XN000022-1994-01-13 — Page 10

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 13, 1994

BUT THE HONOURABLE MEMBER IS QUITE RIGHT ΤΟ SAY THAT THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW TOWNS HAS, TO A DEGREE, GONE AHEAD OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE TO MAKE THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO LIVE IN THE NEW TOWNS AS EASY AS IT SHOULD BE. I THINK THERE ARE PARTICULAR PROBLEMS FACED BY THOSE WHO LIVE IN THE NORTH-WEST NEW TERRITORIES BUT WORK IN KOWLOON OR ON THIS ISLAND AND HAVE DIFFICULT JOURNEYS TO WORK EVERYDAY. IT IS CERTAINLY A POINT WHICH IS EXPRESSED ME FAIRLY REGULARLY BY THOSE WHO REPRESENT THE GEOGRAPHICAL CONSTITUENCIES IN THE NORTH-WEST NEW TERRITORIES AND IT IS A POINT THAT IS MADE TO ME WHEN I VISIT THE NEW TERRITORIES AS WELL.

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AND IT MAY BE, I GUESS, THE SUBJECT OF A LATER QUESTION THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO IN ORDER TO IMPROVE TRANSPORT FACILITIES FOR THOSE WHO LIVE IN THE NEW TERRITORIES. THE DEVELOPMENT OF ROUTE THREE OF THE COUNTRY PARKS SECTION OF ROUTE THREE IS IMPORTANT. THE DEVELOPMENT OR THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE TUEN MUN HIGHWAY IS RELEVANT. THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR RAILWAY SYSTEM, NOT LEAST, AS ADVOCATED BY MANY, WITH LINKS ROUND ΤΟ TUEN MUN, THAT IS IMPORTANT AS WELL. THE DEVELOPMENT OF FASTER DIRECT FERRY SERVICES BETWEEN CENTRAL AND TUEN MUN IS ANOTHER IMPORTANT FACTOR, AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BUS SERVICES AND THOSE FERRY SERVICES TOO, HAS TO BE TAKEN ACCOUNT OF. So THOSE ARE ALL PRACTICAL THINGS WE CAN DO TO ALLEVIATE A PROBLEM IN THE NORTH-WEST NEW TERRITORIES WHICH I KNOW HAS BOTH SOCIAL EFFECTS AND, I WOULD JUDGE, ECONOMIC EFFECTS AS WELL.

MR HENRY TANG: GOVERNOR, MY QUESTION CONCERNS CROSS HARBOUR TUNNELS. SINCE THE OPENING OF THE EASTERN HARBOUR CROSSING IN 1989, WE ARE AT OR NEAR ITS CAPACITY TODAY, FOUR YEARS LATER. YESTERDAY THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT IN ANSWERING ONE OF THE QUESTIONS SAID THAT LONG TERM TRAFFIC, CROSS HARBOUR TRAFFIC SOLUTION LIES IN THE WESTERN HARBOUR CROSSING DUE TO OPEN IN 1997. NOW, IF WE DEVELOP ECONOMICALLY LIKE THE TERRITORY DEVELOPMENT STUDY THAT'S BEEN COMING OUT, I ENVISAGE THAT WE PROBABLY MIGHT REACH ITS CAPACITY BY THE YEAR, LET'S SAY 2002, WHICH IS FIVE YEARS AFTER ITS SCHEDULED OPENING. NOW IN ORDER NOT TO BECOME ANOTHER TIME A VICTIM OF OUR OWN SUCCESS, AND TO KEEP OUR TRAFFIC MOVING LIKE YOU SAID SIR, IS THERE A FOURTH HARBOUR CROSSING IN YOUR VISION AND IF NOT, WHY NOT? AND NOW THAT I'VE ASKED YOU ABOUT IT, WOULD YOU THINK ABOUT IT?

GOVERNOR: AFTER OUR EXPERIENCE OF LEGISLATING FOR THE WESTERN HARBOUR CROSSING I'M CERTAINLY HAPPY TO THINK ABOUT IT BUT 1 HOPE I DON'T HAVE TO LEGISLATE FOR IT.

/THE HONOURABLE

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