TNAG-0955-FCO40-1174-Legislation-for-traffic-on-roads-in-Hong-Kong-1980 — Page 27

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that if the Eastern Corridor highway had never been planned or built, it would be most difficult and indeed unlikely for

surface public transport to cope adequately with the future

travel demand along the Corridor because of an increasing inadequacy of road space as ownership and usage of vehicles grow This in turn would erode the quality of life generally due to growing immobility on a wide scale.

8.2 However, unlike urban Kowloon and the M.I.S. where there was

no single major parallel road building project of any signific-

ance,

there will be built on the Island the Eastern Corridor

Highway directly paralleling the line of the proposed MTR

along the north shore. This six/eight lane highway offers a unique opportunity for a now express bus network utilising

very high capacity buses thus ensuring the ongoing mobility of corridor activity for as long a period as can at present

be foreseen.

8.3 There are, therefore, six main features which combine to

influence a decision in favour of a surface public transport

option for the Island Corridor.

(1) The construction of the Eastern Island Corridor highway

and the potential this project offers for the development

of an integrated express bus network. Such an express bus network linking all major centres of population along the corridor will be a possibility at "end to end" trip times

and fares which are likely to be more favourable than by

an MTR option.

(2) The opening of the Aberdeen/Happy Valley Tunnel and allied road network in 1981 and the consequential introduction of

a network of express bus services between the Island Corridor

and the rapidly developing southern region of Hong Kong

Island will result in a reduced travel demand to and from

Central.

./17.