MESSAGE

         This document sets out our plans for expanding and improving our transport system and services in the coming year to meet the ever-growing and changing needs of the community.

         We have an ambitious programme for the planning and implementation of a series of new road and railway projects which are essential for our economic and housing development. These include the Western Highway, the Eastern Highway, the Central Kowloon Route and Phase II of the West Rail. These projects are vital to the development of our transport infrastructure.

         We have to address the questions of bus services for Hong Kong Island and the ferry franchises. Our objective is to ensure the public will have high quality public transport services.

         We will continue to seek improvement in traffic management schemes to ensure smooth traffic flow.

         We will report on progress made in implementing the commitments and initiatives set out in this document. Your views and comments will be important to us.

(Nicholas Ng)
Secretary for Transport

INTRODUCTION

         The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government is committed to ensuring that it is open and fully accountable to the people of Hong Kong. Policies, aims and programmes must be clear to all so that the Government can be accountable for their delivery. With greater clarity of purpose and accessibility, the public can better assess our performance and help us improve our quality of service.

         The Policy Programmes, which underpin the Policy Address delivered by the Chief Executive in October 1997, explain the objectives and ongoing work of each Policy Bureau and its supporting departments, as well as Department of Justice, Office of the Judiciary Administrator, Independent Comission Against Corruption and the Administration Wing of the Chief Secretary for Administration's Office, and their proposed new commitments for the coming year. They are set out in three sections:

• Objectives state the overall objectives of the Government according to each programme area, in particular, responsibilities in relation to implementing the Basic Law are spelt out.

• Major Programme Areas list the aims and the important features of each programme area. An overview of the current situation and key performance indicators are given. This section also sets out the Government's new commitments for the coming year.

• Into the 21st Century describes the vision of the Government for a better Hong Kong as we enter the 21st Century and the plans we are making to meet our long-term needs.

Objectives

         The Bureau's objective is to provide an efficient transport system which meets the economic, social and recreational needs of the community and is capable of supporting the further development of Hong Kong. We seek to achieve this goal by:

• expanding and improving our transport infrastructure;

• improving the availability and quality of public transport services; and

• actively managing road use to reduce congestion and promote safety.

         These Policy Programmes are part of the Government's wider effort to maintain Hong Kong's prosperity and improve the quality of life of its people. We are determined to develop a transport system which Hong Kong, as an international city, can be proud of. We will seek the active participation of the private sector in developing our transport infrastructure and providing transport services.

         To keep Hong Kong moving efficiently in the future, we will spend $25 billion on new roads up to 2002. We will expedite the implementation of the three high-priority railway projects. We will continue to improve the quality of public transport services. We will also plan for additional road links and facilities to cope with the growing volume of cross boundary traffic.

Implementing the Basic Law

         According to Article 119, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will formulate policies to promote and co-ordinate the development of the transport trade.

         The Transport Bureau continues to be responsible for formulating transport policies which will meet the transport needs of the community. Besides ensuring that Hong Kong enjoys comfortable, reliable, and affordable public transport services, the Bureau will also ensure that the development of new transport infrastructure matches growth in demand for the movement of people and goods within Hong Kong as well as between Hong Kong and the Mainland.

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Major Programme Areas

         The Transport Bureau is responsible for three main programme areas:

1. Transport Infrastructure;

2. Public Transport; and

3. Traffic Management.

A. Transport Infrastructure

Aims

         Taking into account the continued population and economic growth within Hong Kong and our growing links with the Mainland, the aims of the Bureau are:

• to provide a comprehensive transport infrastructural network that will support and enhance economic development, land use and housing development within the Special Administrative Region; and
• to strengthen road and rail links with the Mainland to cater for the increasing flow of passenger and freight traffic.

Overview

Roads and bridges

         We are meeting the growing transport needs of the community by building new roads and improving existing ones with a total expenditure of $25 billion in the coming five years. In 1997-98, we will have completed the construction of the North Lantau Expressway, Tsing Ma Bridge, Kap Shui Mun Bridge, Cheung Ching Tunnel, Kwai Chung viaduct, West Kowloon Expressway and other major airport-related road projects including Ting Kau Bridge and improvements to Lung Cheung Road and Ching Cheung Road. We are pressing ahead with the construction of the Hung Hom Bypass and Princess Margaret Road Link and the Duplicate Tsing Yi South Bridge, as well as improvements to Castle Peak Road, Sha Tau Kok Road and Hiram's Highway to cope with the rapidly increasing traffic needs.

