XN000022-1993-04-28 — Page 29

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 1993

17

SEA TRAFFIC BETWEEN HK AND GUANGDONG

* * * * *

THE EXISTING PASSENGER FERRY TERMINALS FOR SERVICES BETWEEN HONG KONG AND THE PEARL RIVER DELTA PORTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO COPE WITH DEMAND FOR THE TIME BEING BUT NEW PIER FACILITIES WILL BE NEEDED IN THE LONGER TERM.

THIS WAS STATED BY THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, MR MICHAEL LEUNG, IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY DR THE HON HUANG CHEN-YA IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

MR LEUNG SAID THE DIRECTOR OF MARINE WOULD SHORTLY BEGIN A REVIEW TO DETERMINE WHEN AND WHERE THESE PIER FACILITIES WOULD BE REQUIRED.

IN 1992 A TOTAL OF 5.2 MILLION PEOPLE TRAVELLED TO AND FROM THE PEARL RIVER DELTA PORTS (EXCLUDING MACAU), REPRESENTING AN INCREASE OF ABOUT 24 PER CENT OVER 1991.

A GROWTH RATE OF ABOUT 16 PER CENT A YEAR IS ESTIMATED OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS.

"WE

ARE NOT AWARE OF ANY CONCRETE PLANS BY THE FERRY SERVICE. OPERATORS ΤΟ ENHANCE THE CAPACITY OF THEIR VESSELS ALTHOUGH IT IS KNOWN THAT IN GENERAL TERMS THEY ARE EXPECTING то REPLACE SMALLER VESSELS WITH LARGER ONES IN DUE COURSE.

"FOR THE TIME BEING THE CAPACITY OF VESSELS IS ADEQUATE," HE SAID.

CONSIDERED

DURING 1992, SOME 17 MILLION TONNES OF RIVER TRADE CARGO WAS HANDLED IN HONG KONG, AN INCREASE OF ABOUT 1 PER CENT OVER 1991. A GROWTH RATE OF BETWEEN 6 AND 10 PER CENT A YEAR IS EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS.

"TO

MEET LONGER TERM DEMAND, THE PORT AND AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY RECOMMENDED THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A RIVER TRADE TERMINAL IN TUEN MUN AREA 38, FOR WHICH EXPRESSIONS OF INTERESTS FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR ARE CURRENTLY BEING EXAMINED BY THE GOVERNMENT," HE SAID.

MEASURES TO PREVENT PROJECT DELAYS IN PLACE

*

NEW INITIATIVES TO IMPROVE THE GOVERNMENT'S PERFORMANCE ON THE PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME FOR 1993/94 ARE IN PLACE AND A DETAILED BRIEFING ON THESE MEASURES WAS HELD FOR PUBLIC WORKS SELECT COMMITTEE MEMBERS.

THIS WAS STATED BY THE SECRETARY FOR WORKS, MR JAMES BLAKE, A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON RONALD ARCULLI, IN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

IN THE

/MR BLAKE