XN000022-1996-11-20 — Page 38

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The Administration has been making a conscious effort in conjunction with the KCRC to promote road safety at LRT junctions. A working group, comprising representatives from the KCRC, Transport Department, the Police, Territorial Development Department, and the Hong Kong Railway Inspectorate, meets once every three months to consider issues concerning vehicular and pedestrian safety at LRT junctions. So far, they have introduced over 200 safety improvement measures at 87 locations. Moreover, since October 1994, one of my Deputies has convened an Inter-departmental Committee to co-ordinate efforts to improve safety at LRT junctions and to enhance publicity and public education. After all these efforts, the numbers of such accidents have shown a downward trend.

Since June this year, we have installed Red Light Cameras at 13 junctions in the LRT area to discourage drivers from jumping lights and to collect evidence for the prosecution of offenders. The Police have given high priority to taking enforcement action at LRT junctions against drivers who disobey traffic light signals.

In 1997, Transport Department will undertake a traffic study in the Yuen Long and Tuen Mun districts. This study will, inter alia, look into the safe and efficient operation of the LRT, particularly at road junctions and will examine the need for, and explore the feasibility of, grade separating some of the busier junctions, taking into account land, environmental and other constraints.

End

Provision of NT medical services closely monitored

Following is a question by the Hon Chan Yuen-han and a written reply by the Secretary for Health and Welfare, Mrs Katherine Fok, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):

Question:

In view of the continuing growth in population in the West New Territories district in recent years, does the Government know whether the medical services currently provided by Tuen Mun Hospital and Pok Oi Hospital are able to meet the demand for such services in the district over the next ten years; if not, what measures does the Hospital Authority have to tackle the problem?