Page 159 of 241
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Opinions differ as to where such a museum should be sited. The Council as a whole has most recently agreed to consider a site outside the northwest corner of the City Hall complex. I myself, as previously stated, feel that to obtain a building in its own setting with the ability to be added to later if necessary, to have open exhibitions adjoining and the economy and flexibility of operation provided by a low-rise building, it should be sited firstly in the site of the present Hong Kong Cricket Club or secondly in Kowloon Park. I hear a muffled whisper that the pavilion of the Cricket Club might be retained by the Club in its present location which, needless to say, would make it very difficult to locate a museum there and would, moreover, effectively defeat the purpose of having the whole site as a public open space. I should like to be told, Sir, that this rumour is unfounded.
I hope that those in authority in Hong Kong who still question the need for an effective museum for our community, will open their eyes to the need for one, and the benefits that can be gained from having one. They might well draw a lesson from the success of our City Hall complex and the cultural affairs programme of this Council. I hope that they will now move with the times and replace our mini-museum, if not with a maxi, then at least with a midi. I support the Motion before the Council. (Applause).
DR. DENNY M. H. HUANG:- Mr. Chairman, the subjects I am to touch upon today are transportation and education.
First, Transportation - Owing to the ever-increasing population and motor vehicles in this city which, due to the limited available land, has an almost unexpandable road surface, traffic congestion has reached an intolerable state. During rush hours, vehicles in main streets such as Nathan Road and Connaught Road Central move at a "snail's pace", and very often have to remain at a standstill even while traffic lights are green. When attempting to cross the road, pedestrians risk their lives competing with impatient car drivers, a frequently experienced scene that accurately depicts the chaotic and dangerous picture of Hong Kong traffic.
The lack of foresight of our traffic authorities has certainly contributed to the early appearance of this situation. Take for instance, the fly-over on Princess Margaret Road. This project should have aimed at releasing congestion on Waterloo Road at the junctions with Argyle Street, Prince Edward Road, and Boundary Street. The fly-over, however, stops after crossing Argyle Street, thus making this multi-million dollar project merely an additional road space for queueing up cars. Another typical example is at the Kowloon City roundabout. Government spent millions of dollars and took years to build that roundabout only to find that it had become a black spot for traffic accidents. The current demolition of the roundabout, of course, costs us money, too.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Page 160 of 241
The chaotic condition of our traffic has cost the people of Hong Kong inestimable loss directly or indirectly in various ways. People who have to rely on public transport suffer the most. They have to wait for a long time before boarding a vehicle and then must keep their fingers crossed as no one knows when they will reach their destination. Students and office workers have to allocate unwarranted extra hours for travelling every day, while factory workers face the risk of losing their working hours if they do not do the same. It may well be said that our industry and commerce actually suffer indirectly as a result, while our students' health is jeopardized through loss of time for recreation and rest.
Recently, a ridiculous suggestion was reported, namely, that traffic authorities are considering restricting the use of private cars. In the absence of a sound public transportation system which should at least include an underground railway and a reasonably good bus service, private cars are not a luxury but a necessity for many people as a means of efficient transportation.
In my opinion, the relief of our serious and deteriorating traffic condition needs nothing more than common sense and determination.
Firstly, an underground railway is a must. With our limited road surface and numerous multi-storey buildings, the only logical way to solve our problem is to build a tube system underground.
Secondly, no more light bus licences should be issued. Instead, the two bus companies must be pushed to provide more buses and better service.
Thirdly, our out-dated tram service should be gradually replaced by either buses or trolley buses. The latter is suggested so that the tramway company may switch its franchise to another form of public transport service. The reason for eliminating the trams is simple and obvious as the tram tracks are fixed and occupy much too big a portion of our generally narrow streets and that very often when one tram is out of order, the traffic in that whole district is affected.
Fourthly, another form of transport which has failed badly in keeping pace with our rapid development must be brought up-to-date - the Kowloon-Canton Railway. The route between Tai Po and Kowloon should be double tracked so that the whole railway system can be much better utilized. This would also facilitate the development of satellite cities in the New Territories and, to a certain extent, help to relieve the traffic congestion in the urban area through its provision of large capacity carts.
