(Translation)

Minutes of Meeting of Traffic and Transport Committee

Date : 18 September 2017 (Monday) Time : 2:00 p.m. Venue : Islands District Council Conference Room, 14/F, Harbour Building, 38 Pier Road, Central, Hong Kong.

Present

Chairman Mr WONG Man-hon

Vice-Chairman Mr CHEUNG Fu

Members Mr CHOW Yuk-tong, SBS Mr YU Hon-kwan, Randy, JP Mr WONG Hon-kuen, Ken Mr LOU Cheuk-wing Ms YU Lai-fan Ms LEE Kwai-chun Mr TANG Ka-piu, Bill, JP Ms YUNG Wing-sheung, Amy Mr CHOW Ho-ding, Holden Ms TSANG Sau-ho, Josephine Mr KWOK Ping, Eric Ms FU Hiu-lam, Sammi Mr WONG Fuk-kan Mr WONG Ma-tim Mr WONG Shun-chuen Mr HO Siu-kei Mr YUEN King-hang Mr LAW Kwan Mr LAU Chin-pang

- 1 - Attendance by Invitation Mr POON Ka-ho Engineer 4/Universal Accessibility, Highways Department Ms YEUNG Sai-hee Senior Engineer 4/Universal Accessibility, Highways Department Mr AU Chak-hi, Adrian Engineer/Housing & Planning 1, Transport Department Mr TSANG Chi-yan Senior Transport Officer/Planning/Ferry 2, Transport Department Mr TSANG Yee-yeung, Ian Senior Transport Officer/Tunnels & Tsing Ma 1, Transport Department Miss SZETO Hau-yan, Esther Property Service Manager/Service(Hong Kong Island & Islands 3), Housing Department Mr KU Siu-fai Chief Inspector of Police (Operations 2) (Central District), Hong Kong Police Force Mr LAM Mak-ham Inspector, Task Force Subunit, Enforcement and Control Division, Traffic Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong Police Force Mr NGAI Tin-pau Engineer/Transport, Security & Central Services 3/2, Electrical and Mechanical Services Department Mr MOK Wai-po Senior Electronics Inspector/Transport, Security & Central Services 3/Transport Services, Electrical and Mechanical Services Department Mr CHAN Man-tat Assistant Mechanical Inspector/Transport, Security & Central Services 3, Electrical and Mechanical Services Department Ms YU Ka-man, Carmen Senior Administrative Officer (Tourism) , Commerce and Economic Development Bureau Mr Jeff C K POON Assistant Manager, Traffic Operations, Long Win Bus Company Limited Ms Annie LAM Assistant PR Manager – External Affairs, MTR Corporation Limited Mr LI Wai-sing Associate Director, MVA Hong Kong Limited Mr Tommy LAU Principal Traffic Engineer, MVA Hong Kong Limited Mr CHEUNG Kin-keung Deputy Managing Director, Mannings (Asia) Consultants Limited Mr CHEUNG Kwok-wai Operations & Marine Manager, New World First Ferry Services Limited Ms Vivian LEE Managing Director, ActionHouse International Limited Ms Bernice TSANG Senior Account Executive, ActionHouse International Limited Mr Alan FANG Chief Executive Officer, Formula Electric Racing (Hong Kong) Limited Ms Tiffany YIU Project Director, Formula Electric Racing (Hong Kong) Limited

In Attendance Mr AU Sheung-man, Benjamin Assistant District Officer (Islands)1, Islands District Office Mr TO Chi-keung, Gary Senior Transport Officer/Islands, Transport Department Ms YUEN Kit-fung Engineer/Islands 2, Transport Department Ms LEUNG Chiu-mei District Engineer/Islands, Highways Department Mr TAM Ka-chun, Tommy Engineer 3 (Islands Division), Civil Engineering and Development Department

- 2 - Mr LO Tim-fat District Operations Officer (Lantau) (Acting), Hong Kong Police Force Mr LAM Wai-kit Police Community Relations Officer (Marine Port District) (Acting), Hong Kong Police Force Mr WONG Wah Administrative Consultant, New Lantao Bus Co. (1973) Limited Mr CHAN Tin-lung Deputy General Manager, New Lantao Bus Co. (1973) Limited Ms CHAU Shuk-man, Anthea Corporate Communications Manager, New World First Ferry Services Limited Mr Peter TSANG Senior Manager-Transportation, Discovery Bay Transit Services Limited

Secretary Ms CHAN Ka-ying, Florence Executive Officer I (District Council), Islands District Office

Absent with Apology Mr CHAN Lin-wai Mr FAN Chi-ping Mr KWONG Koon-wan Mr WAN Tung-yat Mr CHAN Kam-hung Chairman, Lantau Taxi Association

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Welcoming Remarks

The Chairman welcomed Members, representatives of government departments and organisations to the meeting and introduced the following representatives who attended the meeting:

(a) Ms YUEN Kit-fung, Engineer/Islands 2 of Transport Department (TD), who attended the meeting in place of Ms KWOK Sze-wan, Cynthia;

(b) Mr LAM Wai-kit, Police Community Relations Officer (Marine Port District) of Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF), who attended the meeting in place of Mr YUEN King-ho; and

(c) Mr Peter TSANG, Senior Manager-Transportation of Discovery Bay Transit Services Limited (DBTSL), who attended the meeting in place of Mr CHUA Kwok-cheung, Vincent of HKR International Ltd. (HKRI).

2. The Chairman welcomed Mr LAU Chin-pang, new co-opted member, to the meeting. Members noted that Mr CHAN Lin-wai, Mr FAN Chi-ping, Mr KWONG Koon-wan, Mr WAN

- 3 - Yat-tung and Mr CHAN Kam-hung were unable to attend the meeting due to other commitments.

I. Confirmation of the Minutes of Meeting held on 17 July 2017

3. The Chairman said that the captioned minutes had been distributed to Members for perusal before the meeting.

4. No amendment was proposed and the above minutes were endorsed unanimously.

II. Next Phase of the “Universal Accessibility” Programme (Paper T&TC 48/2017)

5. The Chairman welcomed Ms YEUNG Sai-hee, Senior Engineer 4/Universal Accessibility, and Mr POON Ka-ho, Engineer 4/Universal Accessibility of the Highways Department (HyD), as well as Mr CHEUNG Kin-keung, Deputy Managing Director of Mannings (Asia) Consultants Limited to the meeting to present the paper.

6. Ms YEUNG Sai-hee said that on 21 July this year, HyD received via the Secretariat a public suggestion to retrofit a lift at the footbridge across Ying Hei Road near the Visionary (No. ID01). She wanted to seek Members’ view about whether the Members would nominate this suggestion to be implemented under the Next Phase of the “Universal Accessibility” Programme (UA Programme). Mr POON Ka-ho presented the paper with the aid of PowerPoint presentation.

7. Mr Holden CHOW supported the proposed lift retrofitting at the above footbridge. Based on his observation on site, the footbridge connected the above residential developments and was used by many residents nearby. With the recent commissioning of the adjacent bus stop, it was expected that the pedestrian flow of the footbridge would increase. As the footbridge linked to the ground with only 1 staircase and there was no other convenient access connecting to the residential developments, residents had to make a detour to go home. Retrofitting of lift at the footbridge could provide convenience to the elderly and mobility- handicapped persons. As set out in the paper, the Government would bear the construction cost of the lift. However, the maintenance and repair of the footbridge was not within the purview of HyD. He asked which government department would be responsible for the maintenance and repair cost of the lift after opening to public.

8. Ms YEUNG Sai-hee said that although the above footbridge was not maintained by HyD, HyD would be responsible for the maintenance and repair cost of the lift.

9. Mr Bill TANG also supported the above proposal of lift retrofitting. He asked how HyD would handle the proposals of lift retrofitting on other outlying islands such as Cheung Chau and Peng Chau.

- 4 - 10. The Chairman said that Mr TANG’s question was related to the next agenda item and suggested HyD respond to proposal of lift retrofitting in other areas of Islands District then.

11. Mr WONG Wah said that the bus company supported the proposed lift retrofitting at the footbridge (No. ID01).

12. The Chairman concluded that the Committee endorsed the implementation of the proposed lift retrofitting at the footbridge (No. ID01) as set out in the paper under the Next Phase of UA Programme.

(Mr WONG Shun-chuen joined the meeting at about 2:15 p.m.)

III. Question on lift retrofitting proposal (Paper T&TC 53/2017)

13. The Chairman welcomed Ms YUEN Kit-fung, Engineer of TD; as well as Ms YEUNG Sai-hee, Senior Engineer 4/Universal Accessibility, and Mr POON Ka-ho, Engineer 4/Universal Accessibility of HyD to the meeting to respond to the question. The written reply of TD had been distributed to Members for perusal before the meeting.

14. Ms LEE Kwai-chun briefly presented the question.

15. Ms YEUNG Sai-hee said that HyD had replied in writing to the Secretariat on 25 May this year, stating the reason for not including the proposed lift retrofitting on Cheung Kwai Road to connect to Cheung Kwai Estate on Cheung Chau under the Next Phase of UA Programme. She added that the criteria for inclusion in the Next Phase of UA Programme included that the walkways (i.e. footbridges, elevated walkways and subways) span across public roads maintained by HyD, and were open for public access from public roads at all times. The proposed lift retrofitting works on Cheung Kwai Road for connecting to Cheung Kwai Estate on Cheung Chau, which was suggested by Ms LEE Kwai-chun, did not meet the above criteria. As the proposed lift retrofitting at the footbridge across Ying Hei Road near the Visionary, which was discussed just now, met the above and related criteria, it could be included for implementation under the Next Phase of UA Programme. The lift location proposed by Ms LEE Kwai-chun was not situated at a public walkway. As the suggested lift location was at a ramp constructed along the hillside, it could not be included in the UA Programme. HyD had referred Ms LEE’s proposal to TD for follow-up, and TD would explore whether the proposal could be included in the programme of Hillside Escalator Links and Elevator Systems (HEL).

16. Ms YUEN Kit-fung said that, as stated in the written reply from TD, the Government had prepared a set of objective and transparent scoring mechanism for assessment of HEL proposals. The Government also planned to commence a study to review and improve the assessment mechanism, and in the light of the study findings, conduct preliminary assessment, traffic assessment and preliminary technical feasibility study for other proposals received in recent years (including the above lift retrofitting proposal of Ms LEE Kwai-chun).

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17. Ms LEE Kwai-chun said that the road leading to Cheung Kwai Estate was long and steep, causing much inconvenience to the elderly and residents who carry heavy things. If her proposal could not be included in the UA Programme, she asked which government department would be responsible for this case.

18. Mr Bill TANG said that all the 3 lift retrofitting proposals under the first phase of the UA Programme were located in Tung Chung. In the Next Phase of the UA Programme, each district could nominate not more than 3 existing walkways for implementation. As regards Islands District, only 1 new proposal, the location of which was also in Tung Chung, was included for implementation in the Next Phase. Given the need of lift retrofitting in other areas of Islands District, he hoped that the programme would also benefit other areas and make the best use of resources. While HyD indicated that proposals of lift retrofitting in other areas of Islands District not meeting the established criteria of the Next Phase of UA Programme would not be considered, he thought that the policy should be flexible and move with the times, as demonstrated in the relaxation of criteria for projects under the Next Phase of UA Programme, which were no longer confined to public walkways maintained by HyD. He hoped that the Government would exercise flexibility in light of the special circumstances of Islands District.

19. Mr Ken WONG expressed his views as follows:

(a) If TD considered pedestrian flow of the road as the selection criterion, outlying islands other than Tung Chung would be impossible to meet the requirement. For example, Shing Ka Road on Peng Chau was an access leading to the hill which was very steep, and it was difficult for wheelchair users and elderly persons to use. Owing to planning restriction, only low-rise buildings were constructed in this area, resulting in a small number of residents and a low pedestrian flow of the road. Therefore, the location did not meet the requirement of TD in respect of pedestrian flow. Besides, there was no facility such as footbridge, and thus could not be included in the UA Programme of HyD.

