XN000022-1994-01-19 — Page 26

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19, 1994

HE SAID OPERATION OF THE SYSTEM WAS MONITORED BY BOTH THE CROSS

TUNNEL COMPANY HARBOUR

A AND TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT, AND

NUMBER OF IMPROVEMENTS HAD BEEN MADE.

THESE INCLUDED

MORE FREQUENT BROADCASTING IN THE TUNNEL TO ADVISE MOTORISTS OF THE LOCATION OF AUTOTOLL MESSAGES THE STATIONING OF MORE TUNNEL STAFF TO DIRECT THE TRAFFIC.

OF LANES AND

THE TRAFFIC FLOW AT THE CROSS HARBOUR TUNNEL IS LIMITED BY

IN HOUR TUNNEL'S CAPACITY, WHICH IS ABOUT 3,200 VEHICLES PER DIRECTION, HE SAID.

THE EACH

"

AUTOTOLL CANNOT IN ITSELF REDUCE TRAFFIC CONGESTION SINCE TUNNEL

AND THE IS

HOURS OPERATING BEYOND ITS CAPACITY DURING PEAK APPROACH ROADS AND EXIT POINTS ARE ALSO CONSTRAINING FACTORS.

THE

HR

USERS BUT

OF THE SYSTEM DO ENJOY THE BENEFIT OF A QUICKER PASSAGE THROUGH THE TOLL BOOTHS AND THEREFORE SAVE A LITTLE TIME, ADDED.

THE AUTOTOLL SYSTEM IS PROVIDED BY THE CROSS HARBOUR TUNNEL THE WHICH HAS TAKEN STEPS TO PROMOTE IT, PARTICULARLY BEFORE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SYSTEM LAST AUGUST.

COMPANY

MEASURES INCLUDE THE PROVISION OF POSTERS, PUBLICITY AND BROCHURES, AS WELL AS RADIO AND NEWSPAPER ADVERTISING.

LEAFLET'S

MEASURES TO PREVENT FLOODING IN TUEN MUN

THE GOVERNMENT WILL IMPROVE THE DRAINAGE CHANNELS ON THE SLOPES NEXT TO THE EAST OF ALPINE GARDEN IN TUEN MUN BEFORE THE ONSET OF THE

SERIOUS FLOODING WHICH WET SEASON ΤΟ PREVENT A RECURRENCE OF THE OCCURRED THERE ON NOVEMBER 6 LAST YEAR.

IN

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

MR

BLAKE

NOTED

THAT

THE

FAR

90

BY ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

INVESTIGATION GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING OFFICE OF THE CIVIL HAD SHOWN THAT THE INCIDENT WAS IN PART RELATED TO THE OVERFLOWING THE TAI LAM CHUNG CATCHWATER DUE TO HEAVY RAINFALL.

THE

OF

DRAINAGE THEY ON

HE SAID FIELD OBSERVATIONS SUGGESTED THAT SOME OF THE CHANNELS IN THE AREA COULD NOT COPE WITH THE WATER FLOW BECAUSE WERE BLOCKED IN PLACES, PARTLY AS A RESULT OF SQUATTER ACTIVITIES THE SLOPE.

ALPINE

PARTIAL BLOCKAGE OF THE CHANNELS AND A CATCHPIT RESULTED IN THE OVERFLOW OF WATER, EROSION OF THE CUT SLOPES AND FLOODING IN GARDEN.

/HE SAID