Page 16 of 110
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Sir, in line with the need to develop satellite towns to dilute our population for health reasons, it is equally important for the Medical and Health Department to follow this policy and decentralize its medical institutions. Due to the heavy traffic that is being built up all over the Colony, the concentration of hospital beds in two large centres like the Queen Mary Hospital and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital is no longer in line with Hong Kong's needs and development. Smaller hospitals should be built to serve outlying areas such as Shau Kei Wan and the New Territories.
Whilst we know that Hong Kong has made important advances in the field of education, notably at the primary school level, we are far from satisfied with the existing gap between supply and demand. This is particularly felt to be the case at both secondary school and University levels. As the natural increase in population is gaining each year, the gap instead of contracting, will expand with the years, unless more positive steps are taken to produce more places at these levels. I think it is extremely short-sighted on our part, if we don't make full use of our reservoir of human talents. Hong Kong's best chance for survival in this highly competitive and chauvinistic world depends more than ever upon the quality and the ability of its youths to keep abreast of modern scientific and technical developments.
Mr. Chairman, in keeping with the rapid growth of the Colony more modern highways and pedestrian undergrounds are required. The Government should be thankful that Hong Kong is not like an American city where for every three persons there is one motor car, and the registered number of its vehicles is still only a little over 50,000. Whilst there is time, Mr. Chairman, we should plan for better traffic flow and not indulge in any step, such as a purchase tax for new cars, in trying to put the clock back. We must remember that the Colony's revenue is now over the one billion dollars mark, and the tax-payer expects more and better services in return. More multi-storey car parks should be built at strategic points on both sides of the harbour for the convenience of the motoring public. Kowloon is conspicuous by the absence of any multi-storey car park in this respect. Although every one agrees, including Mr. SALES, that the need for one in Tsim Sha Tsui is indisputable, it is important that it should be built where it will serve the public best, namely, in the immediate environment of the Star Ferry Concourse.
Mr. Chairman, it should be noted that the ever-increasing number of unlicensed passenger vehicles commonly known as "Pak Pai's" operating in many parts of the Colony, and the large queues collecting at bus and tram stops signify the total inadequacy and the inability of the public transport system to cope with the present demands. I think the time is ripe for Government to invite an "expert" to advise specifically on the feasibility and the comparative costs of a mono-rail and an underground system of public transportation for part or for the whole of the Colony. In this connexion, Mr. Chairman, advantage should be taken to study the rapid transit system of other major cities, e.g. elevated conveyors, in its application for use in Hong Kong. Unless some such step is taken soon, it is obvious that there is a limit to the capacity of the present bus and tram systems to serve the public. Because it is so difficult to get on a bus or a tram at peak periods, the public can hardly be blamed if they have to resort to private transports. If the public transportation system is adequate, I am sure the number of people wanting to use private cars on week days will be less. In this age where time is money, people will pay to reduce the time spent on travel. Unless this fundamental problem is tackled, there is no hope of reducing the number of vehicles on the roads. As the question is an involved one, requiring considerations of intricate details, the initiative must lie with Government. No private company in the world can hope to operate a venture of this sort without official encouragement and support.
With these remarks, Mr. Chairman, I have much pleasure in giving my support to the statement of progress and policy now before Council.
MR. LI FOOK-SHU: --Mr. Chairman, the Statement of Progress and Policy tabled to-day gives us a comprehensive idea of the wide activities for which the Urban Council is responsible. The abnormally large population in a small place like Hong Kong has presented many serious problems in housing, health and sanitation, and the efficiency with which the Council has been coping with the unusual conditions brought about by the influx of refugees from the China mainland is highly commendable, and I would like to express my deep appreciation of the splendid work done by the staff of the Urban Council and the Urban Services Department. It is true that in many fields, the work still calls for improvement and progress, and paragraph 88 of the Statement sets out the Council's policy for the coming year. I note with particular interest that under the heading "Markets", the Council aims at improving still further the better conditions now existing in markets and pressing on with plans for the building of Sai Wan Ho, Kowloon City, North Point and Shek Tong Tsui Markets and with alterations to Wan Chai and Sai Ying Pun Markets. It is now time that more new markets should be provided by Government to meet the pressing needs of the local population, and I wish to make some comments on existing conditions and to put forward a few suggestions for the Council's consideration.
