ENG-2001 — Page 319

TRANSPORT

Automatic Toll Collection

Automatic toll collection systems (or ‘autotoll') were installed at the Cross-Harbour Tunnel and the Aberdeen Tunnel in August 1993, Lion Rock Tunnel in August 1994, Eastern Harbour Crossing in September 1995, Tate's Cairn Tunnel in May 1996, Western Harbour Crossing in April 1997, Shing Mun Tunnels and Tseung Kwan O Tunnel in October 1997, Tai Lam Tunnel in June 1998 and the Lantau Link in July 1998. These systems allow motorists to drive through designated toll booths without stopping to pay toll. Since October 1998, the autotoll systems have been unified so that a subscriber needs only one tag to use all tunnels and toll roads fitted with the systein. In 2001, about 45 per cent of motorists used the autotoll system when passing through the tunnels and toll roads.

Parking

The management and operation of on-street metered parking spaces is contracted out to a private operator. On-street parking is provided where traffic conditions permit. At year-end, Hong Kong had about 17 000 metered parking spaces, with electronic parking meter charging in operation mainly between 8 am and midnight from Mondays to Saturdays and 10 am to 10 pm during Sundays and public holidays.

The Government owns 13 multi-storey carparks which provide about 7 300 parking spaces. They are operated and managed by two private operators under management contracts with the Government.

Off-street public parking is provided by the Airport Authority at the airport at Chek Lap Kok, the Housing Department in its housing estates, at the MTRCL stations in Kowloon and Tsing Yi, and at the KCRC railway terminus in Hung Hom. Private sector multi-storey and open-air public carparks in commercial/residential buildings and open-air lots provide more than 181 000 parking spaces.

Road Safety

In 2001, there were 15 631 traffic accidents that resulted in casualties, including 167 fatalities and 3 165 involving serious injury. The number represented an overall increase of 4.56 per cent compared with the 14 949 accidents in 2000 (162 fatal and 2 838 involving serious injury). In-depth investigations were carried out at 154 traffic accident black-sites to identify common accident causes. Remedial measures were recommended at 129 of these locations.

Accident records are regularly updated to provide a basis for traffic accident analysis and formulation of road safety strategies.

By the end of the year, 66 red light camera systems were installed at signalised road junctions to deter motorists from disobeying traffic signals and 22 speed enforcement camera systems were installed on Tolo Highway and Tuen Mun Road to deter potentially dangerous speeding. Expansion of these camera systems is in progress and by mid-2003 a total of 111 red light and 85 speed enforcement camera systems will be in operation.

During the year, a series of legislative measures were implemented or introduced to improve road safety. These included extending the fitting and wearing requirements on seat belts to the rear seats of taxis from January 1, increasing the penalties for excessive speeding, also from January 1, and prohibiting motorists from using

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