ENG-1997 — Page 298

TRANSPORT

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In March 1997, a shuttle bus service between the Lok Ma Chau Public Transport Interchange and Huanggang was introduced and the average daily passenger flow at Lok Ma Chau crossing increased from 9 000 to 14 000. At the Man Kam To and Sha Tau Kok crossings, the daily passenger flows were 2 500 and 3 000, respectively. At the Lo Wu railway crossing, the average daily passenger flow in 1997 reached 154 000.

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The Kowloon-Canton Railway continued to play an important role in carrying freight and passenger traffic between Hong Kong and the Mainland. There were some 900 000 and 600 000 tonnes of inbound and outbound goods respectively in 1997 compared with 1.2 million and 800 000 tonnes in 1996. There are six freight yards, at Kowloon, Ho Man Tin, Mong Kok, Sha Tin, Fo Tan and Lo Wu. Some 55 million rail passengers crossed the boundary at Lo Wu in 1997 compared with 48 million the previous year.

Ferry services between Hong Kong and the Mainland carried 7.0 million passengers in 1997, the same as in 1996. At year's end, seven companies offered a choice of 28

routes.

Road Network

Hong Kong's roads have one of the highest vehicle densities in the world. At the end of 1997, there were 492 539 licensed vehicles and about 1 831 kilometres of roads 421 on Hong Kong Island, 425 in Kowloon and 985 in the New Territories, representing 269 vehicles per kilometre of road. This high vehicle density, the difficult terrain and a dense building development pose constant challenges to transport planning, road construction and maintenance. There are 10 major road tunnels, 912 flyovers and bridges, 507 footbridges and 315 subways to assist the mobility of vehicles and people.

To cope with increasing transport demands, the Highways Department runs an extensive road construction programme. About 35 road projects are under construction and another 50 are being planned.

The department's budget for the financial year ending March 1998 totalled $5.27 billion $4.4 billion for major highway construction, and $870 million for road and public lighting maintenance work.

Strategic Road Network

The spine of the strategic road network is Route 1, which runs from Aberdeen on the southern shore of Hong Kong Island, through the Aberdeen Tunnel, Cross-Harbour Tunnel, Kowloon peninsula, Lion Rock Tunnel, Tolo Highway, Fanling Highway and San Tin Highway to the Lok Ma Chau border crossing in the northern part of the New Territories.

On Hong Kong Island, Route 8 runs along the northern shore from the Cross- Harbour Tunnel, via the Island Eastern Corridor, to Shau Kei Wan and Chai Wan in the east.

Route 7 stretches westwards from the Cross-Harbour Tunnel along the northern shore, via Gloucester Road, Harcourt Road and Connaught Road to Hill Road at Kennedy Town.