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Page 159 of 241
298
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Opinions differ as to where such a museum should be sited. The Council as a whole has most recently agreed to consider a site outside the northwest corner of the City Hall complex. I myself as previously stated feel that to obtain a building in its own setting with the ability to be added to later if necessary to have open exhibitions adjoining and the economy and flexibility of operation provided by a low-rise building, it should be sited firstly in the site of the present Hong Kong Cricket Club or secondly in Kowloon Park. I hear a muffled whisper that the pavilion of the Cricket Club might be retained by the Club in its present location which, needless to say, would make it very difficult to locate a museum there and would, moreover, effectively defeat the purpose of having the whole site as a public open space. I should like to be told, Sir, that this rumour is unfounded.
I hope that those in authority in Hong Kong who still question the need for an effective museum for our community, will open their eyes to the need for one, and the benefits that can be gained from having one. They might well draw a lesson from the success of our City Hall complex and the cultural affairs programme of this Council. I hope that they will now move with the times and replace our mini-museum, if not with a mixi, then at least with a midi. I support the Motion before the Council. (Applause).
DR. DENNY M. H. HUANG:-Mr. Chairman, the subjects I am to touch upon today are transportation and education.
First, Transportation-Owing to the ever-increasing population and motor vehicles in this city which, due to the limited available land, has an almost unexpandable road surface, traffic congestion has reached an intolerable state. During rush hours vehicles in main streets such as Nathan Road and Connaught Road Central move at a "snail's-pace", and very often have to remain at a standstill even while traffic lights are green. When attempting to cross the road pedestrians risk their lives competing with impatient car drivers, a frequently experienced scene that accurately depicts the chaotic and dangerous picture of Hong Kong traffic.
The lack of foresight of our traffic authorities has certainly con- tributed to the early appearance of this situation. Take for instance, the fly-over on Princess Margaret Road. This project should have aimed at releasing congestion on Waterloo Road at the junctions with Argyle Street, Prince Edward Road and Boundary Street. The fly-over, how- ever, stops after crossing Argyle Street, thus making this multi-million dollar project merely an additional road space for queueing up cars. Another typical example is at the Kowloon City roundabout. Govern- ment spent millions of dollars and took years to build that roundabout only to find that it had become a black spot for traffic accidents. The current demolition of the roundabout, of course, costs us money, too.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
299
The chaotic condition of our traffic has cost the people of Hong Kong inestimatable loss directly or indirectly in various ways. People who have to rely on public transport suffer the most. They have to wait for a long time before boarding a vehicle and then must keep their fingers crossed as no one knows when they will reach their destination. Students and office workers have to allocate unwarranted extra hours for travelling every day, while factory workers face the risk of losing their working hours if they do not do the same. It may well be said that our industry and commerce actually suffer indirectly as a result, while our students' health is jeopardized through loss of time for recrea- tion and rest.
Recently, a ridiculous suggestion was reported, namely, that traffic authorities are considering restricting the use of private cars. In the absence of a sound public transportation system which should at least include an underground railway and a reasonably good bus service, private cars are not a luxury but a necessity for many people as a means of efficient transportation.
In my opinion, the relief of our serious and deteriorating traffic condition needs nothing more than common sense and determination.
Firstly, an underground railway is a must. With our limited road surface and numerous multi-storey buildings, the only logical way to solve our problem is to build a tube system underground.
Secondly, no more light bus licences should be issued. Instead the two bus companies must be pushed to provide more buses and better service.
Thirdly, our out-dated tram service should be gradually replaced by either buses or trolley buses. The latter is suggested so that the tramway company may switch its franchise to another form of public transport service. The reason for eliminating the trams is simple and obvious as the tram tracks are fixed and occupy much too big a portion of our generally narrow streets and that very often when one tram is out of order, the traffic in that whole district is affected.
Fourthly, another form of transport which has failed badly in keep- ing pace with our rapid development must be brought up-to-date-the Kowloon-Canton Railway. The route between Tai Po and Kowloon should be double tracked so that the whole railway system can be much better utilized. This would also facilitate the development of satelite cities in the New Territories and, to a certain extent, help to relieve the traffic congestion in the urban area through its provision of large capacity carts.
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