XN000022-1994-05-18 — Page 5

WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 1994

SINCE 1990, THE AIR-CONDITIONED BUS NETWORK HAS BEEN EXPANDED TO ATTRACT PASSENGERS WHO USED TO TAKE THE MTR TO TRAVEL TO WORK.

AS AT TODAY, 35 BUS ROUTES USING 134 AIR-CONDITIONED BUSES ARE RUNNING FROM THE NEW TERRITORIES AND KOWLOON TO SOUTH KOWLOON AND HONG KONG ISLAND TO RELIEVE THE PASSENGER DEMAND FOR MTR ALONG THE NATHAN ROAD CORRIDOR.

"FIVE NEW BUS ROUTES INCLUDING FOUR CROSS-HARBOUR PLANNED TO BE INTRODUCED IN THE COMING WEEKS, HE SAID.

་་

ROUTES ARE

MR

IN

ON THE EXPANSION OF TELFORD GARDENS TRANSPORT INTERCHANGE, HUI SAID THIS WAS REQUIRED NOT ONLY TO MEET THE EXISTING SHORTFALL CAPACITY, BUT ALSO TO CATER FOR THE NEW DEMANDS FOR TRANSPORT FACILITIES ARISING FROM THE REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT WHICH REPRESENTS HIGHER UTILISATION OF THE SITE.

A

HE SAID THE PROPOSED NEW TRANSPORT INTERCHANGE WOULD INCORPORATE A NEW BUS TERMINUS WHICH WOULD BE SEPARATED FROM THE RELOCATED TAXI AND GREEN MINIBUS STANDS ΤΟ ENHANCE OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY.

A COVERED GRADE-SEPARATED PEDESTRIAN WALKWAY WOULD BE BUILT LINKING THE BUS TERMINUS, THE TAXI AND GREEN MINIBUS STANDS AND THE SHOPPING HALLS OF THE NEW DEVELOPMENT. THIS WALKWAY WOULD REMOVE PRESENT CONFLICTS BETWEEN PEDESTRIAN AND VEHICULAR MOVEMENTS.

THE

NEW ACCESS POINTS AT GROUND LEVEL DIRECT FROM TAI YIP STREET WOULD BE ADDED TO REDUCE TRAFFIC VOLUME AT THE PODIUM LEVEL SO AS TO FACILITATE SMOOTH TRAFFIC CIRCULATION TO AND FROM THE EXPANDED INTERCHANGE.

"I AM FULLY CONFIDENT THAT THROUGH JOINT EFFORTS OF MTRC, THE OTHER RELEVANT TRANSPORT OPERATORS AND THE GOVERNMENT, WE CAN MANAGE TO MEET THE PASSENGER DEMAND FOR THE MTR AND THE ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORT SERVICES SATISFACTORILY UNTIL THE NEW TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURES AND SERVICES UNDER PLANNING ARE COMPLETED IN THE COMING YEARS,

MR HUI

SAID.

PROVISION OF LORRY PARKING SPACES AT WESTERN RECLAMATION

*

THE

IN RESPONSE TO LORRY DRIVERS' CONCERN ON THE REDUCTION IN SIZE OF A POTENTIAL LORRY PARKING SITE IN THE WESTERN RECLAMATION, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT TODAY (WEDNESDAY) CLARIFIED THAT THE SITE WAS ORIGINALLY INTENDED FOR THE PARKING OF ABOUT 120 VEHICLES.

OF ON-STREET

HOWEVER, IN ORDER TO REMOVE THE POTENTIAL HAZARD PARKING OF LPG DANGEROUS GOODS VEHICLES (WHICH IS ALSO ONE TYPE OF GOODS VEHICLES), ABOUT 30 SPACES HAVE TO BE SET ASIDE AND PHYSICALLY SEGREGATED FOR SAFETY REASONS TO ALLOW THESE VEHICLES TO BE PARKED OFF-STREET.

/A PORTION