XN000022-1994-03-30 — Page 6

-

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 1994

KONG,

NOTING THAT FREIGHT TRANSPORT WAS THE VERY LIFE BLOOD OF HONG MR SIU SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS DOING ITS BEST TO OVERCOME THE PROBLEM OF CONGESTION ON THE ROADS, AT THE AIRPORT, AND IN THE PORT AS A RESULT OF THE GROWTH OF FREIGHT MOVEMENT BETWEEN CHINA AND HONG KONG.

"OUR EFFORTS IN PLANNING AND BUILDING THE NEW AIRPORT, THE PORT PROJECT, THE TSING MA BRIDGE, EXTENSIVE HIGHWAY SCHEMES, HAVE ATTRACTED ATTENTION AROUND THE WORLD, HE SAID.

MR SIU POINTED OUT THAT KAI TAK WAS NEARING ITS CAPACITY AND THE NEW FREIGHT FACILITIES AT CHEK LAP KOK WOULD BE NEEDED BY SHIPPERS AS SOON AS THEY COULD COME INTO SERVICE.

НЕ ADDED THAT EVEN IF WORK STARTED IMMEDIATELY ON CONTAINER TERMINAL 9 THERE WAS LIKELY TO BE A SHORTFALL OF SUPPLY OVER DEMAND FOR BERTH SPACE IN 1995.

"ANTICIPATING THE GROWING DEMAND, THE GOVERNMENT IS LOOKING AT WAYS OF BRINGING TERMINALS 10 AND 11 ON LANTAU ON STREAM AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE," HE ADDED.

ON HIGHWAY PROJECTS, MR SIU SAID PROGRESS WAS BRING MADE ON THE TSING MA BRIDGE AND ROUTE THREE, WHILE A FRANCHISE TO BUILD THE $7 BILLION, DUAL, THREE-LANE COUNTRY PARK SECTION OF ROUTE THREE WOULD BE AWARDED AT THE END OF THIS YEAR.

"ROAD LINKS BETWEEN THE BORDER AND URBAN AREAS WILL BE IMPROVED WITH THE OPENING OF THE YUEN LONG SOUTHERN BYPASS IN SEPTEMBER THIS YEAR.

"IN AUGUST, WE WILL BE AWARDING A CONTRACT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE TING KAU BRIDGE," MR SIU SAID.

TO HELP DEVELOP RIVER TRANSPORT, MR SIU SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS PLANNING A RIVER TRADE TERMINAL AT TUEN MUN.

THERE WAS GREAT INTEREST IN FURTHER DEVELOPING FREIGHT RAIL LINKS BETWEEN THE MAINLAND AND HONG KONG WITH DEDICATED RAIL LINES RUNNING TO THE PORT, MR SIU NOTED.

"THE GOVERNMENT HOPES TO FINALISE THE RAILWAY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY BY MAY BEFORE CONSULTING THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES ON THE PLANS AND MOVING INTO DETAILED NEGOTIATIONS WITH PROSPECTIVE OPERATORS.

"WE PLAN TO HAVE THE FREIGHT LINE COMPLETED BY THE YEAR 2001,

"WITH CHINA MAKING MAGNIFICENT PROGRESS IN DOUBLE TRACKING RAIL SYSTEM,

CHINA SUCH A LINK, WITH MARSHALLING YARDS BOTH IN HONG KONG, WOULD GREATLY EXPAND THE TERRITORY'S FREIGHT HINTERLAND THE MAINLAND.

"IT WOULD ENABLE A TRUE INTERMODAL FREIGHT TRANSPORT SYSTEM BE ESTABLISHED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HONG KONG," MR SIU SAID.

ITS

AND

ON

TO

16