The minutes were confirmed on 8.3.2018 without amendment. Minutes of the First Meeting of the Traffic and Transport Committee under the Yuen Long District Council in 2018 Date : 11 January 2018 (Thursday) Time : 10:00 a.m. – 1:50 p.m. Venue : Conference Room, Yuen Long District Council, 13/F., Yuen Long Government Offices, 2 Kiu Lok Square, Yuen Long Present Time of Arrival Time of Withdrawal Chairman: Mr CHING Chan-ming Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Vice-chairman: Mr MAK Ip-sing Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Members: Mr CHAM Ka-hung, Daniel, Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting BBS, MH, JP Ms CHAN Mei-lin Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr CHAN Sze-ching 10:10 a.m. End of the meeting Mr CHEUNG Muk-lam Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Ms CHIU Sau-han, MH Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr CHOW Wing-kan Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr KWOK Hing-ping Beginning of the meeting 12:15 p.m. Mr KWOK Keung, MH Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Ms LAU Kwai-yung 10:15 a.m. End of the meeting Mr LEE Yuet-man, MH 10:50 a.m. 1:40 p.m. Mr LEUNG Ming-kin Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Ms MA Shuk-yin 10:30 a.m. End of the meeting Mr MAN Kwong-ming Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr MAN Ping-nam, MH Beginning of the meeting 12:50 p.m. Mr SHUM Ho-kit Beginning of the meeting 11:30 a.m. Mr SIU Long-ming 10:30 a.m. 1:35 p.m. Mr TANG Cheuk-yin Beginning of the meeting 12:00 noon Mr TANG Hing-ip, BBS Beginning of the meeting 12:45 p.m. Mr TANG Ka-leung 10:10 a.m. End of the meeting Mr TANG Yung-yiu, Ronnie Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr TO Ka-lun Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr WONG Cheuk-kin Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Ms WONG Wai-ling 10:10 a.m. 12:15 p.m. Mr WONG Wai-shun, MH 10:10 a.m. End of the meeting Mr WONG Wai-yin, Zachary 10:20 a.m. End of the meeting Mr YOUNG Ka-on 10:10 a.m. 1:00 p.m. Ms YUEN Man-yee Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Co-opted members: Mr CHAN Tin-yam 10:10 a.m. End of the meeting Mr CHEUNG Wai-sum Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr CHUI Kwan-siu Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Ms KWOK Ching-yin Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr LAM Ting-wai Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr LI Kai-lap, Riben Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr NG Ka-leung Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr TANG Kam-fai Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr TANG Wing-ming, Jim Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Secretary Miss Cherry NG Executive Officer (District Council)2, Yuen Long District Council In Attendance Ms MAK Ka-ying, Carren Assistant District Officer (Yuen Long) 2 Ms TAM Lok-yan, Carol Senior Transport Officer/Yuen Long 1, Transport Department Mr LEUNG Ka-lok, Kelvin Senior Transport Officer/Yuen Long 2, Transport Department Mr YEUNG Shiu-wing, Chris Engineer/Yuen Long East, Transport Department Mr MAN Ka-ho, Wilson Engineer/Yuen Long West, Transport Department Mr AU Man-yu, Derek Engineer/Yuen Long Central, Transport Department Mr SHIH Yung-chi District Engineer/Yuen Long (West), Highways Department Mr LI Yuk-tsz Engineer/16 (New Territories West), Civil Engineering and Development Department Mr HO Shun-wing District Operations Officer (Yuen Long District), Hong Kong Police Force Mr WONG Sai-ho Officer-in-charge of District Traffic Team (Yuen Long), Hong Kong Police Force Ms POON Wai-yuen Housing Manager/YLG5, Housing Department Mr NG Ping-tong Administrative Assistant/Lands (District Lands Office, Yuen Long), Lands Department Item 2 Ms SIN Kai-wai, Marie Senior Transport Officer/Railway 5, Transport Department Mr KWOK Yue-fung, Samuel Transport Officer/Railway 5, Transport Department Item 3(3) Mr LAM Man-kwong Senior Engineer/Railways 2, Electrical and Mechanical Services Department Ms LAM Yuen Assistant Public Relations Manager-External (transliteration) Affairs, MTR Corporation Limited Item 3(4) and (5) Ms Amanda HUNG Assistant Manager (Operations), The Kowloon Motor Bus Co. (1933) Ltd. Absent The Hon KWONG Chun-yu Mr LAI Wai-hung (Absent with apologies) Mr LEUNG Fuk-yuen (Absent with apologies) Mr LUI Kin, MH (Absent with apologies) Mr LUK Chung-hung (Absent with apologies) Mr TANG Cheuk-him (Absent with apologies) Mr YIU Kwok-wai Mr CHUNG Chau-wah Mr LUK Tsz-fung * * * * Opening Remarks The Chairman welcomed Members and government department representatives to the