ENG-1959 — Page 304

COMMUNICATIONS

253

5,189,640 passengers were carried within the territory of Hong Kong, or 86.59% of the total number carried. Passengers to and from the frontier station of Lo Wu numbered 803,397 of whom the majority travelled between Hong Kong and China. At present, passengers passing from British to Chinese territory or vice versa walk the 300 yards separating the two termini.

Statistics for 1959 (with figures for 1958 in brackets) are as follows:

Length of line

Main points of call

Passengers carried

Freight carried

Passenger miles

:

:

Main line-22 miles

Total length of line-35 miles

New Territories (Hong Kong) 5,993,037 (5,308,695)

: 253,862.27 tons (238,113.69)

: 78,713,475 miles (65,802,829)

ROADS

The volume of traffic both on the main roads in rural areas and on the City streets, is rapidly increasing and calls for a con- tinuous programme of construction to carry the heavier loads as well as for constant widening and general improvement. Although the Colony has less than 500 miles of road even if those in the rural areas are included, there are over 40,000 vehicles or approxi- mately 80 vehicles per mile of road; a very high figure. The number of vehicles in relation to the size of the population is low, roughly 1 to 70 persons, compared with 1 to 6.3 in the United Kingdom and 1 to 2.5 in the United States. It seems likely therefore that the density of traffic may well continue to increase rapidly for several years to come, and despite increases in the total length of roads (20 miles were added during the year) it is no small problem to design new roads and improve existing ones to meet the demands of future years without unduly heavy expenditure.

The crowds using the City streets cause such congestion that several streets have been turned into pedestrian ways and in many others parking of cars has been prohibited. The widening of City streets is carried out piecemeal as and when properties are re- developed; land is acquired at its market value and $1 million was provided for this purpose during the year.