TNAG-0770-FCO40-974-Construction-of-underground-railway-system-in-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 147

between the different modes;

(iv) inherent in the recommendation is the possibility of

slowing down or accelerating the strategy relative to changes in population, restraint policies, travellers preferences, economic growth and the developing road programme; and

(v) it preserves the ultimate possibility of providing a

high capacity totally segregated system should circumstances require it.

The Principal Disadvantages of the Strategy

4.6

4.7

4.8

The Corridor was described in the Brief as presenting some of the most challenging and complex transport problems in Hong Kong. Any strategy proposed must contain some disadvantages and the Study Team feel that two may be immediately identified by the Steering Group. These are:

(i) The development of an LRT system is not being promoted

by any existing operator; and

(ii)

The strategy may require very significant professional resources to co-ordinate and implement.

The first disadvantage must clearly be considered and evaluated by the Steering Group and the Government. It is evident that all the operators in the corridor have a lot to gain from the strategy and that it would be in the interests of the general travelling public for a mechanisim to be found to achieve the necessary coordination. The problem looks no where near as difficult or new to Hong Kong as the original decision to develop the MTR, for example.

The second disadvantage could easily be overstated. Again using MTR as an example it is quite evident that the coordination and professional effort required to develop the strategy is not in the same leaque as that needed for the MIS. However a substantial effort will be required and this may well be a role that Government can play.

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