         We are maintaining our roads to a high standard. We will spend $710 million on road maintenance in 1997-98.

Railways

         The rail network is crucial to Hong Kong's transport infrastructure. The total daily patronage of the rail system is approximately 3.55 million, which represents 34% of the total public traffic volume in Hong Kong.

         The existing rail network comprises the Kowloon-Canton Railway (KCR) East Rail, the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) system in the urban areas, and local distribution services provided by the Light Rail Transit system and the Hong Kong Tramway. To improve the network further, we are building new railway lines to better serve the transport and economic needs of the community:

• The Airport Railway, connecting the new airport at Chek Lap Kok with Central via West Kowloon, is 82% complete by the end of June 1997.
• We aim to complete Phase I of the KCR West Rail project and the MTR Tseung Kwan O Extension in 2002-03.

         We will make a decision later in the year regarding our proposals on the implementation of the Ma On Shan/Tai Wai rail link and the KCR extension from Hung Hom to Tsim Sha Tsui.

         Implementation of all these new rail projects will increase the total length of the railway system from 121 to 225 km, expanding significantly the railway catchment area.

Key Indicators

         In 1996-97,

• The total length of road completed was 32.3 km, an increase of 1.9% of the road network.
• 19.4 square kilometres of road surface or 1 753 km of road length were maintained, an increase of 7.8% and 1.9% respectively over those of the previous year.
• Capital expenditure on public roads was $6,950 million. Maintenance expenditure was $604 million, an increase of 11.0% over that of the previous year.
• The operational length of the railway system in Hong Kong was 121 km.

New Commitments

Major roads and bridges

1. We will enhance the link between Northwest New Territories and Northeast Lantau by providing a new highway between Yuen Long and the future Lantau port (the Sham Tseng Link). We plan to start investigation and preliminary design work in March 1998 for completion in 2000. The project is estimated to cost around $22 billion, and work is scheduled to commence in 2002 for completion in 2007.
2. To cater for the future growth in traffic between Western New Territories/new airport and urban areas, we will construct a dual two-lane expressway, Route 9, between Northwest Tsing Yi and Lai Chi Kok. A feasibility study has begun in September 1997, to be completed by September 1998. Work is scheduled to commence in 2002 for completion in 2006 at a cost of some $10 billion.
3. We will improve the capacity of Kam Tin Road between Au Tau and Kadoorie Farm to dual two-lane standard and build a new road bypassing Kam Tin Town. Work is scheduled to commence in 1999 for completion in 2005 in phases at a cost of $860 million.
4. We will improve the traffic circulation within Fo Tan area by providing an additional traffic lane in each direction of Fo Tan Road between Yuen Wo Road and Kwei Tei Street. Work is scheduled to commence in 1999 for completion in 2002 at a cost of $400 million.
5. We will widen the section of Choi Hung Road between Yin Hing Street and Sze Mei Street to dual three-lane carriageway to cater for increased traffic. Work is scheduled to commence in 2002 for completion in 2006 at a cost of $430 million.
6. We will cater for the increasing traffic demand in Eastern district of Hong Kong Island by widening the Island Eastern Corridor between North Point Interchange and Sai Wan Ho. Work is scheduled to commence in 2000 for completion in 2003 at a cost of $720 million.
7. We will commission studies on the following proposed roads, which together with the Sham Tseng Link and the Deep Bay Link, will form the Western Highway, providing an expressway service for cross boundary traffic on the western part of the territory:
1. Route 7 between Kennedy Town and Aberdeen; and
2. Green Island Link between the future Lantau port and the proposed Green Island Reclamation.

8. Under the Third Comprehensive Transport Study (CTS-3), we will examine the need for, and preferred alignment of, an Eastern Highway between the Eastern New Territories and urban areas, and an additional expressway to strengthen the east-west route in the New Territories. The CTS-3 has begun in August 1997, to be completed by early 1999.
9. We plan to improve the traffic flow between Northeast New Territories and urban areas by widening Tolo Highway and Fanling Highway between Sha Tin and Fanling. We aim to commence work in 1998 for completion in 2005 in phases at a cost of around $3 billion.
10. We will consider how to take forward the proposed Central Kowloon Route between West Kowloon and Southeast Kowloon.