(b) Shing Ka Road was connecting to the public columbarium. Although barrier- free access facilities were available thereat, it was very inconvenient for residents because they had to walk along a steep ramp to reach there. In his opinion, the objective of the UA Programme was to provide an easily accessible environment in the community to facilitate members of the public. Owing to the special geographical constraints in Islands District, facilities such as pedestrian footbridges were only provided in Tung Chung. He hoped that the Government could handle the proposals of lift retrofitting in other areas of Islands District flexibly to address the problem of an ageing population. In this connection, even if some proposals could not meet all the eligibility criteria, they should also be considered provided that they were supported by reasonable justifications.

20. Mr Eric KWOK opined that the Government only considered the situation in urban areas when it developed the UA Programme, which thus covered only footbridges, elevated

- 6 - walkways and subways. Except for Tung Chung, other areas in Islands District were not provided with the above facilities, and consequently could not be benefited from the programme; and this was unfair indeed. He opined that the Government should take the uniqueness of Islands District into consideration, and handle the situation in the district flexibly to meet residents’ needs. He hoped that HyD would relay Members’ views to the Transport and Housing Bureau (THB) for consideration.

21. Mr Holden CHOW said that if a public walkway was to fall within the ambit of the UA Programme, one of the eligibility criteria was that the facility was a footbridge, elevated walkway or subway. However, the natural geographical constraints had made many outlying islands fail to meet this criterion, and consequently the proposals regarding these islands could not be included in the UA programme. Owing to the special circumstances of Islands District, he suggested the relevant departments consider relaxing the eligibility criteria and handling the proposals of Islands District with flexibility.

22. Ms YEUNG Sai-hee said that as a works department, HyD had to follow the guidelines and scope of the programme formulated by the policy bureau in handling the lift retrofitting proposals. Understanding Members’ concern, she stressed that the Department could not implement the proposals of Islands District under the existing UA Programme because they could not be included in the programme due to the above-mentioned reasons unless adjustment was made to the policy of the programme by the policy bureau.

23. Ms LEE Kwai-chun enquired about the channel for reflecting the views to the responsible government units such as THB.

24. Mr Holden CHOW said that the situation of Islands District could only be handled and resolved by THB as mentioned by the Department. If so, he proposed to reflect Members’ views to THB direct.

25. Mr Eric KWOK said that HyD did not genuinely respond to Members’ aspirations but only attributed the problem wholly to policy. He thought that flexibility should be exercised in response to the situation when necessary. He considered that the Department’s practice was unfair to Islands District.

26. Mr Randy YU proposed to reflect Members’ views to THB since the Department failed to give response, hoping that the Bureau would review the programme. He thought that the programme scope should not be limited to lifts and might also cover facilities such as pedestrian aid as long as such facilities could meet the need of the area concerned. He suggested waiting for the response of THB before discussing the next step of action.

27. Mr Bill TANG cited North District as an example. He said that there was once a proposal of lift retrofitting in Sheung Shui. However, as the footbridge concerned was not a public walkway, it was therefore not included in the UA Programme. Subsequently, the Government reviewed and optimised the programme to meet the aspirations of the public and Members. As a result, under the Next Phase of the UA programme, the Government would consider a lift retrofitting proposal if the footbridge was open for public access at all times, even

- 7 - if it was not a public walkway. This showed that policy was amendable. He hoped that the relevant departments would conduct site visit to Islands District and seriously listen to views from the community.

28. Ms YU Lai-fan opined that inter-departmental co-ordination was required because pedestrian walkways were managed and maintained by various government departments such as HyD and the Housing Department (HD). In the face of an aging population, it was necessary for many areas in Islands District to improve the pedestrian walkway facilities for the convenience of residents and those in need. She suggested the relevant departments hold inter-departmental meetings and conduct site visits to explore a practical and feasible solution for Islands District to cater for the needs of the community.

29. The Chairman asked the relevant departments to consider Members’ views seriously and asked the Secretariat to follow up after the meeting.

(Post-meeting note: Members’ views had been relayed to THB for consideration.)

IV. 2017 FIA FORMULA E HONG KONG E-PRIX (Paper T&TC 49/2017)

30. The Chairman welcomed Ms YU Ka-man, Carmen, Senior Administrative Officer (Tourism) of Commerce and Economic Development Bureau; Mr AU Chak-hi, Adrian, Engineer/Housing & Planning 1 of TD; Mr KU Siu-fai, Chief Inspector of Police (Operations 2)(Central District), and Mr LAM Mak-ham, Inspector, Task Force Subunit, Enforcement and Control Division, Traffic Hong Kong Island of HKPF; Mr Alan FANG, Chief Executive Officer, and Ms Tiffany YIU, Project Director of Formula Electric Racing (Hong Kong) Limited; Ms Vivian LEE, Managing Director, and Ms Bernice TSANG, Senior Account Executive of ActionHouse International Limited; as well as Mr LI Wai-sing, Associate Director, and Mr Tommy LAU, Principal Traffic Engineer of MVA Hong Kong Limited to the meeting to present the paper.

31. Mr Alan FANG and Mr LI Wai-sing presented the paper with the aid of PowerPoint presentation.

32. Mr Eric KWOK said that, as stated in paragraph 2.4.2 of the paper, the organiser would distribute free tickets of the e-Village to Hong Kong people through online balloting. He asked whether the tickets would be distributed to the winners free of charge, how many free tickets would be distributed each day, and whether e-village ticket holders could also watch the races.

33. Mr Alan FANG made a consolidated response as follows:

(a) A total of 20 000 tickets of e-Village (i.e. 10 000 tickets for each day of the event) would be distributed to citizens of and overseas visitors in Hong Kong free of charge through online balloting. Members of the public might register at the

- 8 - official website for balloting using their names as indicated on the Hong Kong Identity Cards, and visitors holding foreign passports might also register. Each participant might request 2 to 4 tickets and was required to enter the names of all participants who would be using the tickets. The first round of ballot draw would be held on 9 October and winners would be notified via email on 10 October. The winners were required to produce the printout of tickets on the day of the event for admission.

(b) Owing to space constraint of the venue, visitors could not view the track directly at the e-Village zone. However, they could watch the live broadcast of the races on a giant screen and enjoy various kinds of entertainment programmes. Apart from a range of spectacular musical performances, exhibitions were also staged on site to display the latest electric vehicle concepts of various car manufacturers. It was anticipated that more car manufacturers would join the event this year. Moreover, a E-race would be held this year, and the winners of which might compete against the professional Formula E drivers on the simulators.

34. Mr Eric KWOK said that the organiser distributed complimentary tickets to the underprivileged groups last year. He asked whether the same arrangement would be made this year; if yes, what proportion of the complimentary tickets to the total number of tickets would be.

35. Mr Alan FANG said that the organiser donated a portion of the profit to Community Chest of Hong Kong last year. This year, some e-Village tickets would also be reserved for the underprivileged groups.

36. The Chairman concluded that the Committee supported the event, which was a mega event in Hong Kong, as well as the related temporary road and traffic arrangements.

(Mr LAW Kwan left the meeting at about 3:05 p.m.)

V. Lift and Ramp System Maintenance Works of Cheung Chau Ferry Pier Northern and Southern Berths (Paper T&TC 50/2017)

37. The Chairman welcomed Mr TSANG Chi-yan, Senior Transport Officer/Planning/Ferry 2 of TD; Mr NGAI Tin-pau, Engineer/Transport, Security & Central Services 3/2, Mr MOK Wai-po, Senior Electronics Inspector/Transport, Security & Central Services 3/Transport Services, and Mr CHAN Man-tat, Assistant Mechanical Inspector/Transport, Security & Central Services 3 of Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD); as well as Mr CHEUNG Kwok-wai, Operations & Marine Manager of New World First Ferry Services Limited (NWFF) to the meeting to present the paper.

38. Mr TSANG Chi-yan presented the paper with the aid of PowerPoint presentation.

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39. Ms LEE Kwai-chun said that the ferry services provided in the concerned pier were frequent and it only allowed about 10 minutes for embarkation and disembarkation of passengers in general, therefore the timetable was really tight. She was concerned about the ancillary measures to be taken by TD during the period of maintenance works so that passengers would have sufficient time for embarkation and disembarkation. She asked whether there was any facility provided on the upper deck of large vessels to facilitate embarkation and disembarkation of passengers, and how the wheelchair users would be aided.

40. Mr TSANG Chi-yan replied as follows:

(a) As the design and size of pontoon were not suitable for berthing triple-decked vessels which were deployed to run the ordinary ferry service, thus the ordinary ferries would only use the double-decked lift and ramp system at the unaffected berth. Therefore, passengers (including those using wheelchairs) could follow the existing arrangements for embarkation and disembarkation.

(b) TD had requested the ferry operator to arrange pier staff to provide assistance to passengers during embarkation and disembarkation and display sufficient signages at the pier during the works period with a view to minimising the impact to passengers and the timetable of ferry services. Moreover, the Department and ferry operator had planned to invite Members of the concerned constituency in Cheung Chau for a trial run of the temporary arrangements prior to commencement of the repair works with a view to examining the actual impact to the sailing time and making improvement as necessary.

(Post-meeting note: TD, NWFF and 3 Members of the concerned constituency in Cheung Chau (Mr YUNG Chi-ming, Ms LEE Kwai-chun and Mr KWONG Koon-wan) had conducted a site visit to Cheung Chau Ferry Pier for a trial run of the temporary arrangements on 18 October this year.)

41. Ms LEE Kwai-chun suggested TD to conduct a site inspection with Members of the concerned constituency and the local community on the works and temporary arrangements.

42. Mr Ken WONG asked TD for the details of the temporary arrangements for the “Cheung Chau-Aberdeen” ferry service, as well as the berthing location at the public pier.

43. Ms Anthea CHAU hoped that TD would provide supplementary information on the arrangements for the Inter-Islands ferry service plying Cheung Chau (via Chi Ma Wan, Mui Wo and Peng Chau).

44. The Chairman worried that the pier would be overcrowded if the ferries of the “Inter- Islands” route and the ferries of the “Central - Cheung Chau” route (fast ferry service) share used the same berth, and thus caused inconvenience to tourists and persons with disabilities (PWDs).

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45. Mr TSANG Chi-yan made a consolidated response as follows:

(a) Ferries serving the “Inter-Islands” ferry route currently berthed at the Southern Berth of Cheung Chau Ferry Pier. When the maintenance works started at the Northern Berth, the berthing location of some ordinary ferries had to be relocated from the Northern Berth to the Southern Berth. As a result, some ferries operating the “Inter-Islands” service might not be able to berth as usual and had to use the Northern Berth instead. By that time, passengers taking “Inter- Islands” service had to pass through the passenger waiting area to reach the Northern Berth for embarkation. As far as he knew, the passengers could embark and disembark along the pontoon without using staircase. Wheelchair users might also embark along the pontoon via the existing facilities at the pier. He invited the ferry operator to provide supplementary information later on.

(b) TD planned to use the Southern Berth of the Cheung Chau Public Pier for the “Cheung Chau-Aberdeen” ferry service when the works of the Southern Berth of Cheung Chau Ferry Pier was underway. TD would conduct a sea trial to examine the feasibility of the arrangements and report to Members the findings afterward.

(Post-meeting note: TD, Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) and Marine Department completed the sea trial on 19 September this year, and the results confirmed that the ferry of “Cheung Chau- Aberdeen” route could berth at the Southern Berth of the Cheung Chau Public Pier.)

46. Mr Ken WONG expressed his views as follows:

(a) Passengers of the “Inter-Islands” ferry service currently could pay on board with Octopus card in Peng Chau and Mui Wo, but the passengers were required to pay at the turnstiles in Cheung Chau Ferry Pier before embarkation and this arrangement made the disembarking passengers to detour before they could leave the pier. He suggested that reference should be made to the operational arrangement of Peng Chau and Mui Wo ferry piers to enhance the payment and disembarkation arrangements in Cheung Chau Ferry Pier.

