1963 — Page 35

Urban Council Proceedings 市政局議事錄 All AI Reviewed

Page 35 of 194

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

I suggest that merely trying to keep pace with our growing population is not enough. A great deal more is required if we are to achieve any positive improvement in housing conditions generally.

Traffic and Communications. It is encouraging to know that a full scale Traffic Survey is to be made, which will go into such questions as whether our present public transport companies can expand sufficiently to meet future needs, what will be the pattern of traffic movements in the years to come, are our roads adequate, and is a rapid transit system necessary? Traffic, like housing, is a problem which grows worse every year.

During the past 12 years, the number of licensed vehicles has increased from 16,746 to 63,056, and the figure of 38.9 motor vehicles per mile has risen to 120.4 per mile. Unfortunately this fourfold increase in the number of licensed vehicles has not been matched by a corresponding increase in the length of our roads, which have only risen by 23%.

We now have to consider very much more seriously how to combat congestion on our roads. In the Traffic Advisory Committee on which I have been the Council's representative, we have dealt with a very wide variety of subjects, but the most important were traffic flows and congestions at main junctions. As a result of a year of study of these problems, one thing has impressed me, and that is the enormous economic cost of delays, delays due to road openings, congested junctions and narrow streets. Mr. MARDEN to-day has given us an example of a half-hour delay on the Castle Peak Road, and this is being repeated constantly. Decisions on what type of improvement is required are, I fear, made too much on the basis of the capital building cost, and too little consideration is given to the financial cost of delays and inconvenience to the public for whom time is money.

As an example, let me quote our discussion on what should be done to improve a certain heavily congested junction. This was a discussion which took place in the Traffic Advisory Committee. There was a choice of two schemes, a flyover costing $2 million, and an extremely complicated system of 39 traffic lights at four different positions, costing $4 million. It was estimated that in two years' time, the signals would cause a delay of 300,000 vehicle/hours per annum and the extra mileage involved would be 630,000 vehicle/miles each year.

All this delay means a definite loss of working time, time which could be used productively. If half the passengers in a bus are workers earning $300 a month, which is $1.50 an hour, an hour's delay of that one bus will cost them in time wasted a total of $60 an hour. A private car or a truck or a taxi might be estimated at, say, $10 an hour, and so on. If we take an average of these, taking into account the proportion of buses, to trucks, to cars, let us say the average delay per vehicle might work out at about $12 an hour. This means that if we had a flyover instead of installing traffic lights we could save the public $3.6 million a year, a figure which would increase every year. The advantages of the flyover scheme were so obvious that this is what the Traffic Advisory Committee has recommended. But because it costs $2 million less for the traffic lights scheme, the chances are that the less expensive scheme will be adopted. In other words, you will be inflicted with 39 traffic lights, while the public suffers.

I do make a strong plea that when road improvements are being considered, the economic cost of delays and the tremendous increase in production which could be achieved if these could be reduced be kept realistically in mind.

In conclusion, may I say a word about politics. We have just had an election, in which the usual unkind things have been implied about the Appointed Members, such as that we have no concern for the poor, something which I am sure no-one who knows us really believes. One disadvantage of being an Appointed Member is that we never get a chance to say what we would like to do for the public. May I take this opportunity therefore to give a pledge to the people of Hong Kong that we, the Appointed Members, will work just as hard and just as long as the Elected Members, if not longer. (Laughter). We cannot match either the eloquence or the righteous passion of our friends across the table, but in our own quiet way we do our best. And I think our friends will agree that when we get down in committee to ways and means of benefiting the public, there is very little difference in our attitude.

With every confidence that this will be another fruitful year of close co-operation by all Members of this Council, Official, Elected and the much maligned Appointed, I support your motion. (Applause).

(With the permission of the Chairman Dr. R. H. S. LEE left the meeting during the course of this speech.)

MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, there are two members on this Council who are here under false pretences and they both happen to be Appointed Members. (Laughter) Mr. A. DE O. SALES is the first one.

He claims to be the voice in the wilderness, but when he gets up and speaks about Kowloon he has so many of the members behind him, both Appointed and Elected, that sometimes I wonder if he is not the modern and Hong Kong version of the Pied Piper. But I would warn him that if he does speak on another occasion about the raising of taxes in Hong Kong he will in fact become the voice in...

