TNAG-2143-FCO40-3062-Hong-Kong-Port-and-Airport-Development-Strategy-(PADS)-1990 — Page 236

(4)

(5)

(6)

there will be no land access in the building of the airport in the next 70 months while the long bridge is being built,

any delay or disruption to the long bridge will mean no access to Lantau, during construction of the airport, or even after CLK AIRPORT is completed.

The effects of points (1), (2), (3) & (4) will make the project unnecessarily expensive, resulting the public having to forever and a day pay very heavy fares to reach CLK AIRPORT. There is no logic why the working public should be forced to pay so much more than the KCR Sheung Shui fares of $6.00 from Hung Hom.

In November 1989, the Financial Committe was asked to earmark HK$38M to commission Mott MacDonald, the same consultant who spent more than 2.5 years on the PADS study, on a consultancy study on the possibility of providing a TSING YI - MA WAN TUNNEL. Of course an $80 Admiral Chart will show that this particular stretch of water is between -30M to -53M, the deepest in Hong Kong. Because trains need to operate on very gentle gradients, train tunnels would require very long approaches and is clearly not suitable for TSING YI - MA WAN. One very senior Government official, when asked why still the consultancy, answered that "we just have to be sure". It shows that even within 45 days of Government announcing its much awaited decision, there are still doubts about the vulnerability of this long bridge.

The question of whether the TSUENWAN LINE MTR can take the airport traffic ALTERNATIVE 2- additionally will be addressed under the heading of CHAPTER 7: PRONE ROAD + RAIL APPROACH TO CHEKLAP KOK AIRPORT.

(B)

WESTERN KOWLOON RECLAMATION

In the original planning of the MTR system for Hong Kong, a mass-transit line. originating diagonally from Western District to Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui East, Hung Hom and San Po Kong was envisaged, but was later deferred. (Hence the KWUN TONG LINE was called the Initial Modified System). The KCR therefore terminates in the middle of no-where in Hung Hom. Most of its passengers have to transfer to the MTR at Kowloon Tong Station. With the KWUN TONG LINE, the KCR and the TSUEN WAN LINE all converging, the Nathan Road Corridor MTR cannot help but to become the world's busiest.

The PADS proposal therefore wants to build a new parallel MTR on the new reclamation to the west to relieve this congestion. The sequence of implementing the Western Kowloon Reclamation is therefore probably like this :-

Notification and negotiation of land resumption. Compensation paid.

Stage I Stage II

Stage III

Stage IV

Rebuilding and relocation of these facilities. Reclamation.

Stage V

Building of the new ROAD + RAIL LINK.

All these stages have to be completed before June 1997, according to the PADS schedule, as part and parcel of a HK$22 Billion reclamation package with Wanchai and Central. To implement all these stages under pressure is disruptive, expensive, ineffective and time consuming, but what is more disappointing is that it did not address the fundamental need of the vital direct link to CLK AIRPORT:

(a) The PADS new reclamation on 80% of Western Kowloon will uproot the waterfront's services at great expenses to the taxpayers: ferry terminals, ship yards, cargo handling basins, typhoon shelters, pump houses, etc. The Yaumati, Macau, and China ferries and a lot of the small crafts plying the harbour depend on these ship yards. Alternative facilities must be provided before the existing yards can be closed and the reclamation works commence. A very disruptive and a tight schedule which should be avoided.

(b)

(c)

Since the new ferry terminals and the new ROAD + RAIL link are much more remote from the Nathan Road Corridor, will residents of Kowloon find it convenient to use this new route? It is noted that the Wanchai ferries were heavily patronized when it was at Gloucester Road. At the present location, ridership tapered badly. Residents and MTR users will have to make a special effort to use this new MTR on the Reclamation. The old ferry users will shunt the ferries and crowd the road traffic much more. The RECLAMATION MTR will not reduce NATHAN ROAD MTR congestion.

Incredible as it is, although Hong Kong is prepared to spend all these billions of dollars planning an airport in the 90's, the PADS proposal did not include a DOWNTOWN AIR TERMINAL (DAT) with direct- nonstop train service to CLK AIRPORT which is what every major airport in the world is now strifing to have.

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