(b) TD had mentioned before that the Southern Berth of Cheung Chau Public Pier would be used for embarkation and disembarkation of passengers of the “Cheung Chau-Aberdeen” ferry service during the works period. However, a number of routes were using that berth at present, he queried that the Department might not have taken into account the existing utilisation rate of the Southern Berth. He was concerned that there might not be sufficient maneuvering space at the Southern Berth. He therefore proposed an additional pontoon could be provided and mooring at the public pier for embarkation and disembarkation.

- 11 - 47. Ms LEE Kwai-chun said that the scheduled completion date of the maintenance works of the lift and ramp system at the Southern Berth was early February 2018, which happened to fall on the period of the Lunar New Year and coincided with the peak of pier usage. She asked whether the works could be completed earlier.

48. Mr TSANG Chi-yan made a consolidated response as follows:

(a) Using the Southern Berth of the Cheung Chau Public Pier for embarkation and disembarkation of passengers of the “Cheung Chau-Aberdeen” ferry service during the works period was just an initial proposal. The Department would keep an open mind and explore whether there were other feasible options. The Department would also discuss with the ferry operators for more appropriate arrangements.

(b) When planning for the works period, the Department considered various factors and took into account that works during peak travel season and typhoon season should be avoided. The Department finally planned to carry out maintenance works for the lift and ramp system at the Northern and Southern Berths of the Cheung Chau Ferry Pier in phases starting from early November 2017. The entire works project would last for 3 months and was scheduled for completion in early February 2018. The Department anticipated that the works could be completed before the Lunar New Year, subject to actual works progress.

49. Mr CHEUNG Kwok-wai made a consolidated response as follows:

(a) As regards the enquiry on embarkation and disembarkation of passengers raised by Ms LEE Kwai-chun, passengers taking ordinary ferries would embark and disembark with the lift and ramp system as usual and would not pass through the pontoon, so these passengers would not be affected during the maintenance works. Although passengers travelling by fast ferry would use the pontoon for embarkation and disembarkation, as the headway of this kind of ferry service was 1 hour and the berthing time was about 20 minutes, it was believed that passengers would have sufficient time for embarkation and disembarkation.

(b) Even though the pontoon would be located slightly away from the existing passage, a ramp would be provided on the pontoon to facilitate the access of the wheelchair users, people using prams, the elderly and children, so that they did not need to use staircase.

50. Mr Ken WONG reiterated his comment that the ferry operators should make reference to the arrangements of the “Inter-Islands” ferry service in Peng Chau and Mui Wo to enhance the fare collection arrangement for the “Inter-Islands” ferry service of Cheung Chau Ferry Pier.

51. Mr CHEUNG Kwok-wai considered that the situation of the “Inter-Islands” ferry service in Cheung Chau Ferry Pier was different from that in Peng Chau and Mui Wo ferry piers. He explained that there were about 140 passengers taking the “Inter-Islands” ferry

- 12 - service in Cheung Chau in the morning peak hours. If the fare collection method of Peng Chau or Mui Wo was adopted in Cheung Chau (i.e. passengers to pay on board with Octopus cards), then each headway of the ferry service would be lengthened by about 5 minutes. In view of the above, the existing arrangement (i.e. passengers to pay at the turnstiles before entry) would be more desirable. Nevertheless, the fare collection method for ferries in Peng Chau or Mui Wo might be considered in Cheung Chau during the off-peak hours and timeslots of low pedestrian flow. Adjustment would be made in the light of actual situation and passenger traffic.

52. Ms LEE Kwai-chun said that the first day of the Lunar New Year would be on 16 February next year. As a general practice, residents would start preparing for the Chinese New Year at the end of the year. Both the passenger and cargo traffic at the pier would be busier by then. If the works would only be completed in early February, it would adversely affect the operation of the pier and the residents. Therefore, she hoped that the works could be completed in late January next year.

53. Mr TSANG Chi-yan understood Members’ concerns over the works completion date. The Department would closely monitor the works progress and keep close communication with EMSD, hoping that the works would progress smoothly and would be completed as soon as possible.

54. The Chairman hoped that TD would consider the comments from the Members and discuss with Members of Cheung Chau in due course.

VI. Proposal on the deployment of low floor double deck buses for Route 3M (Paper T&TC 51/2017)

55. The Chairman welcomed Mr TO Chi-keung, Gary, Senior Transport Officer/Islands of TD, and Mr CHAN Tin-lung, Deputy General Manager of New Lantao Bus Co. (1973) Limited (NLB) to the meeting to present the paper.

56. Mr Gary TO and Mr CHAN Tin-lung presented the paper.

57. Mr Bill TANG welcomed the deployment of low-floor double-deck buses to operate route no. 3M by NLB. He also asked whether NLB had considered deploying low-floor double-deck buses to operate routes no. 1 and 11 due to the great demand for bus service plying between Tung Chung and Tai O. This would not only enhance the carrying capacity of buses but also meet the need of barrier-free transportation.

58. Mr Randy YU expressed his views as follows:

(a) Deployment of low-floor double-deck buses to operate route no. 3M would substantially enhance the carrying capacity. He believed that the Committee would welcome the proposal. As some buses currently operating route no. 3M

- 13 - were single-deck buses, residents of South Lantau were often worried that the seats were fully occupied or they simply could not board the buses. He thought that introduction of new low-floor double-deck buses could achieve two ends with one measure by providing more seats for passengers and meeting the needs of the elderly and PWDs.

(b) A new Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) development in Mui Wo was expected to be completed by the third quarter of 2018. With the resident intake of about 700 households by then, he asked whether TD had made assessment of the transport needs of the additional population. Assuming that half of the additional population was working in other districts, there would be an increase of about a few hundred passengers during the commuting hours in the morning. He was concerned that even replacement of low-floor double-deck buses to operate route no. 3M might not be able to meet the additional demand. He also asked whether the ferry company would consider increasing the frequency of the ferry plying between Mui Wo and Central as appropriate. He hoped that the relevant departments and organisations would give an initial reply and, if necessary, discuss after the meeting.

59. Mr Holden CHOW said that when double-deck buses were used instead of single-deck buses to serve route no. 37M earlier, some road sections were found not suitable for double- deck buses. The Government had to improve the bends for double-deck buses to pass through. He therefore hoped that TD would arrange trial run for double-deck buses serving route no. 3M as soon as possible, so as to confirm that the roads along the routeing of the bus route were suitable for double-deck buses to operate. He agreed to NLB’s proposal of deploying low- floor double-deck buses to operate route no. 3M, which could both meet the transport needs of residents and provide convenience to PWDs. He asked whether the progress of introducing double-deck buses for route no. 37M would be adversely affected by the deployment of low- floor double-deck buses to operate route no. 3M.

60. Mr Eric KWOK expressed his views as follows:

(a) He was concerned about whether route no. 3M could meet the additional passenger demand and raised the following enquiries to NLB: firstly, how many passengers were travelling from Mui Wo to Tung Chung Town Centre in morning peak hours from about 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.; secondly, how many passengers were travelling from Tung Chung Town Centre to Mui Wo in evening peak hours from about 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.; thirdly, following the occupation of a number of blocks under the HOS development in Mui Wo next year, as anticipated by the bus company, how many passengers would take route no. 3M by then, what the service arrangement for the route in morning and evening peak hours would be and how many double-deck buses would be serving the route.

(b) At present, route no. 3M buses departing from Mui Wo to Tung Chung Town Centre would stop at Shek Mun Kap, and then route via Tung Chung Area 39

- 14 - before proceeding to Tung Chung Town Centre. It was anticipated that resident intake for Mun Tung Estate and the 2 new residential developments near North Lantau Hospital (NLH) would take place next year, residents would travel to Tung Chung Town Centre mainly by bus route no. 3M or 11. While NLB would deploy double-deck buses to operate route no. 3M, the Mui Wo population would increase in the next year, he was concerned about whether bus service could meet the additional demand of passengers travelling from Shek Mun Kap to Tung Chung Town Centre (i.e. Mun Tung Estate and the residential developments near the NLH). He proposed to strengthen the service of NLB route no. 34 to meet the needs of the additional population in future.

61. Mr LOU Cheuk-wing welcomed the deployment of low-floor double-deck buses to operate route no. 3M, but had reservations on the proposal of Members about deployment of low-floor double-deck buses to operate NLB route no. 11. He explained that a low-floor single-deck bus was once deployed to serve route no. 11 plying between Tai O and Tung Chung. Residents in Tai O were discontented with it as a low-floor single-deck bus only had 32 seats. It was inconvenient for passengers to stand for a long time since the journey time from Tai O to Tung Chung was about 1 hour. Besides, the above road sections were not suitable for double-deck buses to operate for the time being. Unless the road conditions had been improved and the journey time reduced, he considered it inappropriate to deploy low-floor double-deck buses to serve the Tai O routes.

62. Mr Gary TO made a consolidated response as follows:

(a) NLB once deployed double-deck buses to serve South Lantau Road and the area between Mui Wo Ferry Pier and Shek Pik years ago. However, these buses had not operated on Keung Shan Road then. The Department was planning to perform trial run of double-deck buses on South Lantau Road and Tung Chung Road first.

(b) Subsequent to the resident intake in Mui Wo, the Department would closely monitor the passenger volume of route no. 3M. Anticipating that some passengers would travel to Central District and Wan Chai by ferry, the Department would also closely monitor the passenger volume of ferries to obtain information about passenger distribution.

(c) There were currently 10 single-deck buses serving route no. 3M, which would all be replaced by new low-floor double-deck buses. Additional departures on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays would continue to be served by single- deck buses.

(d) Regarding the enquiry raised by Mr Holden CHOW about the plan of deploying double-deck buses to serve route no. 37M, NLB would arrange double-deck buses to operate the above route as originally planned without being affected by other plans. It was noted that resident intake of Ying Tung Estate would be postponed to next year. The Department would increase the frequency of route

- 15 - no. 37M in response to the additional population. He added that the frequency of route no. 37M had been enhanced from 8-minute intervals to 6-minute intervals in peak hours since July this year, and double-deck buses had been introduced to serve this route. After the occupation of Ying Tung Estate, the Department would consider replacing the whole fleet of buses operating the route by double-deck buses. One public rental housing (PRH) estate and 2 private residential developments would be completed in Tung Chung North in future, accommodating about 20 000 residents altogether as expected. In the light of the existing operations arrangements of NLB route no. 38, the Department would plan for the operation of route no. 37M in future such as number of vehicles and bus frequency, etc. Besides, an additional bus stop was provided on Ying Hei Road eastbound in Tung Chung North to serve residents of Century Link and the Visionary.

63. Mr CHAN Tin-lung made a consolidated response as follows:

(a) Regarding the enquiry raised by Mr Eric KWOK about the future bus service in Tung Chung Area 39, NLB had discussed with TD the provision of an additional bus route upon completion of the residential developments in the area. Owing to limitations on some road sections, the existing NLB route no. 34 could only be operated with light buses. NLB would consider providing an additional route no. 39M having regard to the carrying capacity of the route which might not be able to fully meet the passenger demand in Tung Chung Area 39 in future.

(b) Members were concerned about whether route no. 3M could meet the transport demand arising from the population increase in Mui Wo in future. As indicated by the representative of TD, NLB would provide additional departures during public holidays, and would keep a close watch of the bus patronage on weekdays and increase frequency when necessary.

64. Mr WONG Wah added that the replacement of buses operating route no. 3M by double-deck buses would not have negative impact on the introduction of double-deck buses to operate route no. 37M because the double-deck buses deployed for the 2 routes were of different models. The vehicles deployed for route no. 37M was longer (around 12 metres) while those deployed for route no. 3M were just more than 10 metres or so and were even shorter than the single-deck buses currently in use. Trial run of buses were conducted at the road section between Tung Chung and Mui Wo in June and no problem was identified in respect of operation.

