XN000022-1993-10-27 — Page 30

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1993

24

WORK ON TING KAU BRIDGE TO BEGIN NEXT YEAR

THE

OF THE $3.5 BILLION TING KAU CONSTRUCTION FUNDED TOTALLY

BY THE GOVERNMENT IS SEPTEMBER WITH COMPLETION IN MID 1997.

BRIDGE

EXPECTED

ΤΟ

START

то BY

BE NEXT

THIS WAS STATED TODAY (WEDNESDAY)

TRANSPORT,

THANKS

FOR то

BY THE SECRETARY

MR HAIDER BARMA IN THE DEBATE ON THE MOTION OF THE GOVERNOR'S ANNUAL ADDRESS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

BY

OF

UNDER A

MR BARMA SAID BIDS WOULD BE INVITED FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR THE END OF THIS YEAR FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE REMAINING SECTION ROUTE 3

PARK COUNTRY

KAU, TING SECTION, FROM AU TAU TO FRANCHISE ARRANGEMENT.

IT WAS HOPED THAT THE FRANCHISE WOULD BE AWARDED BY THE END NEXT YEAR.

"GIVEN THE MAGNITUDE OF THE PROJECT AND ITS COMPLEXITY, SEEMS LITTLE PROSPECT OF IT BEING COMPLETED BEFORE 1998 EVEN GOVERNMENT WERE TO BUILD THE ROAD ITSELF, HE ADDED.

rt

OF

THERE

IF THE

IN REPLY

USE TO A CALL BY SOME LEGCO MEMBERS FOR GREATER PUBLIC TRANSPORT,

VERY MR BARMA SAID THE GOVERNMENT WORKED

CLOSELY WITH THE PUBLIC TRANSPORT OPERATORS TO ACHIEVE THIS GOAL.

OF

HE NOTED THAT IN 1994/95 THE FRANCHISED BUS SPEND NO LESS THAN $430 MILLION TO UPGRADE AND EXPAND BUS SERVICES.

COMPANIES

WILL

ACTION IS ALSO IN HAND TO PROVIDE BETTER FERRY SERVICES IN WESTERN PART OF HONG KONG.

THE

THIS INCLUDES THE RECENT INTRODUCTION OF NEW HIGH-SPEED CATAMARANS ON THE TUEN MUN CENTRAL ROUTE AND OF TWO NEW ROUTES TUEN MUN TO WAN CHAI AND TSIM SHA TSUI RESPECTIVELY.

FROM

FERRY

BETWEEN

"WE ARE ALSO EXAMINING THE POSSIBLE INTRODUCTION OF

TUEN MUN/TSUEN WAN/TSING YI SERVICES

AND

CENTRES, MR BARMA ADDED.

ADDITIONAL

THE

URBAN

ON THE GROWTH OF CAR OWNERSHIP, MR BARMA NOTED HAS ABOUT 495,000 VEHICLES.

HONG KONG NOW

"THE CURRENT RATE OF GROWTH CANNOT BE SUSTAINED INDEFINITELY WITHOUT THERE BEING A MAJOR ADVERSE IMPACT ON BOTH ROAD CONDITIONS AND ON THE ENVIRONMENT.

14

HR UNDERTOOK TO CONSIDER AFRESH THE OPTIONS FOR REDUCING THE RATE OF GROWTH TO A LEVEL THE ROAD SYSTEM CAN ACCOMMODATE .

BUILDING

MR BARMA SAID: "WHILE THERE HAS BEEN SUCCESS IN MAINTAINING AVERAGE TRAFFIC SPEEDS IN HONG KONG THROUGH A VIGOROUS ROAD PROGRAMME AND GOOD TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT OVER THE YEARS, IF WE KEEP HONG KONG MOVING INTO THE 21ST CENTURY, THE COMMUNITY HAVE TO FACE HARD, UNPOPULAR CHOICES.

ARE TO MAY WELL

I

/25

Page 30Page 31