XN000022-1993-01-11 — Page 12

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MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 1993

THERE ARE

PLANS TO EXTEND THE WEARING OF SEAT BELTS TO REAR SEAT PASSENGERS IN NEW PRIVATE CARS BY NEXT YEAR AND TO REDUCE HAZARDS ON STEEP ROADS BY INSTALLING MORE CRASH BARRIERS, LAYING ANTI-SKID MATERIAL AND THROUGH TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT MEASURES.

"WE ARE ALSO CONSIDERING MAKING MEDICAL CHECK-UP COMPULSORY FOR BUS DRIVERS."

WITH REGARD ΤΟ TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE, MR LEUNG SAID EXPENDITURE ON ROAD PROJECTS INCLUDING THOSE LINKING THE NEW AIRPORT WILL INCREASE SUBSTANTIALLY FROM $1,556 MILLION IN 1991/92 TO $3,790 MILLION IN 1992/93.

THE FIGURE WILL RISE FURTHER TO $6,493 MILLION IN 1993/94.

"NEW TRANSPORT PROJECTS, SUCH AS THE WEST KOWLOON EXPRESSWAY AND ROUTE 3 (KWAI CHUNG TSING YI SECTION) ARE NOT ONLY TO SERVE THE NEW AIRPORT. THEY WILL BENEFIT THE TERRITORY AS A WHOLE,

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『中

HE SAID.

MR LEUNG ALSO PLEDGED TO MAINTAIN THE MOMENTUM IN BUILDING MORE ROADS AND IMPROVING EXISTING ONES TO MEET THE GROWING TRANSPORT

NEW NEEDS.

HE NOTED THAT MAJOR ROAD PROJECTS COMPLETED LAST YEAR INCLUDED THE RECONSTRUCTION OF KING'S ROAD, THE YUEN LONG WEST LINK TO TIN SHUI WAI AND THE FINAL SECTION OF THE NT CIRCULAR ROAD BETWEEN AU TAU AND FAN KAM ROAD WHICH WILL BE OPEN TO TRAFFIC ON SATURDAY (JANUARY 16).

PROJECTS DUE FOR COMPLETION THIS YEAR INCLUDE THE HILLSIDE ESCALATOR LINKING CENTRAL AND THE MID-LEVELS AND THE TUEN MUN-YUEN LONG BASTERN CORRIDOR.

PROJECTS DUE TO START THIS YEAR INCLUDE THE YAUMATEI SECTION OF THE WEST KOWLOON CORRIDOR AND THE SECOND TSING YJ SOUTH BRIDGE.

FOR LONG-TERM DEVELOPMENT, MR LEUNG SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD CARRIED OUT A NUMBER OF STRATEGIC STUDIES.

IN PARTICULAR, THE UPDATING OF THE SECOND COMPREHENSIVE TRANSPORT STUDY (CTS-2) IS NEARING COMPLETION.

TAKING

"THE UPDATE EXTENDS THE TRANSPORT PLANNING HORIZON UP TO 2011, INTO ACCOUNT, PORT, AIRPORT AND OTHER NEW LAND-USE DEVELOPMENTS, HE ADDED.

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HE SAID THE AVERAGE TRAVELLING TIME HAD BEEN SHORTENED BY 10- PER CENT DURING 1986 TO 1991, DUE LARGELY TO A SUBSTANTIAL ROAD BUILDING PROGRAMME AND IMPROVEMENT IN THE PUBLIC TRANSPORT SYSTEM.

"THE IMPROVEMENT IS PARTICULARLY SIGNIFICANT WHEN ONE CONSIDERS THAT THERE HAS BEEN AN ANNUAL VEHICLE GROWTH OF 7.5 PER CENT IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS AND THAT PROPLE IN HONG KONG ARE TRAVELLING MORE WITH AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT 10.3 MILLJON TRIPS MADE A DAY IN 1992, REPRESENTING A 24 PER CENT RISE COMPARED TO 1981, MR LEUNG SAID.

/THE CTS-2