Industrial development in the Colony in recent years has offered a good opportunity for women to find more remunerative employment in factories, and many housewives who have been accustomed to leaving
17
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Page 17 of 110
Page 16 of 110
16
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Sir, in line with the need to develop satellite towns to dilute our population for health reasons, it is equally important for the Medical and Health Department to follow this policy and decentralize its medical institutions. Due to the heavy traffic that is being built up all over the Colony, the concentration of hospital beds in two large centres like the Queen Mary Hospital and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital is no longer in line with Hong Kong's needs and development. Smaller hospitals should be built to serve outlying areas such as Shau Kei Wan and the New Territories.
Whilst we know that Hong Kong has made important advances in the field of education, notably at the primary school level, we are far from satisfied with the existing gap between supply and demand. This is particularly felt to be the case at both secondary school and University levels. As the natural increase in population is gaining each year, the gap instead of contracting, will expand with the years, unless more positive steps are taken to produce more places at these levels. I think it is extremely short-sighted on our part, if we don't make full use of our reservoir of human talents. Hong Kong's best chance for survival in this highly competitive and chauvinistic world depends more than ever upon the quality and the ability of its youths to keep abreast of modern scientific and technical developments.
Mr. Chairman, in keeping with the rapid growth of the Colony more modern highways and pedestrian undergrounds are required. The Government should be thankful that Hong Kong is not like an American city where for every three persons there is one motor car, and the registered number of its vehicles is still only a little over 50,000. Whilst there is time, Mr. Chairman, we should plan for better traffic flow and not indulge in any step, such as a purchase tax for new cars, in trying to put the clock back. We must remember that the Colony's revenue is now over the one billion dollars mark, and the tax-payer expects more and better services in return. More multi- storey car parks should be built at strategic points on both sides of the harbour for the convenience of the motoring public. Kowloon is conspicuous by the absence of any multi-storey car park in this respect. Although every one agrees, including Mr. SALES, that the need for one in Tsim Sha Tsui is indisputable, it is important that it should be built where it will serve the public best, namely, in the immediate environ- ment of the Star Ferry Concourse.
Mr. Chairman, it should be noted that the ever-increasing number of unlicensed passenger vehicles commonly known as "Pak Pai's" operating in many parts of the Colony, and the large queues collecting at bus and tram stops signify the total inadequacy and the inability of the public transport system to cope with the present demands. I think
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
17
the time is ripe for Government to invite an "expert" to advise specifi- cally on the feasibility and the comparative costs of a mono-rail and an underground system of public transportation for part or for the whole of the Colony. In this connexion, Mr. Chairman, advantage should be taken to study the rapid transit system of other major cities, e.g. elevated car-veyors, in its application for use in Hong Kong. Unless some such step is taken soon, it is obvious that there is a limit to the capacity of the present bus and tram systems to serve the public. Because it is so difficult to get on a bus or a tram at peak periods, the public can hardly be blamed if they have to resort to private transports. If the public transportation system is adequate, I am sure the number of people wanting to use private cars on week days will be less. In this age where time is money, people will pay to reduce the time spent on travel. Unless this fundamental problem is tackled, there is no hope of reducing the number of vehicles on the roads. As the question is an involved one, requiring considerations of intricate details, the initiative must lie with Government. No private company in the world can hope to operate a venture of this sort with- out official encouragement and support.
With these remarks, Mr. Chairman, I have much pleasure in giving my support to the statement of progress and policy now before Council.
MR. LI FOOK-SHU: --Mr. Chairman, the Statement of Progress and Policy tabled to-day gives us a comprehensive idea of the wide activities for which the Urban Council is responsible. The abnormally large population in a small place like Hong Kong has presented many serious problems in housing, health and sanitation, and the efficiency with which the Council has been coping with the unusual conditions brought about by the influx of refugees from the China mainland is highly commendable, and I would like to express my deep appreciation of the splendid work done by the staff of the Urban Council and the Urban Services Department. It is true that in many fields, the work still calls for improvement and progress, and paragraph 88 of the Statement sets out the Council's policy for the coming year. I note with particular interest that under the heading "Markets", the Council aims at improving still further the better conditions now existing in markets and pressing on with plans for the building of Sai Wan Ho, Kowloon City, North Point and Shek Tong Tsui Markets and with alterations to Wan Chai and Sai Ying Pun Markets. It is now time that more new markets should be provided by Government to meet the pressing needs of the local population, and I wish to make some comments on existing conditions and to put forward a few suggestions for the Council's consideration.
Industrial development in the Colony in recent years has offered a good opportunity for women to find more remunerative employment in factories, and many housewives who have been accustomed to leaving
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