65. The Vice-Chairman Mr CHEUNG Fu supported the proposal set out in the paper. He said that Members received complaints from residents from time to time, indicating that they were unable to get on board as the buses were full. If single-deck buses were to be replaced by double-deck buses, he believed that it would help improve the situation. He hoped that the bus company would consider introducing double-deck buses to provide service at an earlier time.

- 16 - 66. Mr Randy YU said that TD, NLB and NWFF might not be able to give an immediate reply to the enquiries on data raised by him and Mr Eric KWOK. He planned to raise an enquiry on the overall arrangement upon occupation of the new HOS developments in Mui Wo at the meeting of Islands District Council (IDC) to be held on 23 October this year. The relevant departments would be invited to give response to enquiries on their plans to meet various kinds of needs, including the traffic, arising out after the resident intake of the developments, as well as on the appropriate ancillary measures to be taken. He hoped that TD could provide the relevant data by then, such as the projected increase in the number of working people and their impact on bus services of route no. 3M and ferry service. He hoped that the Department would plan ahead and prepare for the future as early as possible. Otherwise, it would be too late to formulate contingency arrangements if the service facilities for transportation were found to be inadequate only after the resident intake of the residential developments.

67. Mr Bill TANG asked whether the model of double-deck buses serving route no. 3M, which was about more than 10 metres in length, was suitable for operating in Tai O.

68. Mr Eric KWOK concurred with Mr Randy YU. He hoped that TD would provide the bus patronage of routes plying between Mui Wo and Tung Chung Town Centre at the next IDC meeting. Besides, he asked whether all the 10 buses currently operating route no. 3M would be replaced by double-deck buses, and requested the implementation timetable.

69. Mr CHAN Tin-lung made a consolidated response as follows:

(a) According to the preliminary data available at present, the patronage of bus trips running from Tung Chung Town Centre to Mui Wo in morning peak hours between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. were about 30% to 50% while that running in the opposite direction in afternoon peak hours were estimated to be about 30% to 70%. In other words, there was still spare capacity of single-deck buses to meet the new demand.

(b) Regarding the enquiry of Mr Bill TANG on whether the new double-deck buses could be deployed to serve other parts of South Lantau, NLB had conducted trial run but the findings were unsatisfactory. In addition to the divided opinions among the local communities, the bus model used was not suitable for travelling on Keung Shan Road. NLB would continue to explore whether there was more suitable model.

(c) Regarding the timetable of implementation, NLB expected to launch the plan of double-decker buses in the second quarter of 2018. After completing the procurement procedures, NLB would discuss with the manufacturer the possibility of early delivery of the vehicles.

70. Mr WONG Wah considered it inappropriate to deploy double-deck buses to travel on the section of Keung Shan Road for the time being in the light of the road conditions and consolidated views of various parties.

- 17 -

71. The Vice-Chairman Mr CHEUNG Fu asked whether tree trimming at both sides of South Lantau Road had been finished and whether NLB had urged the relevant departments to follow up on it.

72. Mr WONG Wah said that NLB had been well prepared for conducting trial run of double-deck buses since the end of last year. However, as it took time for tree trimming by the relevant department, the trial run was taken place only until June this year. He added that NLB would continue to maintain the special morning departure from Pui O during the early stage of double-deck buses deployment.

73. The Vice-Chairman Mr CHEUNG Fu said that deployment of double-deck buses would greatly enhance the carrying capacity and hoped that the bus company would not consider raising bus fare in the near future.

74. Mr Gary TO made a consolidated response as follows:

(a) Double-deck buses had not operated at areas around South Lantau Road and Tung Chung Road for some time. For this reason, TD needed more time to prepare for the trial run and co-ordinate with different departments for tree trimming along the roads. The Department had earlier conducted 2 trial runs on the road sections concerned, which demonstrated that such sections were suitable for travelling by double-deck buses. Prior to implementation of the proposed deployment, the Department would conduct trial run again to ensure that the trees along the roads would not adversely affect the safe operation of buses. It would also remind the relevant departments of regular tree trimming and close monitoring of growth of trees at the bends.

(b) Subject to the Committee’s support for the above proposal, the bus company would launch the procedures of bus procurement. The model of double-deck buses to be ordered was different from that of the existing ones operating at Tung Chung North which were 12 metres long. The new buses were about 10 metres or so in length with good exterior design, specifically deploying for use on roads of South Lantau.

75. Ms Anthea CHAU made a consolidated response as follows:

(a) Regarding the ferry service upon increase in residents in Mui Wo next year, NWFF learnt that resident intake of the new HOS developments in Mui Wo would take place in the third quarter next year, and had thus requested the Ferry Section of TD earlier to assist in collecting the demographic data and projected number of working people upon occupation of the HOS developments, in order to facilitate the overall planning of Mui Wo ferry service.

(b) NWFF would carry out vessel modification for five 403-seat fast ferries under its fleet, providing 20 additional seats for each of them. The seat installation

- 18 - would be completed in the second or third quarter next year. Although such improvements might not fully meet the additional demand, the company would continue to review the situation. If the patronage was found to be increasing drastically, it would proactively discuss with TD and explore improvement proposals such as frequency improvement or service adjustment. The company also welcomed Members to provide data for reference.

76. The Vice-Chairman Mr CHEUNG Fu suggested TD widen the bridge at San Shek Wan and improve the bends concerned to facilitate plying of double-deck buses in future. He said that the single-deck buses could not pass through the bends concerned smoothly at present and hoped that TD would make improvements to them.

77. Mr Eric KWOK hoped that NLB would arrange Members for a trial ride before commencing to operate the route with the new double-deck buses.

78. The Chairman agreed that it was necessary to improve the bridge and bends at San Shek Wan as soon as possible. He also indicated that buses, goods vehicles and private cars often crossed lane when passing through the bends, causing dangerous situation. Besides, he hoped that the bus company would consider arranging early trial run for 1 to 2 double-deck buses in morning peak hours instead of doing so only until the end of next year. This might not only cater for the needs of passengers but also provide the public with an adaptation period.

79. Mr CHAN Tin-lung said that the first double-deck bus could be delivered in the second quarter of 2018 at the earliest, and the remaining ones would be delivered to Hong Kong successively later.

80. Ms YUEN Kit-fung said that TD would follow up on the matters relating to the bridge at San Shek Wan after the meeting.

81. The Vice-Chairman Mr CHEUNG Fu anticipated that, after occupation of the new HOS developments in Mui Wo, many residents would use bus service. In the meantime, double-deck buses would be operating the routes plying South Lantau soon and would be increased in number gradually according to the growth of population. However, there was a certain degree of potential hazard for bends at South Lantau Road, and he hoped that TD would make improvements to the road sections and bends concerned soonest for safety reasons.

82. Ms YUEN Kit-fung noted Members’ views. She would study the problem of the road section with the relevant parties after the meeting.

83. Mr WONG Fuk-kan said that, as reflected by some bus captains, the width of the bend on South Lantau Road bounding for the branch office of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited in Mui Wo was inadequate. If vehicles travelling on two lanes in opposite directions met there, it would be difficult for both vehicles to pass through or might lead to collision. He hoped that TD would consider widening the above road section.

- 19 - 84. The Chairman concluded that the Committee supported the proposals set out in the paper and hoped that they could be implemented as soon as possible.

(Mr YUEN King-hang left the meeting at about 3:55 p.m.)

VII. Question on request for provision of a bus route plying between the airport/Tung Chung and the North District (Paper T&TC 52/2017)

85. The Chairman welcomed Mr Gary TO, Senior Transport Officer/Islands of TD, and Mr Jeff C K POON, Assistant Manager, Traffic Operations of Long Win Bus Company Limited (LWB) to the meeting to respond to the question.

86. Mr Bill TANG briefly presented the question.

87. Mr Jeff POON said that, as learnt, TD would consult the relevant District Councils (DC) on the enhancement of bus services in North District according to the bus route development plan.

88. Mr Gary TO said that, as indicated in its written reply, the Department would consult the relevant DCs on the proposed amendments to bus route no. E43 by circulation of papers in due course.

89. Mr Bill TANG asked whether route no. E43 would provide whole day service, and whether it would operate with the traditional routeing of other “E” routes, i.e., observing the bus stop outside Tung Chung Fire Station to pick up residents of Fu Tung Estate and Yat Tung Estate, as well as travelling via MTR station near Wah Ming Estate, Fanling, North District. He said that the 2 bus stops were very important to passengers in Tung Chung.

90. Mr Eric KWOK said that amendment to the routeing of route no. E43 in Tung Chung was in progress, as mentioned in the written reply of TD. He therefore recommended extension of routeing of route no. E43 to Yat Tung Estate Car Park No. 1, i.e. the bus stop on Chung Yan Road, for use by residents of Yat Tung Estate. As 2 new residential developments near NLH were about to complete soon, he opined that residents should be provided with more alternatives in transportation. Under his proposal, buses could leave directly by passing round the nearby roundabout without entering the bus terminus at Yat Tung Estate.

91. Mr LOU Cheuk-wing also suggested that route no. E43 should operate with the traditional routeing of other “E” routes, i.e., buses operating this route would travel via Tung Chung Fire Station to facilitate residents in Tung Chung and Tai O. He further suggested that it would be even better to split the bus route into 2 separate routes for travelling to Sheung Shui and Fanling. Many residents in Tung Chung and Tai O would visit the Mainland via Sheung Shui. At present, they had to go to Tsing Yi by vehicles and then interchange for Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited bus route no. 279X for travelling to Sheung Shui, and the routeing was circuitous indeed.

- 20 -

92. Mr Jeff POON made a consolidated response as follows:

(a) TD had conducted consultation on route no. E43 earlier. He said that the main reason for providing route no. E43 by LWB was an increase in population in Tung Chung North. As such, its routeing was different from that of the general “E” routes for providing service to residents in Tung Chung.

(b) When designing the routeing of route no. E43, LWB had considered the availability of 1 existing bus route operating between North District and North Lantau, and the provision of numerous bus-bus interchange schemes for passengers travelling from North District to the airport. And the currently proposed routeing was thus prepared. During consultation, there were views hoping that buses of this route would travel via Tung Chung Town Centre, and LWB was in discussion with TD about this.

(c) If the routeing of route no. E43 would detour Tung Chung Town Centre, then a bus operating this route would, after departing from the North District, travel along Tung Chung North to Tung Chung Town Centre, and head for the bus terminus at Tung Chung Development Pier via Tat Tung Road. The preliminary test run showed that the journey time was almost 2 hours. Such being the case, LWB had consulted the employees’ union because there was no bus route which took a journey time of 2 hours long at present. If the journey time of bus route no. E43 was to be further lengthened, they were worried that no bus driver would be willing to serve this route. Aiming to provide convenient bus services for members of the public, the bus company was also required to consider the feasibility of operation and maintain the journey time within a level acceptable by front line staff.

93. Mr Bill TANG asked whether LWB would consider applying the traditional routeing of the general “E” routes on route no. E43, which travelled to the airport through North Lantau Highway, passing by Tung Chung Fire Station. He understood that the objective of operating route no. E43 was to mainly provide service to residents in Tung Chung North. However, since the journey time was as long as 2 hours, he wondered why the bus company did not adopt the traditional routeing of “E” routes which was convenient, faster and non-controversial. He was worried that driving continuously for 2 hours would lead to fatigue driving of bus captains.