first meeting of the Traffic and Transport Committee (“T&TC”) under the Yuen Long District Council (“YLDC”) in 2018. He also welcomed Mr WONG Sai-ho, Officer-in-charge of District Traffic Team (Yuen Long), Hong Kong Police Force, who was attending the T&TC meeting for the first time. Item 1: Confirmation of the minutes of the sixth meeting of the Traffic and Transport Committee in 2017 2. The above minutes were confirmed by Members unanimously. Item 2: Local public transport arrangements for West Kowloon Station of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (T&TC Paper No. 8/2018) 3. The Chairman welcomed the following persons to the meeting: Transport Department Senior Transport Officer/Railway 5 Ms SIN Kai-wai, Marie Transport Officer/Railway 5 Mr KWOK Yue-fung, Samuel 4. Ms Marie SIN briefly introduced the above paper. 5. Members’ views on the issue were summarised as follows: (1) Some Members held that most passengers of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (“XRL”) found it inconvenient when they were carrying bulky luggage and hence they were inclined to take buses to West Kowloon Station to take the train directly. They also found it difficult to interchange at Tai Lam Tunnel Bus Interchange. Therefore, Members enquired whether the Transport Department (“TD”) would enhance bus services in response to passengers’ demand, such as providing new bus routes, diverting existing routes with increased frequencies to cover West Kowloon Station Bus Terminus, and installing facilities such as luggage racks; (2) Members hoped to obtain information on whether covered walkways and elevators would be installed to connect West Kowloon Station with Austin Station and West Kowloon Bus Terminus for passengers’ convenience. They also enquired the time taken for the journey from Austin Station to West Kowloon Station and whether there would be any interchange concession between the West Rail and XRL; (3) Members opined that the public transport arrangement had not catered for the needs of residents in Tin Shui Wai North as the five bus routes to West Kowloon Station or nearby areas would not run via Tin Shui Wai North. Members suggested diverting KMB bus route no. 265B with West Kowloon Station as the terminus; and (4) Members hoped the TD would provide the estimated number of New Territories West residents taking the XRL at West Kowloon Station. As the routing would make a detour that caused inconvenience to Yuen Long residents, they hoped the TD would proactively consider arranging for direct cross-border bus services to Futian for Yuen Long residents to take the XRL there. 6. Ms Marie SIN gave a consolidated reply as follows: (1) She said it was expected that more passengers would be travelling between Yuen Long and West Kowloon Station by rail, and actual figures were yet to be available. Two covered footbridges and one pedestrian subway would be provided to connect the West Kowloon Station with Austin Station and it took 5 to 10 minutes’ walk between the two stations. A covered footbridge would also offer a direct link from Austin Station to West Kowloon Station Bus Terminus; (2) As regards the proposed diversion of bus routes, she said the TD would discuss with the bus companies about setting up boarding and alighting points near West Kowloon Station. She also noted Members’ views on providing bus facilities such as luggage racks and cross-border bus services to Futian; and (3) When planning to introduce direct franchised bus routes, the TD would take into account the transport network covered by railways and franchised buses and the traffic conditions near West Kowloon Station. Yuen Long residents could take the West Rail to Austin Station and change to XRL. The TD would also set up an alighting point near West Kowloon Station for KMB bus route no. 269B (Tin Shui Wai Town Centre Bus Terminus – Hung Hom Ferry Pier Bus Terminus) so that Yuen Long residents could go to West Kowloon Station with existing bus service networks (including Tai Lam Tunnel Bus Interchange). Therefore, the TD had no plans to introduce new bus routes from Yuen Long to the West Kowloon Station directly. The TD would closely monitor passenger demand after the commissioning of West Kowloon Station and consider adjusting the bus routes and their frequencies. 7. The Chairman hoped the TD representative would reflect Members’ views to the department so as to improve the public transport services from Yuen Long District to West Kowloon Station as far as practicable, including offering interchange concessions, providing feeder bus services and accommodating the needs of residents in Tin Shui Wai North.