCLUDING CENTRAL AIR-CONDITIONING AND THE INSTALLATION OF THE FIRST MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING SYSTEM, A SCANNING AND DIAGNOSIS DEVICE, BY THE HOSPITAL AUTHORITY.

0

FURTHER COST CUTTING OF AIRPORT RAILWAY NOT VIABLE

* *

THE

IS

COST

MOST

AND THE

SHARING TRANSPORT,

RAILWAY IN ITS PRESENT FORM AIRPORT

THE AIRPORT EFFECTIVE SOLUTION FOR THE TRANSPORT NEEDS OF THE CONGESTION ON THE NATHAN ROAD CORRIDOR, WITH TWO SERVICES

FOR THE SECRETARY COMMON TRACKS OVER MOST OF THE LENGTH, MR MICHEAL LEUNG, SAID TODAY.

ACHIEVED

"ANY FURTHER

BE COST REDUCTIONS COULD NOT LOWERING THE QUALITY AND SAFETY OF THE SERVICES, AND VIABILITY OF THE PROJECT.'

"

WITHOUT THE FINANCIAL

THE

OF

LEGCO THE

MR LEUNG WAS SPEAKING AFTER PRESENTATIONS HAD BEEN MADE BY GOVERNMENT AND THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY CORPORATION (MTRC) TO A AD HOC GROUP

SUB-COMMITTEE AND THE TRAFFIC AND AIRPORT CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE.

TRANSPORT

AFTER

CAREFULLY

FOR

"THE GOVERNMENT HAS COME ΤΟ THIS VIEW CONSIDERING, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE MTRC, VARIOUS SUGGESTIONS FURTHER COST REDUCTIONS OF THE AIRPORT RAILWAY, MR LEUNG SAID.

"THE

11

IS

BUT CUTS

PUBLIC CONCERN ABOUT THE COST OF THE AIRPORT RAILWAY FULLY APPRECIATED, AND THE GOVERNMENT SHARES THIS CONCERN, ARE NOT VIABLE.

STUDY

OURSELVES

"AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THE AIRPORT RAILWAY FEASIBILITY LATE 1990, WE COMMISSIONED ADDITIONAL STUDIES TO ASSURE THAT THE FINAL SYSTEM WE CHOSE WAS THE MOST COST-EFFECTIVE POSSIBLE.

IN

THE

OF "AS

PARTS A RESULT OF THOSE STUDIES, WE IDENTIFIED

THOSE PARTS WERE AIRPORT RAILWAY WHICH WERE NOT ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL.

WITHOUT ADVERSELY DEFERRED, AT A COST REDUCTION OF $1.48 BILLION, AFFECTING REVENUE, BEFORE THE FINAL $22.2 BILLION FIGURE WAS ANNOUNCED IN APRIL."

EXPLAINING WHY

GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN CHUNG STATION WOULD

FURTHER COST

NOT CUTS ARE SAID WHILE THE PROPOSED DEFERRAL ACHIEVE A SAVING OF ABOUT $900 PRICES), THE MTRC'S FINANCING PLAN FOR THE AIRPORT RAILWAY WEAKENED.

PRACTICABLE,

TUNG OF THE MILLION (1991 WOULD BE

A

THERE WOULD