94. Mr Jeff POON said that the routeing of route no. E43 was similar to that of route no. E31. LWB received views from passengers earlier, hoping that an additional bus route travelling between North District and Tung Chung could be provided. For this reason, routeing similar to that of route no. E31 was adopted and the routeing was therefore different from that of other “E” routes travelling to the airport via other parts of Tung Chung. He explained that the geographical distance between North District and Tung Chung was relatively long, citing bus routes plying between Tin Shui Wai and Tung Chung as an example. In morning peak hours, the journey time of buses operating these routes was about 1.5 hours. When compared with Yuen Long and Tin Shui Wai, the North District was farther away from

- 21 - Tung Chung geographically. Traffic congestion during peak hours had also been taken into account. If buses of route no. E43 had to pass through Tung Chung Town Centre, it was estimated that the journey time would be around 2 hours. Besides, the routeing arrangement of route no. E43 in Tung Chung area mainly aimed to provide service for passengers in Tung Chung New Town Extension Area with priority.

95. Mr Bill TANG asked when route no. E43 would come into service.

96. Mr Gary TO said that, according to the bus route development plan, route no. E43 bus was anticipated to come into service in the first quarter of 2018. The Department would inform Members by circulation of papers in due course.

97. The Chairman hoped that TD would proactively consider Members’ views.

(Ms Josephine TSANG and Mr Bill TANG left the meeting at about 4:15 p.m. and about 4:20 p.m. respectively.)

VIII. Question on Long Win E34B bus service (Paper T&TC 54/2017)

98. The Chairman welcomed Mr Jeff POON, Assistant Manager, Traffic Operations of LWB to the meeting to respond to the question.

99. Mr Holden CHOW briefly presented the question.

100. Mr Jeff POON said that many passengers currently travelled between the airport and Yuen Long with LWB bus route no. E34B. During the peak hours from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., the headway of route no. E34B was 12 minutes with an existing occupancy rate of 83% to 84%, reflecting that there was a greater passenger demand during certain periods of time. Nevertheless, buses operating this route could pick up all waiting passengers in general. In the case of sudden and unexpected increase in passenger volume, the bus compartments would be more congested. LWB had instructed the field front line staff to pay attention to special circumstances to facilitate timely and flexible deployment of resources. It would also continue to monitor the patronage and make service adjustment and contingency measures when necessary to meet passenger demand.

101. Mr Holden CHOW said that as the existing occupancy rate of route no. E34B exceeded 80%, passenger queues at bus stops and failure of waiting passengers for boarding buses occurred from time to time. He had proposed previously that the bus company should provide special departures to divert passengers when there were passengers being unable to get on route no. E34B buses at certain timeslots in the morning. He suggested LWB provide 1 or more special departures during peak hours in the light of past experience and prevailing circumstances.

- 22 - 102. Mr Jeff POON said that LWB would explore options for enhancing the schedule of route no. E34B and continue to closely monitor the situation.

IX. Question on Long Win bus routes S64 and S64X (Paper T&TC 63/2017)

103. The Chairman welcomed Mr Gary TO, Senior Transport Officer/Islands of TD, and Mr Jeff POON, Assistant Manager, Traffic Operations of LWB to the meeting to respond to the question.

104. Mr LAU Chin-pang briefly presented the question. He added that TD agreed after discussion to increase the bus frequency from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. having regard to the existing high occupancy rate of route no. S64X. The Bus Route Planning Programme 2017- 2018 of Islands District (BRPP) had proposed to change the terminal point of routes no. S64 and S64X from Yat Tung Estate to Mun Tung Estate due for completion soon. However, the anticipated population of Mun Tung Estate would be 8 000 to 10 000 in future. Assuming that 10% of the residents were working in the airport and would take routes no. S64 and S64X buses at Mun Tung Estate, the buses might be already fully occupied when they arrived at Yat Tung Estate. He asked how TD would divert the residents commuting for work. He had consulted residents on the proposed change of bus terminal point earlier, and over 90% of the respondents objected to the proposal and more than 400 written objections were submitted by the residents.

105. Mr Gary TO said that the proposal of extending the routeing of LWB bus routes no. S64 and S64X to Tung Chung Area 39 had been contained in BRPP and endorsed. In the light of the experience of providing additional bus route from route no. S64, the bus company would monitor the passenger volume in the morning peak hours and would arrange for special departures from Yat Tung Estate according to actual needs to meet the demand of residents in the area. He reiterated that before implementing the proposal, TD would closely monitor the situation and make frequency adjustment when necessary to meet the transport needs of passengers in both Mun Tung Estate and Yat Tung Estate.

106. Mr Jeff POON said that there were 9 buses operating route no. S64 at present. LWB would deploy buses from other routes during peak hours to maintain the service level of route no. S64 and meet the passenger demand. He said that Mun Tung Estate was about to complete and was expected to accommodate an additional population of around 12 000 persons. After preliminary discussion with TD, the company proposed to allocate one more bus to operate route no. S64 in BRPP and would continue to monitor the patronage of this bus route. He pointed out that the transport needs of residents in the estates were concentrated in the morning and evening in general, and the company would provide passengers with appropriate service as far as possible by means of resources redeployment.

107. Mr Eric KWOK had expressed objection to the proposal of changing the terminal point of routes no. S64 and S64X to Mun Tung Estate at meetings, and considered that the relevant parties should not implement the proposal prior to endorsement by IDC. He pointed out that there were about 45 000 residents in Yat Tung Estate who had a certain level of demand for

- 23 - route no. S64. It was thus inappropriate to change the terminal point of this route to Yat Tung Estate. Otherwise, it would arouse dissatisfaction among the residents concerned. He suggested converting routes no. S64 and S64X into whole-day operation. If the bus terminus at Yat Tung Estate could not accommodate so many buses at the same time, consideration might be given to arranging routes no. S64 and S64X buses to depart from Mun Tung Estate and detour to Yat Tung Estate before proceeding to Tung Chung Town Centre and other places. He believed that this proposal would be more acceptable by residents in Yat Tung Estate.

108. Mr LAU Chin-pang said that occupation of Mun Tung Estate was anticipated to result in an additional population of more than 10 000 persons. There was already a very great demand for bus service of route no. S64 at present. Some passengers even failed to take the bus to go to work because the buses were full. The change of the terminal point would worry the residents. He reiterated that more than 90% of the respondents did not accept the proposal when he explained the proposal of changing the terminal point to the residents. More than 400 written objections were also received. He therefore hoped that TD and LWB would take this into serious consideration and continue to designate the terminal point of routes no. S64 and S64X at Yat Tung Estate. Special departures could be provided to meet the needs of other districts when necessary. He concurred with Mr Eric KWOK. If the proposal had not been endorsed by IDC or was expected to cause traffic confusion, TD had to carefully consider whether it was to be implemented.

109. Mr Jeff POON said that he would negotiate with TD for following up on the relevant proposal.

110. Mr Eric KWOK reiterated that the proposal of changing the terminal point of routes no. S64 and S64X was not endorsed by IDC yet.

111. Mr Gary TO said that TD noted Members’ views.

(Mr LOU Cheuk-wing left the meeting at about 4:35 p.m.)

X. Question on following up on the installation of additional wide gates and escalators at Tung Chung Station (Paper T&TC 55/2017)

112. The Chairman welcomed Ms Annie LAM, Assistant PR Manager - External Affairs, MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL) to the meeting to respond to the question.

113. Mr Holden CHOW briefly presented the question.

114. Ms Annie LAM said that MTRCL understood Members’ concern and had been keeping an eye on the passenger flow and demand at MTR Tung Chung Station. In the light of distribution of exits and passenger flow at Tung Chung Station, 2 wide gates were installed at Exits B and D of Tung Chung Station at present, which could only be set for exit or entry. Based on the observations of the entry and exit pattern of passengers, the smooth flow of

- 24 - passengers and overall operation in the station might be adversely affected if the wide gates were reset to operate in a bi-directional manner. It was observed that the order of passengers using escalators at platforms in Tung Chung Station was generally good during peak hours at present. She believed that the existing arrangement could cater for the needs of passengers. However, having foreseen the community development and population growth in the area, MTRCL had already started the preliminary planning for installation of an additional escalator, and would liaise with the Members concerned and report on the progress as and when appropriate.

115. Mr Holden CHOW said that it was understandable that MTRCL decided to maintain the existing arrangement after it had conducted an assessment and found that conversion of the wide gate to a bi-directional gate would cause confusion. Since the addition of a wide gate at Exit A of Tung Chung Station was not a complicated project, he wondered why it could be completed only at the end of 2020. He also wondered why the escalator works would only be completed until the end of 2022. The population of Tung Chung was ever-increasing, and occupation of many new residential developments such as Ying Tung Estate would commence soon. As a result, there would be more and more passengers using Tung Chung Station and the overcrowding situation inside the station would become more and more serious. He urged MTRCL to speed up the progress of wide gate installation and escalator works to ease the passenger flow at Tung Chung Station.

116. Mr Eric KWOK concurred with Mr Holden CHOW on speeding up the progress of the escalator works. He said that the existing population in Tung Chung was more than 90 000 persons or so. There would be an additional population of around 10 000 persons in early next year due to occupation of Ying Tung Estate. There would also be an additional population of around 12 000 persons in mid-2019 because of occupation of Mun Tung Estate. Furthermore, around 8 000 persons would move in the new HOS development near NLH in 2020. It was estimated that the population in Tung Chung would be around 120 000 to 130 000 in 2020. Seeing that Tung Chung Station was already very crowded during peak hours at present, he urged MTRCL to prioritise the escalator works as an emergency works for early completion in 2020. He also requested MTRCL to explain further about the preliminary planning.

117. Ms Annie LAM said that there were a lot of MTR stations and station exits. In determining the priority of station facility enhancement, many factors had to be taken into consideration which included the size of patronage who benefit, overall works arrangement, utilisation of existing facilities, resources and technicality, etc. Having taken account of the current usage of escalators at Tung Chung Station, MTRCL had adopted corresponding measures to maintain good passenger flow. To tie in with the population growth in Tung Chung, MTRCL had also launched the preliminary works for installation of additional escalator, which involved various aspects like project planning, resource and manpower deployment, etc. As the procedures were complicated, it was expected that the works would be completed in 2022 at the earliest. MTRCL would closely monitor the progress of the project and report to Members when appropriate. As it was in the beginning of a new school year, the company would like to invite Members to conduct a site visit to the MTR station during the morning hours when students commuted for school.

- 25 - 118. The Chairman hoped that MTRCL would consider Members’ concerns and views, and expedite the works progress as far as possible.

XI. Question on traffic accidents on North Lantau Highway (Paper T&TC 56/2017)

119. The Chairman welcomed Mr LO Tim-fat, District Operations Officer (Lantau) (Acting) of HKPF, and Ms YUEN Kit-fung, Engineer/Islands 2 of TD to the meeting to respond to the question.

120. Ms Amy YUNG briefly presented the question.

121. Mr LO Tim-fat replied as follows:

(a) On 18 July this year, a traffic accident involving 10 vehicles occurred on North Lantau Highway Kowloon bound. The main cause of the traffic accident was the driver driving too close to the vehicle in front. However, some other unfavourable environmental factors also contributed to the accident, including the road improvement works in progress on North Lantau Highway Kowloon bound. Due to the works, temporary closure of some sections on the slow lane was implemented, reducing the carriageway from 3 lanes to 2 lanes and impeding the vehicular movement thereat. The day the accident took place was a rainy day, which caused slippery road surface and obstructed sightline of drivers. The improvement works on the road section concerned had been completed and the road reopened for use.

(b) Regarding the figures of traffic accidents occurred on North Lantau Highway, the Police recorded a total of 105 traffic accidents from 1 January to 31 August 2017, having an increase of 26 cases when compared with that in the same period in 2016. The main causes of traffic accidents included careless lane changing, driving too close to the vehicle in front and trying to avoid collision or otherwise.

(c) From 1 July to 31 December 2016, the Police placed Cut-Out Traffic Police Officers made of aluminum at the site boundary of 2 roadwork sites along North Lantau Highway in 2 phases. At a meeting held by the Traffic Management Liaison Group, the relevant departments and stakeholders reviewed the Cut-Out Traffic Police Officers scheme and opined that the scheme had achieved positive results.

