ENG-2005 — Page 316

270 Transport

Promoting a better pedestrian environment is one way to enhance the quality of life. Feedback from the public on pedestrian schemes is encouraging. To date, pedestrian schemes have been introduced in a number of streets in Central, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay, North Point, the Peak, Stanley, Tsim Sha Tsui, Jordan, Mong Kok, Sham Shui Po, Yuen Long and Sheung Shui. On a wider scale, the Transport Department and the Planning Department have commissioned a comprehensive study on Tsim Sha Tsui to beautify the area and improve the pedestrian environment. Several improvement schemes in the Tsim Sha Tsui district are under detailed planning.

Franchised bus companies have been purchasing buses with environmentally friendly engines that meet the European emission standards (known as 'Euro engines') since 1993. About 87 per cent of the franchised buses are equipped with Euro engines while the remaining buses are all retrofitted with catalytic converters. To improve the environment, the franchised bus companies have been deploying only Euro II or Euro III engine buses to operate routes along Yee Wo Street in Causeway Bay, the busiest shopping area on Hong Kong Island. The Government is working with the companies to deploy cleaner vehicles along other specified busy corridors.

The franchised bus companies and the Government have also been working to improve the overall quality of public transport interchanges to make them more user- friendly for passengers. Electronic route information panels and customer service centres have been installed at some interchanges. The Government has also implemented a number of improvement works, including upgrading the physical appearance of some interchanges and improving their ventilation systems.

Since August 2001, all newly registered taxis must run on LPG to meet tighter emission standards to minimise air pollution. Incentive schemes to encourage the early replacement of diesel light buses by LPG or electricity-driven vehicles were introduced in August 2002. Almost 100 per cent of taxis and 55 per cent of PLBs have converted to LPG.

Cross-boundary Traffic

Overall Cross-boundary Traffic

Cross-boundary vehicular traffic increased by 4 per cent in 2005 over the previous year, averaging 40 200 vehicles a day. Total cross-boundary passenger traffic by rail, road and ferry increased by 5 per cent compared with 2004, reaching 453 100 passengers a day.

Rail Service to Lo Wu

Lo Wu, the only rail boundary crossing into the Mainland, operates between 6.30 am and midnight every day. It handled an average of 248 400 passengers daily during the year, and more than 371 800 on festive days. A widened passageway of the Lo Wu Control Point was opened in January.