XN000022-1993-10-06 — Page 17

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1993

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MORE FUNDS FOR HK'S LAND TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM

THE GOVERNMENT WILL SPEND NEARLY $9 BILLION ON ROAD CONSTRUCTION AND IMPROVEMENTS NEXT YEAR TO EASE HONG KONG'S TRAFFIC PROBLEMS, THE GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, SAID THIS (WEDNESDAY) AFTERNOON IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

MAJOR ITEMS WOULD INCLUDE THE WIDENING OF LUNG CHEUNG AND CHING CHEUNG ROADS, AND THE COMPLETION OF THE YUEN LONG SOUTHERN BY-PASS, IN ADDITION TO THE AIRPORT CORE PROGRAMME PROJECTS, HE SAID IN HIS POLICY ADDRESS.

BUILDING OF TING KAU BRIDGE WOULD ALSO BE STARTED, HE ADDED.

THE FUNDS ΤΟ BE SPENT THIS YEAR ON ROAD CONSTRUCTION AND IMPROVEMENTS WILL DOUBLE THE AMOUNT SPENT LAST YEAR.

THE GOVERNOR NOTED THAT THE NUMBER OF PRIVATE CARS HAD INCREASED BY 62 PER CENT OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS.

"WE HAVE 270 VEHICLES FOR EVERY KILOMETRE OF ROAD, COMPARED TO 68 IN THE UK AND JUST 11 IN CHINA.

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"IT IS A TRIBUTE TO OUR TRANSPORT SYSTEM TO THE INDIVIDUAL DRIVER AS WELL AS THE POLICE AND THE TRAFFIC ENGINEERS THAT ANYTHING MOVES AT ALL. IN FACT, OUR TRAFFIC IS MOVING RATHER FASTER NOW THAN IT DID IN THE MID-1980S.

"NEVERTHELESS, TRAFFIC DENSITIES AT HONG KONG'S LEVELS CAN BE EXTREMELY HARMFUL TO OUR ENVIRONMENT, OUR ECONOMY AND OUR WELL-BEING," HE SAID.

MR PATTEN SAID THE GOVERNMENT'S NUMBER ONE PRIORITY ON TRANSPORT WOULD BE TO KEEP TRAFFIC MOVING, TO MAKE THE ROAD SYSTEM AS USER-FRIENDLY AS POSSIBLE.

"THAT MEANS MAKING A DETERMINED EFFORT TO EASE THE STRAINS COMMUTERS AND COMMERCIAL VEHICLE DRIVERS WHO HAVE TO BRAVE NOTORIOUS BOTTLENECKS IN OUR ROAD NETWORK SIMPLY TO GET TO WORK.

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"OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS, WE PROPOSE то SPEND NEARLY $2 BILLION ON A PACKAGE OF IMPROVEMENTS, HE SAID.

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THE GOVERNMENT WILL:

* CONSTRUCT NEW CLIMBING LANES ON THE TUEN MUN HIGHWAY;

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INTRODUCE SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS TO COVER THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE HIGHWAY AND THE CONTAINER PORT APPROACHES, FOR PROMPT MEASURES то CLEAR BROKEN-DOWN VEHICLES BEFORE THEY CAUSE TRAFFIC SNARL-UPS;

UPGRADE AND EXPAND THE COMPUTERISED AREA TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS IN KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES TO COVER 550 JUNCTIONS. THIS SHOULD IMPROVE PEAK HOUR TRAFFIC SPEEDS AT LEAST 10 PER CENT IN THE WORST AFFECTED DISTRICTS;

BY

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