Railways

11. We will finalise the Project Agreement for Phase I of the West Rail in 1998 with a view to commencing construction of the railway in the same year.
12. We will finalise the Project Agreement for the Tseung Kwan O Extension in 1998, with a view to commencing construction of the project in the same year.
13. We will finalise in 1997 our proposals on the way forward for the Ma On Shan/Tai Wai rail link and the KCR extension.
14. We will speed up the planning of Phase II of West Rail, which will provide cross boundary passenger and freight services between Hong Kong and the Mainland.
15. We will examine, amongst other things, the following longer-term projects in the context of a review of the Railway Development Strategy, taking into account a higher population forecast since 1994:
1. a fourth cross-harbour rail link;
2. the East Kowloon Line;
3. a second connection from the Ma On Shan/Tai Wai rail link to the urban areas;
4. North Hong Kong Island MTR Line; and
5. West Hong Kong Island MTR Line.

B. Public Transport

Aims

         The aims of the Bureau are:

• to ensure that public transport services are safe, comfortable, reliable, efficient and affordable; and
• to maintain a public transport system that operates without public subsidy in a competitive environment and encourages improvement in services.

Overview

         Commuters are provided with a wide range of public transport services at reasonable fares. We introduce healthy competition among different transport modes with a view to encouraging improvement in public transport services in Hong Kong, so that they may meet the rising aspirations of our commuters and provide an attractive alternative to private transport.

Key Indicators

        In 1996-97,

• There were 4 franchised bus companies, operating 530 routes, including 17 new routes.
• The bus services carried 1 377 million passengers, or 3.77 million a day.
• There were 2 franchised ferry companies and 8 licensed ferry companies, operating 37 routes carrying 77 million passengers, or 210 000 a day.
• The Mass Transit Railway, with a fleet of 759 cars operating in eight-car trains along a 43-kilometre track, carried 815 million passengers, or 2.23 million a day.
• The Kowloon-Canton Railway, with a fleet of 351 cars along a 34-kilometre track, carried 253 million passengers, or 690 000 a day.
• The Light Railway Transit system carried 126 million passengers, or 350 000 a day.
• The Hong Kong Tramway carried 106 million passengers, or 290 000 a day.
• The total daily patronage of the railway system is approximately 3.55 million, which represents 34% of the total public traffic volume in Hong Kong.
• 4 350 public light buses and 18 000 taxis together carried over 1 116 million passengers, or 3.06 million a day.

New Commitments

1. The current franchise of China Motor Bus Company will expire on 31 August 1998. We will review the performance of China Motor Bus and consider how to improve public bus services on Hong Kong Island.
2. The current franchises of Star Ferry and Hongkong and Yaumati Ferry will expire on 31 March 1998 and 31 March 1999 respectively. We will examinethe existing franchised networks and consider the possibility of introducing more competition in ferry services.
3. We will introduce a new ferry route from Tuen Mun to the new airport at Chek Lap Kok to tie in with the opening of the new airport.
4. We will ensure adequate provision of public transport services to support the new airport.
5. We will complete a taxi policy review by 1998, taking into account the views of the trade and the general public, and consider introducing appropriate measures to improve the quality of taxi services.
6. We will encourage bus operators to name more bus stops for easy identification.
7. We will encourage Green Minibus operators to establish Passenger Liaison Groups.

C. Traffic Management

Aims

         The aims of the Bureau are:

• to ensure that the community obtains the maximum benefit from sharing highly limited road space through the use of modern traffic management methods; and
• to enhance road safety and promote community awareness of road safety.

Overview

         With the opening of the Tsing Ma Bridge, the Western Harbour Crossing and the ancillary road networks in April/May 1997, we have extended our road network across the territory and increased traffic mobility. However, traffic congestion, particularly in urban areas, is still a major problem. We are looking towards adopting new technological aids to help solve the problem and have commissioned a feasibility study on Electronic Road Pricing.

         We are exploring the extension of the bus-only lanes concept into inter-district bus-only lanes to improve traffic flow and have commissioned a feasibility study. Continuous efforts are being made to implement the recommendations of the Freight Transport Study and Parking Demand Study to improve the efficiency of the freight transport sector and ease the shortage of parking facilities for goods vehicles.

