ENG-1989 — Page 260

TRANSPORT

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The responsibility for the execution of transport policies and measures rests with the Transport Department and the Highways Department.

The Commissioner for Transport, who heads the Transport Department, is the administering authority for the Road Traffic Ordinance and other legislation regulating public transport operations other than railways. His responsibilities cover 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 the authority for the licensing of drivers, and the registration, licensing and inspection of vehicles.

The prosecutions unit of the department handles all prosecutions involving safety defects found on buses, disqualification under the Driving Offence Points System and breaches of vehicle safety regulations in government tunnels. The total number of prosecutions conducted by the department in respect of buses and other vehicles was 20, the number of cases for which disqualification was sought under the Driving Offence Points System was 2050 and 210 prosecutions were conducted in respect of breach of tunnel and other regulations.

A Transport Tribunal, chaired by an unofficial member and set up under the Road Traffic Ordinance, provides the public with a channel of appeal 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 Director of Highways heads the Highways Department, which is responsible for designing and building all highways and roads, and for their repair and maintenance.

Planning

Transport planning is conducted at two levels, territory-wide and regional. At the territory-wide level, strategic planning looks at the provision of new infrastructure to move people from one region of the territory to another. The Second Comprehensive Transport Study has identified a series of strategic new projects which are now under planning.

At the same time, regional and district planning looks at improvements to road links within respective areas. Several sub-regional and district traffic studies were completed during the year including traffic studies for north-west Kowloon and Tai Po Road and improvements to the Mid-levels east-west road corridor. Currently underway is the Central Kowloon Traffic Study. Other studies with traffic and transport content completed during the year include the Central and Wan Chai Reclamation Feasibility Study, the Green Island Reclamation Feasibility Study and the West Kowloon Reclamation Transport Study.

Cross Border Traffic

Traffic volume between Hong Kong and China via the road crossing point at Man Kam To continued to rise with the number of vehicles travelling in both directions increasing from 10 000 per day in December 1988 to 10 900 per day in December 1989. Traffic at the Sha Tau Kok crossing increased from 1 700 vehicles per day in December 1988 to 1 810 per day in December 1989. Goods vehicles accounted for 81 and 86 per cent of traffic respectively at the two crossing points, reflecting the rapid growth in trading and industrial links with China. At the end of the year, 22 companies operated tourist coach services across the border. There was also a limited number of private cars, primarily used by businessmen with interests in Shenzhen. Road crossing facilities were substantially improved by the