(d) Regarding the law enforcement action taken by the Traffic New Territories South of HKPF along North Lantau Highway from January to August 2017, the Police had intercepted 3 992 vehicles, issued tickets to 3 488 motorists and issued summons to 51 motorists, as well as arrested 15 motorists in total.

- 26 - 122. Ms YUEN Kit-fung said that TD would closely liaise with the relevant departments to monitor the temporary diversion arrangements for the works in future.

123. Ms Amy YUNG was concerned about the traffic accidents occurred on North Lantau Highway and said that she had raised the relevant question several times in the past. Since the increase in traffic accidents was caused by road works and a number of works would take place on North Lantau Highway in future, she hoped that the relevant departments would strengthen traffic management measures and prosecution to reduce the risk of traffic accidents. Besides, the Police just now replied that more than 3 000 drivers were prosecuted for malpractices from January to August 2017. Most of them were charged because of their improper driving attitude. So, if the review found that the Cut-Out Traffic Police Officers scheme had achieved positive results, she suggested the Police and TD explore placing more Cut-Out Traffic Police Officers on North Lantau Highway as well as step up prosecution and publicity efforts.

124. Mr Holden CHOW said that to tie in with the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) project, a number of projects were in progress on North Lantau Highway, resulting in frequent traffic accidents. With the imminent commissioning of HZMB, the traffic flow on North Lantau Highway would be ascending alongside increase in the risk of traffic accident. He therefore suggested the relevant departments provide additional road markings and step up prosecution against offending motorists.

125. Mr LO Tim-fat said that there were specific requirements on safety and location of placing Cut-Out Traffic Police Officers. The Police would proactively consider whether there were other suitable locations for placing Cut-Out Traffic Police Officers.

XII. Question on traffic problem during large events held in Discovery Bay (Paper T&TC 57/2017)

126. The Chairman welcomed Mr Gary TO, Senior Transport Officer/Islands of TD; Mr LO Tim-fat, District Operations Officer (Lantau) (Acting) of HKPF; as well as Mr Peter TSANG, Senior Manager-Transportation of DBTSL to the meeting to respond to the question. The written reply of Discovery Bay Service Management Ltd. (DBSML) and HKRI had been distributed to Members for perusal before the meeting.

127. Ms Amy YUNG briefly presented the question.

128. Mr Peter TSANG replied as follows:

(a) DBTSL had been closely monitoring the situation of land and water-borne transport of Discovery Bay (DB) during the event. Where necessary, it would increase the bus frequency to ease passenger flow. The traffic flow was generally smooth at the beginning of the event. However, as the event was becoming increasingly popular and the response was far more positive than that expected, there were more visitors in the mid-late stage of the event (especially during weekend and public holiday), leading to a strong demand for bus service.

- 27 - DBTSL thus discussed with the organiser the traffic improvement measures, and provided free shuttle bus service to carry visitors at the last 2 days of the event (i.e. 19 and 20 August 2017). Special departures of bus service were also provided for residents in the area to minimise the impact of the event on DB residents. Additional staff was also deployed to bus stops and event venue to provide assistance and maintain order.

(b) Space was provided on DB ferries for passengers to place articles. Although the ferry operator did not impose restriction on the size of articles carried by passengers, such articles should not cause any nuisance or inconvenience to other passengers and had to be placed at the designated location on a ferry. If passengers carried large blowing objects on board when similar events were held in future, the ferry operator would advise passengers to release air from their articles to reduce the space occupied.

129. Mr Gary TO said that the organiser applied to TD for provision of free shuttle bus service plying between Sunny Bay and DB to divert passenger flow on 19 and 20 August which were anticipated to be the peak of the event, and the Department had also granted special approval to it.

130. Ms Amy YUNG was disappointed by the response given by TD and DBTSL as well as the written reply of HKRI and DBSML. She expressed her views as follows:

(a) She opined that the organiser did not have adequate preparation and proper planning for the entire activity, such as estimation of the number of participants, traffic arrangement, and provision of other ancillary facilities, etc. The above event was held at Tai Pak Wan in DB, which was a beach used by many swimmers but there was no life guard on duty, thus posing potential risk to swimmers. As access of police vehicles and ambulances to the beach was observed during the event, she believed that accidents had taken place and the situation was a matter of concern indeed.

(b) She said that there was a serious under-provision of transport ancillary facilities during the event. Residents could not board the buses at bus stops at Sunny Bay or Tung Chung even after a long waiting time. The reaction of the organiser was too slow because it introduced improvement measures and enhanced bus service only in the last few days of the event. She was worried that it would cause much nuisance to residents in DB if the organiser was incapable of properly organising large-scale events and did not provide adequate ancillary facilities.

(c) The residents were concerned about the possible traffic congestion caused by the influx of an excessive number of vehicles because the roads in DB were narrow and parking spaces were limited. Even though the above activity had been held for many years, there were still problems coming out ceaselessly. In this connection, she suggested TD, being the authority for granting approval,

- 28 - incorporate appropriate licensing conditions in the agreement concerned to enhance supervision, and carefully consider various factors including area of activity venue, anticipated visitor flow, traffic impact assessment and so on when processing applications for large-scale events.

(d) The above event had been held for 3 years consecutively. Despite the continued complaints from residents, the arrangement of the event continued to decline. She hoped that the organiser would actively listen to the aspirations of residents and requested DBTSL to relay the views.

131. Mr Gary TO noted Mr YUNG’s views, and believed that the organiser would learn from the experience.

132. Mr Peter TSANG said that DBTSL would learn from each experience gained and, if similar activities were to be held in future, it would co-ordinate with the organiser as early as possible with a view to making better arrangement.

133. Ms Amy YUNG proposed that DB residents should be assigned with priority for using bus service by producing the resident Octopus card during the event. She opined that the DB bus service was a residents’ coach service provided to serve residents in the area and was nothing of coach service for tourists. As such, she hoped that the organiser would arrange other kinds of transport means for visitors during the event to avoid affecting the use of bus service by residents undesirably.

134. Mr Peter TSANG said that registration of DB resident Octopus card by DBSML was underway. In future, DB residents would enjoy discount and other concessions when taking DB ferries. DBSML would consider the proposal of assigning priority to residents for using bus service during the event.

XIII. Question on traffic accident in Discovery Bay (Paper T&TC 58/2017)

135. The Chairman welcomed Mr Gary TO, Senior Transport Officer/Islands of TD; Mr LO Tim-fat, District Operations Officer (Lantau) (Acting) of HKPF; as well as Mr Peter TSANG, Senior Manager-Transportation of DBTSL to the meeting to respond to the question. The written reply of DBSML had been distributed to Members for perusal before the meeting.

136. Ms Amy YUNG briefly presented the question.

137. Mr LO Tim-fat said that the above traffic accident only involved damage to private property. The driver and property owner had reached a settlement and did not report the case to the Police, thus the Police did not have the relevant information. As revealed by records of the Police, no report regarding traffic accident occurring at the temporary bus terminus had been received since 1 January 2017. Based on observation at site, the pedestrian walkway

- 29 - near the bus terminus had been installed with railings and water-filled barriers to prevent pedestrians from jaywalking.

138. Ms YUEN Kit-fung said that TD had communicated with DBSML to obtain information on the above accident and deployed staff for site inspection. As observed by the Department, the traffic and road conditions at the temporary bus terminus were normal at present. The Department would discuss with DBSML the feasible improvement measures when necessary.

139. Mr Peter TSANG added that the accident occurred at around 11:10 a.m. on 14 July. After the accident had taken place, DBTSL deployed staff to meet the driver concerned and attend the scene. It was noted that the main reason of the accident was distraction of the driver when driving, causing the vehicle to hit the trees, resulting in damage to the company vehicle and railings of the bus stop but no personal injury. The company had instructed and reminded the driver concerned to drive carefully. It would also strengthen the monitoring of drivers’ driving performance and tie in with the transport management measures of DBSML to ensure road traffic safety in the area.

140. Ms Amy YUNG expressed her views as follows:

(a) She enquired of the Police whether it was unnecessary to report a traffic accident to the Police if the parties involved in the accident had reached a settlement or there was no personal injury involved in the accident.

(b) To tie in with the development works of DB, a number of heavy-duty trucks and construction vehicles were frequently accessing to and from DB. On average, there would be a dump truck passing through the main road plying Nim Shu Wan every 2 minutes or so. As a matter of fact, the narrow roads of DB were not suitable for access by too many buses or large vehicles because they would pose certain safety hazards as there were many slow-moving golf carts within the area.

(c) Based on her observation, the number of vehicles in DB was ever-increasing recently. With the number of parking spaces remained unchanged, many motorists engaged in illegal parking, thus causing congested roads and forming traffic blind spots to motorists easily. The site of the above accident was at a road bend where trees were planted. The vision of the driver concerned might be obstructed and caused the accident. She hoped that DBTSL and DBSML would pay attention to the vehicular flow in the area, limit the number of driving permits to be issued, enhance staff deployment for directing traffic, and provide more facilities such as zebra crossings and traffic signs to minimise the potential hazard to road safety.

141. Mr LO Tim-fat said that as the above traffic accident involved damage to private property only and the driver concerned was willing to provide the personal information to the property owner, it was not necessary to report the case to the Police. If the driver concerned

- 30 - was unwilling to provide personal particulars to the owner of property damaged, it was necessary to report the case to the Police within 24 hours.

142. Mr Peter TSANG said that the accident occurred at the straight road off Hillgrove Village. The road condition was normal that day, and the accident was caused by negligence of the driver whose vehicle knocked at the railings and trees. DBTSL would step up the monitoring and education of drivers and would tie in with the traffic management measures of DBSML. As far as he knew, DBSML had arranged staff to direct traffic and assist pedestrians in crossing roads in peak hours.

143. Ms YUEN Kit-fung explained that as the accident involved only damage to personal property and the driver concerned did not report the accident to the Police, TD had no record of the accident. However, the Department would maintain liaison with DBSML and discuss improvement measures as and when necessary.

144. Ms Amy YUNG wondered whether the trees damaged in the accident were property of DBSML because the cost of planting trees in DB was borne by residents. Besides, the Police said that if a traffic accident involved only property loss and no personal injury, the parties concerned having reached a settlement were not required to report the case to the Police and TD. She disagreed with such practice. As the management and transport service providers of DB were under the same corporation, it would be difficult to monitor their arrangement. She suggested report be made to the Police and TD for all traffic accidents, including those occurring in private areas without property loss or personal injury, so that sufficient information and data could be maintained for enhanced monitoring.

145. Mr LO Tim-fat said that the Police would step up publicity on road safety at the bus terminus.

XIV. Question on lack of car parks for large goods vehicles in Tung Chung (Paper T&TC 59/2017)

146. The Chairman welcomed Ms YUEN Kit-fung, Engineer/Islands 2 of TD; and Ms LEUNG Chiu-mei, District Engineer/Islands of HyD to the meeting to respond to the question.

147. Mr Eric KWOK briefly presented the question.

148. Ms YUEN Kit-fung said that TD had considered a number of proposals of providing parking space for large goods vehicles and coaches in Tung Chung: firstly, the Department had considered providing 14 parking spaces at Yu Tung Road for parking of coaches in daytime and goods vehicles at night. However, it had received many objections from the locals during public consultation; secondly, the Department had considered converting some private car parking spaces in Tung Chung to goods vehicle parking space at nighttime, and had initially identified 4 private car parking spaces at Fu Tung Street for converting to 2 goods vehicle parking spaces at night; thirdly, the Department was proactively seeking suitable land for construction of a temporary car park, and had identified a suitable land near the petrol station

- 31 - at Hei Tung Street for providing a temporary car park on short-term tenancy. The Department had discussed with the Lands Department (LandsD) and had submitted the relevant application to LandsD. It was expected that the proposed temporary car park would accommodate 16 large vehicles and 42 private cars. The Department might consider increasing the ratio of large vehicle parking space if necessary.