         We are working towards a trial park-and-ride scheme to encourage drivers of private cars to switch to public transport to ease traffic congestion. The first test site will be open by the end of 1997.

         The introduction of a shuttle bus at Lok Ma Chau in March 1997 has enhanced cross boundary transport services. We have also enhanced processing facilities and shall continue to work towards further expansion of these facilities.

         To improve road safety, we are monitoring the effectiveness of the drink-driving legislation introduced in December 1995 and will review the way forward. We introduced legislation as well as administrative measures to improve the safety of school transport services, requiring the provision of adult escorts for private and public school buses carrying primary and kindergarten pupils, the installation of warning devices at doors and emergency exit doors in buses and public light buses, and a new colour scheme for school light buses. To deter drivers from committing speeding offences in road tunnels, we will introduce driving-offence points. To reduce the damage done to Hong Kong's environment by vehicular transport, we have stepped up vehicle examination to ensure the required emission standards are met.

Key Indicators

         In 1996-97,

• The number of vehicles per kilometre was 270;
• The number of traffic accidents per million vehicle-kilometre was 1.4.
• The average vehicular speed was:

• The number of traffic management schemes introduced was 2 227.

New Commitments

1. We will work closely with the MTRC to match the opening of the Airport Railway with that of the new airport.
2. We will work closely with the franchisee of Route 3 (Country Park Section) to ensure its completion in June 1998 as scheduled, so as to improve the transport network in the Northwest New Territories.
3. We will improve traffic management by applying advanced computer and telecommunication technology, including the extension of area traffic control (ATC) system to Yuen Long, Tuen Mun, Tai Po and North Districts.
4. We will revamp the computer system for maintaining vehicle and driver licensing records.
5. We will enhance examination of vehicles and trailers with particular regard to safety installations, the design of vehicles and emissions from diesel-engined vehicles.
6. We will review the standards of provision of traffic signals and signages, both on existing and new roads, to assist motorists in using the road network safely and efficiently.
7. We will monitor the effectiveness of the trial park-and-ride scheme with a view to determining the future direction.
8. We will replace all mechanical parking meters with electronic ones equipped to use Smart Cards by 1998.
9. We will improve safe use of roads through introduction of additional vehicle construction requirements, including updating the standards of seat belts and child restraints, mandatory fitting of higher standard mudflaps for goods vehicles and regulating the use of video monitors inside vehicles.
10. In 1997-98, we will use taxis to test the feasibility of using LPG vehicles with a view to controlling vehicle emission and improving air quality.

Back to INTRODUCTION

Into the 21st Century

         The scale and complexity of projects such as the Eastern Highway, the Western Highway, the Central Kowloon Route and Phase II of the West Rail are comparable to the Airport Core Programme. Together with the existing road and railway networks, they will provide a comprehensive transport network which will serve Hong Kong well into the next century.

         The Third Comprehensive Transport Study commenced in August 1997 for completion by early 1999. The study will recommend an integrated and up-to-date transport strategy up to 2011 and a detailed plan for the development and provision of transport infrastructure and transport facilities. It will also provide a broad indication of longer term demands and potential traffic concerns in 2016.

         Similarly, our review of the Railway Development Strategy will ensure that the development of our railway network matches the needs of the community in the longer term.

         For public transport, the long-term challenge is to continue to upgrade public transport services to meet the rising aspirations of commuters. To achieve this goal, we must maintain an effective regulatory framework which fosters healthy competition among different transport modes, and encourages service innovation and enhancement.

         On transport management, we are committed to maximising the use of limited road space by employing modern traffic management methods and tools.

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Section 1: Public Finance, Monetary Affairs, Trade, Industry and Commerce

Article 119

         The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall formulate appropriate policies to promote and co-ordinate the development of various trades such as manufacturing, commerce, tourism, real estate, transport, public utilities, services, agriculture and fisheries, and pay regard to the protection of the environment.

Note

         In addition, all Bureaux/Departments as well as Department of Justice, Office of the Judiciary Administrator, Independent Commission Against Corruption and the Administration Wing of the Chief Secretary for Administration's Office, have joint responsibility for the implementation of the following articles:

Articles 11 (first paragraph), 16, 56 (second paragraph), 62(1) and (2), 64, 142, 148, 149, 150, 151, 152, and 153.

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Policy Programme