TNAG-0855-FCO40-1065-Construction-of-underground-railway-system-in-Hong-Kong-1979 — Page 80

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22.

The first major change will occur in 1971 when

the cross-harbour vehicular tunnel is expected to be

completed. The operation of buses through the tunnel,

affording direct service between Kowloon and Hong Kong

Island, will have an impact on the routing of bus lines

and on some cross-harbour ferry services, particularly

those which parallel the vehicular tunnel. Assuming that

the tunnel bus services offer reasonably comparable cost

and convenience, there may not be sufficient patronage on

two or three nearby ferry routes, that now operate at a

loss, to warrant their continued operation*. Most of the

cross-harbour ferry lines, however, would still offer

faster and more direct routes of travel, and it is

assumed that these will remain in operation.

23.

The second factor which will materially affect

surface transport is the continued dispersal of population

and employment and the consequent re-alignment of travel

patterns. This trend has been under way for many years and

is the main reason why the proportion of public transport

travel by bus has risen from 50 per cent in 1954 to 67 per

cent in 1967.

* Service on two of these lines was suspended at least

temporarily as this report was going to press.

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