149. Mr Eric KWOK expressed his views as follows:

(a) Regarding the proposal of providing a temporary car park on short-term tenancy at Hei Tung Street, TD and LandsD only commenced the relevant application procedures at this moment. He enquired when the temporary car park would commission service as expected and whether the number of parking spaces to be provided would be able to meet the parking demand of large goods vehicles and coaches in the area.

(b) Given the lack of a large car park in Tung Chung, goods vehicle drivers had proposed to the relevant departments for opening the large open car park near the Sunny Bay Station for temporary parking of goods vehicles. However, the proposal was not accepted because it was used only for parking of coaches. He hoped that TD would reconsider the proposal.

150. Mr LAU Chin-pang asked whether the development of Tung Chung Area 39 in future would affect the temporary coach parking spaces currently designated at Yu Tung Road for use by coaches.

151. Mr WONG Wah asked whether the Government had planned to construct a multi- storey car park in Tung Chung area for parking of large vehicles.

152. Ms YUEN Kit-fung made a consolidated response as follows:

(a) Regarding the plan of providing a temporary car park on short-term tenancy at Hei Tung Street, the application had to be submitted according to the established procedures and LandsD would need to conduct consultation in due course. For these reasons, there was no timetable for the time being, but she believed that LandsD would proceed as soon as possible.

(b) Regarding the proposal of opening the large open car park near Sunny Bay Station for temporary parking of goods vehicles, the Department did not have the relevant information for the time being, and she would provide such information after the meeting.

(Post-meeting note: The record of TD showed that parking of goods vehicle was already permitted at the temporary car park on short term tenancy near Sunny Bay Station.)

- 32 - (c) Upon resident intake of Mun Tung Estate, vehicular flow on Yu Tung Road would definitely be increased. The Department would review the temporary coach parking space on Yu Tung Road at that time and follow up with Members concerned when appropriate.

(d) To optimise land uses, TD would not consider constructing a multi-storey car park on vacant land at the moment. Instead, it would require that sufficient and appropriate parking spaces should be provided under each development project.

XV. Question on two-way toll collection arrangement at the Lantau Link and related works (Paper T&TC 60/2017) XVI. Question on congestion on the Lantau Link (Paper T&TC 61/2017)

153. The Chairman suggested that the questions under agenda items XV and XVI be discussed together because they were similar in content. He welcomed Mr TSANG Yee- yeung, Ian, Senior Transport Officer/Tunnels & Tsing Ma 1 of TD to the meeting to respond to the questions. The written replies of TIML MOM Limited had been distributed to Members for perusal before the meeting. Mr Bill TANG had left the meeting due to other commitments and had asked Mr LAU Chin-pang to present the question on his behalf.

154. Mr LAU Chin-pang and Mr Eric KWOK briefly presented the questions on PaperT&TC60/2017 and Paper T&TC61/2017 respectively.

155. Mr Ian TSANG said that TD was very concerned about the serious congestion occurred at Lantau Link on 21 August this year and understood that the incident had caused serious inconvenience to the public. The Department had reviewed the two-way toll collection arrangement and would learn from the experience for more comprehensive consideration and proper arrangement in future. He replied to the question of Mr Bill TANG as follows:

(a) The two-way toll collection arrangement at Lantau Link was implemented since 20 August this year, and the related works also commenced that day as scheduled, closing 3 free flow traffic lanes. The works commenced included repaving of road, provision of an traffic island and toll collection facilities, and the scheduled completion date was early December this year. Owing to the traffic congestion incident, adjustment had been made at the Lantau Link Toll Plaza (airport bound) by operating with 2 autotoll lanes and 6 manual toll collection lanes. Based on the observation of the Department, the traffic flow at the toll plaza was smooth and traffic congestion also did not occur in morning peak hours.

(b) The Department planned to implement the “Stop-and-go” e-Payment System in March next year. Upon implementation, motorists might pay the toll with Octopus cards or credit cards. The e-payment system would be installed by

- 33 - EMSD and its contractor. The Department and EMSD were exploring ways to expedite the works progress for early launch of e-payment service.

(c) Following the completion of the above works of traffic and toll collection facilities in early December this year, a total of 20 toll lanes could be provided at the Lantau Link Toll Plaza. Currently, about 14 to 16 toll lanes at the toll plaza were open for use by vehicles in peak hours, and the operation was smooth. The Department believed that the additional traffic flow resulting from the commissioning of HZMB and population growth in Tung Chung could be met if all toll collection lanes were reopened to provide service. Moreover, as the Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Link was anticipated to be completed in 2020, which would be earlier than that of the Three-Runway System of the airport, it would help relieve the vehicular flow of Lantau Link by then.

(d) The Department implemented a differential toll to vehicles using Lantau Link to reflect the different degree of usage of road space as well as wear and tear caused by different types of vehicles. The toll of private cars was higher to encourage the public to travel by public transport means. Toll adjustment had not been made to Lantau Link since its commissioning in 1997 because toll reduction or cancellation were contradicting to the Government’s principle of tunnel and road pricing. Therefore, the Department had no plan about abolishing the charging arrangement for the time being.

156. Mr LAU Chin-pang opined that cancelling the toll of Lantau Link could enhance the overall efficiency of the traffic on Lantau Link and reduce the travelling expenses of the public as well. While the Department mentioned that cancelling the charging arrangement ran contrary to the relevant policy, the use of some bridges and tunnels such as Stonecutters Bridge, Ting Kau Bridge and Wan Chai Bypass were free of charge. In fact, the profit from the Tsing Ma Bridge only represented an extremely small portion of the total annual revenue of the Hong Kong Government. He questioned why the toll of Lantau Link could not be cancelled. The tolling mechanism had also caused inconvenience to residents in Tung Chung, for instance, a furniture company refused to deliver goods to residents in the area concerned due to toll payment. He hoped that the relevant departments and policy bureaux would discuss and study the above agenda item again.

157. Mr Holden CHOW thought that the traffic congestion occurred on the first day of implementing two-way toll collection arrangement at Lantau Link had revealed several problems. Firstly, the incident reflected that the departments and organisations concerned failed to consider the traffic flow of Lantau Link comprehensively and were not well prepared for the new arrangement. If queuing of vehicles for toll collection was not required, traffic congestion might be avoided. He therefore hoped that the Government would consider abolishing the tolling arrangement to minimise the negative impact on the public. Secondly, Lantau Link was currently the only trunk road which linked up Lantau Island and the urban area. Even when the Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Link was open for use in future, the residents in Tung Chung would still depend mainly on Lantau Link for plying the urban area. Whenever a traffic incident occurred on Lantau Link, the residents would have no other alternatives for

- 34 - transport. Thirdly, apart from the population growth on Lantau Island, the population in Tung Chung was also ever-increasing, and was estimated to reach more than 200 000 people or so in more than 10 years. The Lantau Link would be overburdened at that time. In the long run, the Government should consider constructing additional trunk roads or railways, and it could not depend on Lantau Link or Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Link alone for access to other areas.

158. Mr Ian TSANG said that although policy considerations were involved in toll collection arrangement at Lantau Link, the Department had noted Members’ views and would further consider. Besides, the proposal of constructing trunk road or railway for connecting to the urban area did not fall within his area of responsibility, but he would relay the proposal to the subject officers for consideration. He replied to the question of Mr Eric KWOK as follows:

(a) TD had formulated an emergency plan for traffic accident taking place on Lantau Link. In general, when the service of Airport Railway is affected, the Department would mobilise other land transport means to help ease the traffic. Contrarily, if incident happens on Lantau Link, the Department would divert traffic with Airport Express or Tung Chung Line trains. Having regard to the situation of an incident, availability of resources for mobilisation and relevant factors (including the number of vessels available for mobilisation, capacity of berthing facilities, feeder service arrangements of land transportation and the related time required for mobilisation), the Department would provide emergency ferry service when necessary. He pointed out that railways and franchised buses were the major means for external transportation of Lantau Island and the airport. Relatively speaking, sea transportation played a much smaller role.

(b) When the Department assessed the feasibility of providing additional ferry service, it would consider various factors such as the availability of alternative transport services, passenger demand, as well as the financial viability and operational viability of the ferry service, etc. The residents in Tung Chung could travel to various areas in the Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories by train or by bus at present. It was believed that the transport network was adequate to meet passenger demand. The bus companies would regularly consult Members on their bus route planning programme while the railway company would also make service adjustment or improvement in the light of passenger demand. The Department had no plan to launch a new ferry service at this stage since the existing public traffic and transport network in Tung Chung could largely meet the needs of residents. If a ferry operator took initiative to propose operating a route plying Tung Chung, the Department had to first assess its financial and operational viability. If the proposal was considered feasible, it would launch the tendering procedure.

(c) The implementation of two-way toll collection arrangement at Lantau Link started in the early hours of 20 August this year (Sunday), and the overall operation was smooth. On 21 August (Monday), the first working day after the

- 35 - implementation of the two-way toll collection arrangement, the traffic flow was similar to normal days and within estimation. However, traffic congestion occurred on lanes at the Lantau Link Main Toll Plaza (airport bound) that morning due to several reasons. First of all, the works at the toll plaza was in progress, but the temporary traffic arrangement was undesirable. For example, the location of water-filled barriers and temporary road signs did not give clear indication to motorists who thus found it difficult to change lanes smoothly. There were insufficient road signs and traffic signs provided at the bend in front of the site, making motorists unable to select lanes beforehand. The Department had adopted immediate contingency measures to improve the temporary traffic arrangements, including making adjustment to the location of the water-filled barriers and traffic signs, providing more road signs to guide motorists, as well as opening more toll booths to ease the vehicles queuing for payment. Besides, a traffic accident occurred at Ting Kau Bridge that day and the traffic in the vicinity was thus affected. Staff and motorists were not familiar with the new traffic and tolling arrangements as well.

(d) As observed by the Department, the existing arrangement at the toll plaza (airport bound) was adequate to meet the vehicular flow in peak hours. There was even spare capacity to handle extra traffic flow. After negotiation between the Department and operator, the latter had arranged an emergency vehicle stationing near the toll plaza. In case traffic accident or vehicle breakdown occurred, the vehicles concerned could be removed as soon as possible to resume normal traffic. The Department hoped that the relevant works could be completed soonest so that the toll lanes closed during the works period could be used as backup lanes to cope with emergency.

(e) The Department was working on the toll schedule of Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Link and HZMB and would report the relevant information when available.

159. Mr Eric KWOK was disappointed by the response of TD and was discontented with TIML MOM Limited for shirking the responsibility entirely to the Government in its written reply. The traffic at Lantau Link had been brought to a halt for 2 times. However, it seemed that the Administration had not learnt from the experience to formulate contingency plans and make an overall planning for the transportation network in Tung Chung. He thought that Lantau Link should not be taken as the only way to connect to the urban area because occurrence of incidents on this road would lead to traffic congestion. He recommended additional ferry service plying between Tung Chung and the urban areas. It might serve as a contingency solution other than land transportation and would help meet the additional traffic demand arising out of population growth in Tung Chung in the short run. He believed that good ferry operators would be attracted to provide service if the new ferry routes were profitable.

160. Mr Holden CHOW agreed to the proposal of providing additional ferry service which could partially solve the traffic problem in the short term. After HZMB had commissioned service, the traffic load on North Lantau Highway would increase substantially. In case an emergency occurred, ferry service could be utilised as an emergency response plan. Seeing

- 36 - that supporting infrastructure such as piers were available, he believed that it was not infeasible to introduce new ferry services shortly. He hoped that the Department would seriously consider the proposal.

161. Mr WONG Wah said that there were 3 autotoll lanes on Lantau Link Main Toll Plaza (Tsing Yi bound) but only 2 were provided for airport bound of the same toll plaza. If 1 autotoll lane airport bound was used by buses, he was concerned that it would be insufficient for the remaining lane to serve all other vehicles.

