ENG-1985 — Page 222

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TRANSPORT

affecting public transport operations other than railways. His responsibility covers road traffic management, including government road tunnels, carparks and metered parking spaces, and the regulation of internal road and waterborne public transport. On these matters, he is advised by the Standing Conference on Road Use and the Standing Committee on Waterborne Transport. He is also responsible for the licensing of drivers and the licensing and inspection of vehicles.

A Transport Tribunal, chaired by an unofficial and set up under the Road Traffic Ordinance, provides members of the public with an avenue for appealing against decisions made by the Commissioner for Transport in respect of the registration and licensing of vehicles and the issue of hire car permits and passenger service licences.

The Highways Office of the Engineering Development Department is responsible for the design and building of all highways and roads, and their repair and maintenance. The Royal Hong Kong Police Force enforces traffic legislation and prosecutes offenders.

Legislation

The new Road Traffic Ordinance and seven sets of regulations made under the ordinance were brought into effect on August 25, 1984. The Road Traffic (Driving-Offence Points) Ordinance was implemented on the same day. As a result, traffic accidents, especially those involving serious injuries or loss of life, dropped significantly in 1985.

Legislation was also passed to allow private garages to conduct annual inspections of private cars over six years old and to issue certificates of roadworthiness.

Planning for the Future

Decisions on the long-term territorial development strategy have led to detailed planning and engineering feasibility studies for new harbour reclamation and development both on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon. In the medium term, it is important that decisions to proceed with new works are guided by this overall development strategy and that the strategy itself is continuously updated in the light of the changing socio-economic situation. To this end, further work by the specialist Land Use Transport Optimisation Study team continued.

At the regional level, three transport studies were completed by consultants to update travel demand forecasts in Junk Bay, Tai Po and Sha Tin New Towns and in the Ma On Shan extension to Sha Tin New Town.

In addition to these, the Transport Department has also conducted a number of transport studies. To complement the 1984 Kowloon-Canton Railway Corridor (New Territories) Public Transport Requirements Study, a study of KCR feeder services in Kowloon was completed during the year. In addition, a study of traffic in East Kowloon is underway. A number of short-term management schemes to cope with the anticipated increase in demand in the near future were recommended. The second stage of the study will concentrate on the medium and long-term requirements of the area. Meanwhile, a study of the impact of the Eastern Harbour Crossing on ferry services and cross-harbour bus route development is in progress.

Strategic Road Network

The planning process for Hong Kong's Strategic Road Network or trunk road network began in 1968 with the completion of the Hong Kong Long Term Road Study. The construction of these roads began in the 1970s but it was only in the early part of this decade that the people of Hong Kong began, at last, to see the fruits of this labour. This