XN000022-1994-03-09 — Page 16

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 1994

BRIDGE'S POTENTIAL TO ATTRACT TOURISTS RECOGNISED

ATTRACTION,

THE

THE

CERTAINLY GOVERNMENT

RECOGNISES THE POTENTIAL FOR THE LANTAU FIXED CROSSING TO BECOME A MAJOR TOURIST SECRETARY FOR WORKS, MR JAMES BLAKE, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

ACCOUNT

ΤΟ REPLYING

A QUESTION FROM DR THE HON SAMUEL WONG IN THE A LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR BLAKE SAID CONSIDERATION WAS BEING GIVEN TO NUMBER OF SITES IN THE VICINITY OF THE CROSSING, TAKING INTO THEIR

CROSSING LOCATIONS AS VIEWING POINTS FOR THE WHOLE OF THE WELL AS IN PARTICULAR THE TSING MA SUSPENSION BRIDGE.

AS

"CAREFUL ATTENTION IS BEING GIVEN TO THE NEED FOR INCORPORATING ADEQUATE PARKING FACILITIES, AS WELL AS THEIR POTENTIAL FOR COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES SUCH AS SOUVENIR SHOPS AND RESTAURANTS, HE SAID.

0

―

+

REMODELLING OF KCR KOWLOON STATION TO MEET DEMAND

IT IS IMPERATIVE TO UPGRADE THE KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY (KCR) KOWLOON STATION TO PROVIDE MODERN INTERNATIONAL FACILITIES AND A PODIUM DOUBLE ITS PRESENT SIZE TO MEET THE GROWING PATRONAGE FOR DOMESTIC AND CROSS-BORDER TRAFFIC.

IN VIEW OF THE SIZE AND COMPLEXITY OF THE PROJECT, ESTIMATED TOTAL COST OF $1 BILLION IS CONSIDERED TO BE REASONABLE

KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY CORPORATION (KCRC).

THE

BOTH

THE BY

THIS WAS STATED BY THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, MR HAIDER BARMA, IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY) IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY DR THE HON SAMUEL WONG PING-WAI.

KOWLOON WAS

MR BARMA SAID: "THE EXISTING TERMINAL OF THE KCRC STATION WAS NOT DESIGNED TO COPE WITH INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC; NOR IT DESIGNED TO HANDLE THE CURRENT VOLUME OF 150,000 TO PASSENGERS PER DAY WHICH WAS FOUR TIMES ITS DESIGN CAPACITY.

"I

160,000

'CUSTOMS AND IMMIGRATION FACILITIES HAVE BEEN PROVIDED ON AN IMPROVISED BASIS AND THROUGH-TRAIN PASSENGERS HAVE TO WAIT IN LONG QUEUES OUTSIDE THE CONCOURSE."

IN SEEKING CONCEPTUAL SOLUTIONS TO THE CAPACITY AND DESIGN CONSTRAINTS OF THE KOWLOON STATION, THE KCRC CALLED FOR PROPOSALS FROM SIX EXPERIENCED ARCHITECTURAL AND DESIGN CONSULTING FIRMS, WHOSE PROFESSIONAL MEMBERS ARE FULLY QUALIFIED AND REGISTERED LOCALLY, MR BARMA SAID.

WHICH BEST

THE

FOLLOWING AN INTERNAL ASSESSMENT, THE FIRM DEMONSTRATED ITS ABILITY AND EXPERIENCE WAS SELECTED TO EXAMINE PROBLEMS AND IDENTIFY POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS.

"I

"THE PRELIMINARY STUDY HAS BEEN COMPLETED. THE BOARD WILL SHORTLY CONSIDER THE FINDINGS AND DECIDE HOW BEST THE SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED.

OF

KCRC PROJECT

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