162. Mr Ian TSANG made a consolidated response as follows:

(a) TD had prepared an emergency plan of utilising ferry service with various routeings included. In the case of emergency, the Department would utilise ferry service having regard to various factors such as the situation of incident, number of vessels available for mobilisation and capacity of berthing facilities. Although the Department had no plan to provide new ferry routes for the moment, it would pay close attention to the needs of residents of areas concerned and make further assessment when appropriate.

(b) The works implemented on Lantau Link Toll Plaza (airport bound) was underway at present. Only 2 autotoll lanes were in use for the time being. Upon completion of the works in early December, there would be 3 autotoll lanes open for use.

163. Ms YU Lai-fan said that Members wanted to know how the Department would solve the problem of traffic congestion caused by an emergency occurring on Lantau Link and what contingency measures it would take by then. She hoped that the Department would further study Members’ views.

164. The Chairman requested the relevant department to consider Members’ views.

(The Vice-Chairman Mr CHEUNG Fu left the meeting at about 5:40 p.m.)

XVII. Question on provision of bus stop shelter at Kui Yat House bus stop on Yat Tung Street and installation of a bus bay (Paper T&TC 62/2017)

165. The Chairman welcomed Ms YUEN Kit-fung, Engineer/Islands 2 of TD; Ms LEUNG Chiu-mei, District Engineer/Islands of HyD; as well as Miss SZETO Hau-yan, Esther, Property Service Manager/Service (Hong Kong Island & Islands 3) of HD to the meeting to respond to the question.

166. Mr Eric KWOK briefly presented the question.

- 37 - 167. Ms YUEN Kit-fung said that Kui Yat House bus stop was a bit away from the roundabout at Chung Yan Road, and the road section had been provided with road markings to remind motorists to drive slowly and pay attention to pedestrians crossing the road. “LOOK LEFT” and “LOOK RIGHT” road markings were also provided at the pedestrian crossing to alert pedestrians. Therefore, the Department considered the design of the existing bus stop appropriate. The bus stop was about 40 metres long and could accommodate 3 buses stopping at the same time. If it was to be converted into a bus layby, then it was necessary to provide taper of 15 to 20 metres at both ends of the bus stop (i.e. 30 to 40 metres in total) according to the design standards. As there were pedestrian crossings near both ends of the bus stop, it was difficult to expand the area of the bus stop. As such, 1 to 2 bus stopping spaces had to be reduced to make room for converting it to a bus layby. Based on the Department’s observation, the bus stop was currently operating well and there was no need to convert it to a bus layby.

168. Mr LAU Chin-pang said that Citybus Limited (Citybus) proposed to change the terminal point of routes no. E11S and E22S from Yat Tung Estate bus terminus to Kui Yat House bus stop. However, as Kui Yat House bus stop was not covered by shelter at present, it was very inconvenient for passengers to wait for bus in the open air. He hoped that TD and the bus company would consider adding a shelter to the bus stop before changing the terminal point of the above 2 bus routes. Besides, when buses were stopping at Kui Yat House bus stop, the vision of motorists driving behind them would be obstructed. He thus recommended addition of a bus layby to avoid the occurrence of the above situation.

169. Mr Eric KWOK said that the terminal point of routes no. E11S and E22S were inside Yat Tung Estate bus terminus at present. On the one hand, there were many passengers waiting for bus at the above terminus in morning peak hours and on the other, Citybus was in consideration of increasing the frequency of route no. E11S. Such being the case, it proposed to change the terminal point of the above 2 bus routes to Kui Yat House bus stop. The proposal would not only relieve overcrowding at Yat Tung Estate bus terminus but also help divert the passenger flow. He supported Citybus’ proposal of changing the terminal point of routes no. E11S and E22S to Kui Yat House bus stop. However, he hoped that the relevant departments would in the meantime consider providing shelter and bus layby to meet the needs.

170. Mr Gary TO said that there were altogether 18 bus routes using Yat Tung Estate bus terminus at the moment. Four routes of Citybus, including E11S, E22S, E21A and E21X, shared 1 bus bay. In the peak hours from 7:15 a.m. to 8:00 a.m., about 10 buses picked up passengers at the bus bay. After picking up passengers, bus drivers had to drive the vehicles away from the station quickly to avoid adversely affecting the service of the next trip. While Citybus considered increasing the frequency of route no. E11S, Yat Tung Estate bus terminus was already overcrowding and had insufficient space to accommodate additional bus frequencies. Therefore, the proposal of changing the terminal point of routes no. E11S and E22S to Kui Yat House bus stop was of great urgency and had to be implemented as soon as possible. The Department would further study the proposal of providing bus stop shelter and bus lay-by.

171. Miss Esther SZETO said that the area near Kui Yat House bus stop was managed by different departments. The pedestrian walkway from the bus stop to the nullah was under the management of the HyD, and the section of walkway from the nullah towards Yat Tung Estate was Estate Common Area (ECA) of Yat Tung Estate. Both the Hong Kong Housing Authority

- 38 - (HA) and the Link Asset Management Limited (the Link) owned the properties within Yat Tung Estate, and the land use and development of Yat Tung Estate were governed by Lease and Deed of Mutual Covenant (DMC). Regarding the provision of bus stop shelter and bus lay-by, HD would consider the following factors: firstly, if the proposed bus lay-by was to be provided on a pedestrian walkway managed by HyD, then the bus stop and the shelter thereon would fall within ECA of Yat Tung Estate. As such, HD would have to obtain consent of all property owners in respect of change of use of the ECA and site coverage, as well as to obtain consent of LandsD; secondly, to tie in with relevant works, re-planning of the pedestrian walkway was required. Existing trees, tree rings and road lamps in proximity of the bus stop had to be relocated. Prior to the said trees relocation, professional advice of Tree Management Unit of the HD had to be sought; thirdly, the location of the proposed bus lay-by was very close to the nullah at the pedestrian walkway. The Department had to conduct detailed study in collaboration with relevant departments to ensure that the operation, discharge and other functions of the nullah would not be adversely affected. In conclusion, the Department preliminarily considered the proposal as technically feasible, but detailed study regarding lease, trees and nullah should be carried out before implementation.

172. Mr LAU Chin-pang thought that it would be difficult to implement the proposal within a short time if it was necessary to consult Link REIT on the works of the pedestrian walkway to be carried out within the area of Yat Tung Estate. He asked whether it would be less problematic and expedite the works progress if the bus stop shelter was to be constructed at pedestrian walkway section managed by HyD. Besides, if the shelter works of the bus stop was not completed yet after the change of terminal point of routes no. E11S and E22S, passengers would have to wait for buses in the open air. He asked how TD would tackle this problem.

173. Ms YUEN Kit-fung said that it required a lot of space to construct a bus layby in accordance with the design standards. Owing to the limited space of Yat Tung Street, it would be difficult to construct a large bus layby unless the pedestrian crossings beside both ends of the bus stop were relocated. Moreover, the pedestrian walkway managed by TD was about 3.5 metres in width, which would be disconnected if the bus layby was to be provided. Therefore, an access for use by the public had to be reserved on the pedestrian walkway managed by HA. Restricted by the terms of the land lease and DMC of Yat Tung Estate, the Department was not sure whether the above suggestion was viable.

174. Mr LAU Chin-pang enquired again about the feasibility of providing shelter to the bus stop within the area of pedestrian walkway under the management of HyD.

175. Ms LEUNG Chiu-mei replied that shelter of bus stop was a property owned by the bus company which was responsible for the construction and maintenance. HyD needed to discuss with TD and would relay the proposal to the bus company for consideration.

176. Mr LAU Chin-pang hoped that HyD, TD, HD and the bus company would conduct site inspection with Members concerned to clarify the issues of land title, technical problems and so on. Otherwise, it might upset the plan of changing the terminal point of routes no. E11S and E22S. Although the shelter of bus stop was under the responsibility of the bus company, he hoped that the relevant departments would co-operate to speed up the works progress.

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177. Mr Eric KWOK indicated that he had met the representatives of TD and the bus company. The latter had initially undertaken to provide shelter to the bus stop concerned, he hoped that TD and HyD would follow this up further. Besides, if the terminal point of routes no. E11S and E22S were changed to Kui Yat House bus stop where no bus layby would be provided, he was worried that the vision of motorists driving behind the buses would be obstructed when buses were stopping at this bus stop. This might create traffic blind spot and endanger pedestrian safety. He thus hoped that TD would look into the problem.

178. The Chairman suggested TD arrange site visit for Members concerned and follow up on the matters after the meeting.

(Post-meeting note: TD, HD, Islands District Office and the bus company conducted a site visit with Mr Eric KWOK, Mr Bill TANG and Mr LAU Chin-pang on 31 October 2017. Having considered the environment and traffic flow at site, all participants agreed that the terminal point of routes no. E11S and E22S would be changed to Kui Yat House bus stop by end of November, and that cover to the pedestrian walkway would be provided by the bus company for the passengers waiting for buses.)

(Mr LAU Chin-pang left the meeting at about 6:20 p.m.)

XVIII. Any Other Business - Highways Department’s Minor Traffic Improvement Projects and Works Schedules

179. The Chairman welcomed Ms LEUNG Chiu-mei, District Engineer/Islands of HyD, to the meeting to present the paper. HyD had submitted before the meeting the Islands District Minor Traffic Improvement Projects and Works Schedules (the Schedules) as at early September this year. The Schedules were tabled at the meeting and Members were invited to raise enquiries and opinions.

180. Mr WONG Wah said that expansion works of the bus stop on Tai O Road near Lung Tin Estate had been completed, but the land title problem of the bus stop shelter was unsolved yet. He suggested the bus stop be relocated as soon as possible to facilitate the construction of the bus lay-by. He also considered the progress of the road improvement works at Bend K10 slow and asked whether the project could be completed in December this year as scheduled.

181. Mr Randy YU said that the expansion works of the bus stop at Lung Tin Estate had been completed without provision of shelter. Residents waiting for bus there had to suffer from rain and sunshine, and the title of the land concerned was yet to clarify. He asked how the relevant departments would solve the problem. He also asked whether the road improvements at Bend K10 could be completed as scheduled.

182. Ms LEUNG Chiu-mei said that the shelter works of the bus stop at Lung Tin Estate was responsible by the bus company. However, it was unclear whether excavation works application was processed by HyD, LandsD or other government departments. The

- 40 - Department had to check with the excavation section to confirm which department was responsible for the management of the location of constructing the bus stop shelter.

183. Mr WONG Wah said that, as he understood, the location of the bus stop shelter was under the management of HyD, but pillars supporting the shelter were situating on the land managed by LandsD.

184. Ms LEUNG Chiu-mei made a consolidated response as follows:

(a) If the pillars supporting the shelter were situating on the land managed by LandsD, the bus company had to apply to LandsD for excavation permit. She would liaise with the subject officers to find out how to implement the project and report to Members concerned in due course.

(b) Regarding the completion date of the road improvement works at Bend K10, she would reflect Members’ concern to the works department responsible for the project and the subject officers would continue to urge the contractor to follow up on the progress of the works with a view to completing the works in December this year as scheduled.

185. Mr Randy YU indicated that many residents and motorists in the district had enquired about the progress of the works at Bend K10. He suggested HyD assist in following up the works and hoped that the written supplementary information on the works progress could be received soon after the meeting.

186. Mr WONG Wah enquired about the penalty the Government would administer to the contractor for failing to complete the works as scheduled.

187. Ms LEUNG Chiu-mei would contact the subject officers for expeditious provision of a written reply to Members through the Secretariat about the progress of the road improvement works implemented at Bend K10. As regards the penalty, the works was implemented according to the construction contract, which had prescribed the penalty for non-compliance with the scheduled completion date to regulate the works progress.

188. The Chairman requested HyD to follow up on Members’ views.

XIX. Date of next meeting

189. There being no other business, the meeting was adjourned at 6:32 p.m. The next meeting would be held at 2:00 p.m. on 20 November 2017 (Monday).

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