XN000022-1994-03-02 — Page 27

15

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 1994

BILLION

WHEN

IT

BYPASS

THE

IN AUGUST, THE GOVERNMENT SHALL BE AWARDING THE $3.7

CONTRACT CONSTRUCTION

FOR THE TING KAU BRIDGE. OPENS IN MID-1997, TRAFFIC WILL BE ABLE TO CONTAINER PORT AND ITS BOTTLENECKS IN KWAI CHUNG.

BY

THE

IT THE

THE END OF THIS YEAR, THE GOVERNMENT HOPES TO AWARD FRANCHISE TO CONSTRUCT AND OPERATE THE COUNTRY PARK SECTION OF ROUTE 3. WHEN IT COMES INTO OPERATION IN LATE 1998, WILL PROVIDE A FAST NEW ROUTE LINKING THE BORDER, CONTAINER PORT AND THE URBAN AREAS.

THE GOVERNMENT HAS REACHED AGREEMENT IN PRINCIPLE WITH CHINESE AUTHORITIES TO OPEN THE LOK MA CHAU CROSSING ROUND THE CLOCK, FOR IMPLEMENTATION, HOPEFULLY IN THE HALF OF THIS YEAR. MEANWHILE TWO ADDITIONAL CHANNELS JUST BEEN OPENED.

THE

POINT

FIRST

HAVE

A

MAJOR EXPANSION OF THE LONU STATION EARLY NEXT YEAR AT A COST OF $280 MILLION.

BE WILL

COMPLETED

BY

SIR HAMISH SAID EVERY DAY, MORE THAN 20,000 GOODS VEHICLES PASSED THROUGH THE BORDER CROSSING POINTS. THE FIGURE WAS GROWING ABOUT 15% A YEAR.

BUT VOLUME OF

"THIS TRAFFIC IS THE LIFE BLOOD OF OUR ECONOMIC GROWTH. THE ROAD ARTERIES ARE BECOMING INCREASINGLY CLOGGED BY A VEHICLES FAR BEYOND WHAT THEY WERE DESIGNED TO HANDLE.

++

MUCH OF THE CROSS-BORDER FREIGHT IS FAR MORE SUITED TO BE MOVED BY RAIL THAN ROAD. BUT EXISTING RAIL CAPACITY SIMPLY CANNOT COPE WITH DEMAND.

THIS

OF

LAST YEAR, THE RAILWAY DEVELOPMENT STUDY WAS COMPLETED; SET OUT AMBITIOUS BUT COSTLY PROPOSALS, INCLUDING THE CONSTRUCTION

RAIL SYSTEM, A NEW RAIL TRACK TO LINK UP WITH THE CHINESE NATIONAL WHICH ITSELF IS BEING RAPIDLY UPGRADED.

ON THE

ON

"WE ARE NOT YET IN A POSITION TO MAKE A FIRM DECISION BEST WAY FORWARD. BUT I SUSPECT A CONSENSUS WILL EMERGE THAT HIGH THE LIST OF OUR LONG-TERM TRANSPORT PRIORITIES SHOULD BE A NEW RAILWAY TO THE BORDER THROUGH THE NORTHWEST NEW TERRITORIES,

HE SAID CONGESTED ROADS INVOLVED MORE THAN HIGHER BUSINESS FIRMS.

COSTS FOR

OF

IN THE

THEY MAKE

THOUSANDS TRAVEL A DAILY TRIAL FOR HUNDREDS OF MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN; AND PARTICULARLY FOR THOSE WHO LIVE NORTHWEST NEW TERRITORIES.

THE PROBLEM IS SERIOUS, HE SAID.

HONG KONG HAS 270 VEHICLES FOR EVERY KILOMETRE OF ROAD,

AMONGST

THE HIGHEST VEHICLF DENSITIES IN THE WORLD.

THE NUMBER OF PRIVATE CARS ON ROADS ES GROWING BY 10% A YEAR.

/"WHILE WE