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Page 35 of 194 54 HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL I suggest that merely trying to keep pace with our growing population is not enough. A great deal more is required if we are to achieve any positive improvement in housing conditions generally. Traffic and Communications. It is encouraging to know that a full scale Traffic Survey is to be made, which will go into such questions as whether our present public transport companies can expand sufficiently to meet future needs, what will be the pattern of traffic movements in the years to come, are our roads adequate, and is a rapid transit system necessary? Traffic, like housing, is a problem which grows worse every year. During the past 12 years, the number of licensed vehicles has increased from 16,746 to 63,056, and the figure of 38.9 motor vehicles per mile has risen to 120.4 per mile. Unfortunately this fourfold increase in the number of licensed vehicles has not been matched by a corresponding increase in the length of our roads, which have only risen by 23%. We now have to consider very much more seriously how to combat congestion on our roads. In the Traffic Advisory Committee on which I have been the Council's representative, we have dealt with a very wide variety of subjects, but the most important were traffic flows and congestions at main junctions. As a result of a year of study of these problems, one thing has impressed me, and that is the enormous economic cost of delays, delays due to road openings, congested junctions and narrow streets. Mr. MARDEN to-day has given us an example of a half-hour delay on the Castle Peak Road, and this is being repeated constantly. Decisions on what type of improvement is required are, I fear, made too much on the basis of the capital building cost, and too little consideration is given to the financial cost of delays and inconvenience to the public for whom time is money. As an example, let me quote our discussion on what should be done to improve a certain heavily congested junction. This was a discussion which took place in the Traffic Advisory Committee. There was a choice of two schemes, a flyover costing $2 million, and an extremely complicated system of 39 traffic lights at four different positions, costing $4 million. It was estimated that in two years' time, the signals would cause a delay of 300,000 vehicle/hours per annum and the extra mileage involved would be 630,000 vehicle/miles each year. All this delay means a definite loss of working time, time which could be used productively. If half the passengers in a bus are workers earning $300 a month, which is $1.50 an hour, an hour's delay of that one bus will cost them in time wasted a total of $60 an hour. A private car or a truck or a taxi might be estimated at, say, $10 an hour, and so on. If we take an average of these, taking into account the proportion of buses, to trucks, to cars, let us say the average delay per vehicle might work out at about $12 an hour. This means that if we had a flyover instead of installing traffic lights we could save the public $3.6 million a year, a figure which would increase every year. The advantages of the flyover scheme were so obvious that this is what the Traffic Advisory Committee has recommended. But because it costs $2 million less for the traffic lights scheme, the chances are that the less expensive scheme will be adopted. In other words, you will be inflicted with 39 traffic lights, while the public suffers. I do make a strong plea that when road improvements are being considered, the economic cost of delays and the tremendous increase in production which could be achieved if these could be reduced be kept realistically in mind. In conclusion, may I say a word about politics. We have just had an election, in which the usual unkind things have been implied about the Appointed Members, such as that we have no concern for the poor, something which I am sure no-one who knows us really believes. One disadvantage of being an Appointed Member is that we never get a chance to say what we would like to do for the public. May I take this opportunity therefore to give a pledge to the people of Hong Kong that we, the Appointed Members, will work just as hard and just as long as the Elected Members, if not longer. (Laughter). We cannot match either the eloquence or the righteous passion of our friends across the table, but in our own quiet way we do our best. And I think our friends will agree that when we get down in committee to ways and means of benefiting the public, there is very little difference in our attitude. With every confidence that this will be another fruitful year of close co-operation by all Members of this Council, Official, Elected and the much maligned Appointed, I support your motion. (Applause). (With the permission of the Chairman Dr. R. H. S. LEE left the meeting during the course of this speech.) MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, there are two members on this Council who are here under false pretences and they both happen to be Appointed Members. (Laughter) Mr. A. DE O. SALES is the first one. He claims to be the voice in the wilderness, but when he gets up and speaks about Kowloon he has so many of the members behind him, both Appointed and Elected, that sometimes I wonder if he is not the modern and Hong Kong version of the Pied Piper. But I would warn him that if he does speak on another occasion about the raising of taxes in Hong Kong he will in fact become the voice in... Page 36 of 194

Baseline (Original)

