HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL - 2nd October 1969.
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For many years, Sir, we have taken great pains in devising ways and means to bridge the gap between Government and people, and I think that with the re-organization of the UMELCO (as just outlined by my honourable Friend Mr Y. K. KAN)* and other establishments we can attain our goal. Until we have come to the irresistible conclusion that an Ombudsman is the only means of redressing grievances, the majority of my Unofficial Colleagues and I are of the opinion that at present it is not the time to appoint an Ombudsman in Hong Kong.
Sir, I have much pleasure in supporting the motion.
MR SZETO WAI:--Your Excellency, you have spoken over a wide range of subjects and have given us a fairly full picture of what Hong Kong has achieved in the last decade as well as the many plans we have for the future.
You very rightly said that the affairs of Hong Kong have become increasingly complex. Indeed, we have moved far away from our original station of an entrepot in the China Sea and have become an industrial city of international importance. In the short span of a decade, we have earned, through hardwork and initiative, a status of a world city—a city of teeming millions living at a tremendous tempo of life geared to a dynamic economy which exerts influence on every facet of our life; and that on transportation has created problems that are increasing in magnitude and complexity. Our old and inadequate city pattern is being superimposed by canyon-like high-density devel- opments pouring humanity into the narrow streets that are often jammed with vehicles of all sizes and shapes. Our public transport facilities, including the recently legalized light buses, are outstripped by the heavy demand brought about by population increase, expansion of urban areas and rise in living standard. Transport planners are convinced that nothing short of a grade-separated mass transit system will solve our problems. But, given financial feasibility of even a modified system, its implementation will take many years, while mean- time traffic conditions and transport facilities continue to be over- loaded and deteriorate, unless there is an accelerated effort to improve our roads coupled with a determination to overhaul our existing franchised facilities. Government's policy on off-street parking also needs review as our already limited road space is increasingly devoured by unlawfully parked vehicles many of which are being forced to do Admittedly, progress has been made since the upgrading of the Transport Office to a Department last year, and the Commissioner for Transport, aided by the Transport Advisory Committee, has discharged his many difficult duties with satisfaction. But the increasing com- plexity of the combined field of traffic and transport may justifiably
SO.
* Page 21.
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