of 194 Page 35 of 194 54 HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL I suggest that merely trying to keep pace with our growing popula- tion is not enough. A great deal more is required if we are to achieve any positive improvement in housing conditions generally. Traffic and Communications. It is encouraging to know that a full scale Traffic Survey is to be made, which will go into such questions as whether our present public transport companies can expand suffi- ciently to meet future needs, what will be the pattern of traffic movements in the years to come, are our roads adequate, and is a rapid transit system necessary? Traffic, like housing, is a problem which grows worse every year. During the past 12 years, the number of licensed vehicles has increased from 16,746 to 63,056, and the figure of 38.9 motor vehicles per mile has risen to 120.4 per mile. Unfortunately this fourfold increase in the number of licensed vehicles has not been matched by a corresponding increase in the length of our roads, which have only risen by 23%. We now have to consider very much more seriously how to combat congestion on our roads. In the Traffic Advisory Committee on which I have been the Council's representative, we have dealt with a very wide variety of subjects, but the most important were traffic flows and congestions at main junctions. As a result of a year of study of these problems, one thing has impressed me, and that is the enormous economic cost of delays, delays due to road openings, congested junc- tions and narrow streets. Mr. MARDEN to-day has given us an example of a half-hour delay on the Castle Peak Road, and this is being repeated constantly. Decisions on what type of improvement is required are, I fear, made too much on the basis of the capital building cost, and too little consideration is given to the financial cost of delays and incon- venience to the public for whom time is money. As an example, let me quote our discussion on what should be done to improve a certain heavily congested junction. This was a discussion which took place in the Traffic Advisory Committee. There was a choice of two schemes, a flyover costing $2 million, and an extremely complicated system of 39 traffic lights at four different posi- tions, costing $4 million. It was estimated that in two years time, the signals would cause a delay of 300,000 vehicle/hours per annum and the extra mileage involved would be 630,000 vehicle/miles each year. All this delay means a definite loss of working time, time which could be used productively. If half the passengers in a bus are workers earning $300 a month, which is $1.50 an hour, an hour's delay of that one bus will cost them in time wasted a total of $60 an hour. A private car or a truck or a taxi might be estimated at, say, $10 an hour, and so on. If we take an average of these, taking into account the ! HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL 55 proportion of buses, to trucks, to cars, let us say the average delay per vehicle might work out at about $12 an hour. This means that if we had a flyover instead of installing traffic lights we could save the public $34 million a year, a figure which would increase every year. The advantages of the flyover scheme were so obvious that this is what the Traffic Advisory Committee has recommended. But because it costs $1 million more, and the savings to the public will not appear in Government's revenue and expenditure account, the chances are that the less expensive scheme will be adopted. In other words, you will be inflicted with 39 traffic lights, while the public suffers. I do make a strong plea that when road improvements are being considered, the economic cost of delays and the tremendous increase in production which could be achieved if these could be reduced be kept realistically in mind. In conclusion, may I say a word about politics. We have just had an election, in which the usual unkind things have been implied about the Appointed Members, such as that we have no concern for the poor, something which I am sure no-one who knows us really believes. One disadvantage of being an Appointed Member is that we never get a chance to say what we would like to do for the public. May I take this opportunity therefore to give a pledge to the people of Hong Kong that we, the Appointed Members, will work just as hard and just as long as the Elected Members, if not longer. (Laughter). We cannot match either the eloquence or the righteous passion of our friends across the table, but in our own quiet way we do our best. And I think our friends will agree that when we get down in committee to ways and means of benefiting the public, there is very little difference in our attitude. With every confidence that this will be another fruitful year of close co-operation by all Members of this Council, Official, Elected and the much maligned Appointed, I support your motion. (Applause). (With the permission of the Chairman Dr. R. H. S. LEE left the meeting during the course of this speech.) MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, there are two members on this Council who are here under false pretences and they both happen to be Appointed Members. (Laughter) Mr. A. DE O. SALES is the first one. He claims to be the voice in the wilderness, but when he gets up and speaks about Kowloon he has so many of the members behind him, both Appointed and Elected, that sometimes I wonder if he is not the modern and Hong Kong version of the Pied Piper. But I would warn him that if he does speak on another occasion about the raising of taxes in Hong Kong he will in fact become the voice in Page 35Page 36 194

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Page 35 of 194

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

I suggest that merely trying to keep pace with our growing popula- tion is not enough. A great deal more is required if we are to achieve any positive improvement in housing conditions generally.

Traffic and Communications. It is encouraging to know that a full scale Traffic Survey is to be made, which will go into such questions as whether our present public transport companies can expand suffi- ciently to meet future needs, what will be the pattern of traffic movements in the years to come, are our roads adequate, and is a rapid transit system necessary? Traffic, like housing, is a problem which grows worse every year.

We now have to consider very much more seriously how to combat congestion on our roads. In the Traffic Advisory Committee on which I have been the Council's representative, we have dealt with a very wide variety of subjects, but the most important were traffic flows and congestions at main junctions. As a result of a year of study of these problems, one thing has impressed me, and that is the enormous economic cost of delays, delays due to road openings, congested junc- tions and narrow streets. Mr. MARDEN to-day has given us an example of a half-hour delay on the Castle Peak Road, and this is being repeated constantly. Decisions on what type of improvement is required are, I fear, made too much on the basis of the capital building cost, and too little consideration is given to the financial cost of delays and incon- venience to the public for whom time is money.

As an example, let me quote our discussion on what should be done to improve a certain heavily congested junction. This was a discussion which took place in the Traffic Advisory Committee. There was a choice of two schemes, a flyover costing $2 million, and an extremely complicated system of 39 traffic lights at four different posi- tions, costing $4 million. It was estimated that in two years time, the signals would cause a delay of 300,000 vehicle/hours per annum and the extra mileage involved would be 630,000 vehicle/miles each year.

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

proportion of buses, to trucks, to cars, let us say the average delay per vehicle might work out at about $12 an hour. This means that if we had a flyover instead of installing traffic lights we could save the public $34 million a year, a figure which would increase every year. The advantages of the flyover scheme were so obvious that this is what the Traffic Advisory Committee has recommended. But because it costs $1 million more, and the savings to the public will not appear in Government's revenue and expenditure account, the chances are that the less expensive scheme will be adopted. In other words, you will be inflicted with 39 traffic lights, while the public suffers.

(With the permission of the Chairman Dr. R. H. S. LEE left the meeting during the course of this speech.)

1963 — Page 35

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