incrementally between now and 2005 include Government projects - PDF document

1 incrementally between now and 2005 inclu
incrementally between now and 2005 include :-Government projects (a)expanding the Departure Hall and widening the passagewayleading thereto, thus increasing the circulation and waiting(b)modification and addition of immigration counters;(c)improvement works at the Lo Wu Footbridge includinginstallation of air conditioning;KCRC projects (d)construction and upgrading of Lo Wu Station platforms forimplementing a new boarding and alighting scheme;(e)widening of the passageway from station concourse to theDeparture Hall;(f)enlargement of the waiting area at the Arrival Hall concourse;(g)improving station facilities such as toilets and ticket gates.Provision of other Public Transport Services to Lo Wu6.Our transport policy on the provision of public transportservices at our control points is to ensure safe and efficient conduct ofcross boundary passenger activities. Where circumstances allow, wewould permit different modes of public transport to operate to our crossboundary control points as far as possible, having regard to the conditionsand physical constraints at each of the control points. The arrangementsfor the provision of transport services to control points must beimplemented

2 in a progressive manner to ensure an ord
in a progressive manner to ensure an orderly and safeenvironment and maintain smooth passenger and cargo flow. sets out the general guiding principles for considering whether, when,how and what public transport modes should be allowed to have access tocontrol points.7.Each control point has its own characteristics and purposesso that they can handle cross boundary traffic efficiently having regard totheir different constraints. At present the Lo Wu Control Point isdesigned for the operation of railways which provide fast and efficientservice to meet passenger demand. Cross boundary coaches and privatevehicles are allowed to operate at the other control points, whereas theLok Ma Chau Control Point is also served by shuttle bus as well as taxiand green minibus during midnight hours under a trial scheme.8.As far as the Lo Wu Control Point is concerned, there arephysical constraints with the existing access road connecting to the LoWu Terminal Building (i.e. Lo Wu Station Road) and also with theprovision of suitable passenger pick-up/drop-off facilities. A planshowing the Lo Wu Terminal Building and its access road is attached at. The constraints are explained in the following pa

3 ragraphs.9.The Lo Wu Station Road only s
ragraphs.9.The Lo Wu Station Road only serves as a road for deliveryof supplies and an emergency access to the control point. Since thewidth of the road varies between 3.5 metres and 6 metres from section tosection, and the narrow sections can only cater for one-lane traffic, it isnot up to the standard for public transport services. The Governmentplans to widen a one-lane section of the road to 6 metres but since thework involves land resumption, completion is not expected before mid-2006. Even when this section has been widened, Lo Wu Station Roadwill still be a substandard carriageway unsuitable for public transportservices. The standard width of a carriageway for public transportservices should be 7.3 metres whereas, even after the completion of theplanned widening, Lo Wu Station Road is still 4.5 metres to 6 metreswide, with part of it remaining a one-lane section. There would beadverse impact from road traffic and safety points of view if the road isrequired to accommodate extra traffic brought about by public transportservices. Further widening of the entire length of the road will be verydifficult due to :- (a)geotechnical problems – there are tall slopes fronting the

4 eastside of the road along a length of
eastside of the road along a length of about 1 kilometre;(b)the proximity to railway tracks – East Rail tracks layimmediately next to the west side of the road along a lengthof about 300 metres; and(c)the need for land resumption – there are private lots to theeast and west sides of the road. It should also be noted thatthe road runs alongside the Sandy Ridge Cemetery.10.Besides considering the constraints of Lo Wu Station Road,we have explored the possibility of converting some land adjacent to theLo Wu Terminal Building to provide for passenger pick-up/drop-offfacilities. However, no suitable land for public transport terminus nearthe Lo Wu Terminal Building is readily available, for the followingreasons :-(a)there is a piece of Government land to the east of the Lo WuTerminal Building, which is currently being used for theShenzhen River Regulation (Stage III) project. It is notsuitable for accommodating public transport facilities owingto a significant level difference between the land and theTerminal Building. Moreover, as the site is situated at thenorthern end of Lo Wu Station Road, vehicles need to passthrough a narrow one-lane section of the road before theycan reach t

5 he area and this would cause traffic pro
he area and this would cause traffic problems;(b)the site to the southeast of the Terminal Building includesprivate lots and is currently occupied by a rural settlement.Land resumption would be required which would impact onthe villagers and involve elaborate land resumptionprocedures which would take time to complete. Similar tothe situation of the site mentioned at (a) above, enteringvehicles need to pass through a narrow one-lane section ofLo Wu Station Road and this would create traffic problems; (c)the existing turnaround point for vehicles in front of theexit/entrance of the Terminal Building is very small andcannot accommodate a public transport terminus; and(d)the area to the west of the access road outside the TerminalBuilding is occupied by East Rail tracks and beyond thetracks is the Ng Tung River.11.Having regard to the physical constraints as explained above,our strategy is that the Lo Wu Control Point would continue to be servedby East Rail which has ample capacity to meet the traffic demand and iscontinuously improving its services and facilities. In parallel, we wouldcontinue to develop the other control points for the operation of otherpublic transport services.

6 The measures which have been taken rece
The measures which have been taken recentlyand will be implemented included :-(a)introduction of 24-hour passenger crossing at Lok Ma Chau;(b)introduction of a trial scheme for the operation of taxi andgreen minibus during extended hours (i.e. from 0000 hoursto 0630 hours) at Lok Ma Chau Control Point;(c)construction of a second bridge at Lok Ma Chau, forcompletion by end 2004;(d)construction of Shenzhen Western Corridor for completionby end 2005; and(e)construction of a public transport interchange at the Lok MaChau Terminus of the Sheung Shui to Lok Ma Chau SpurLine by mid-2007.Environment, Transport and Works BureauMay 2003 Legislative Council Panel on TransportTransport Arrangements at Lo Wu Control Point PurposeThis note informs Members of the passenger traffic,transport services and improvement measures at the Lo Wu Control Point.Passenger Volume and Transport Services shows the passenger volume at Lo Wu from 1997to 2002. Average daily passenger volume at Lo Wu in 2002 was262 232. The figure could reach above 350 000 during weekends,holidays and festive days.3.The East Rail provides fast and efficient services to the LoWu Control Point. A journey from Hung Hom to Lo Wu ta

7 kes onlyabout 40 minutes. The East Rail
kes onlyabout 40 minutes. The East Rail operates up to 12 Lo Wu trains perhour on each direction with each train having a capacity of 3 800passengers. This provides ample capacity to carry passengers to andfrom Lo Wu.4.Relevant Government departments and the Kowloon-CantonRailway Corporation (KCRC) have put in place an alert system andcontingency measures to ensure smooth passenger traffic flow at the LoWu Control Point during peak periods. These include theimplementation of Lo Wu ticket quota system to regulate the inflow ofpassengers to the Control Point and contra-flow operation of immigrationcounters as necessary. With the concerted efforts of parties concerned,traffic at Lo Wu has been largely smooth albeit the growing passengervolume.Improvement Measures at Lo Wu5.The Government and KCRC have embarked on a number ofimprovement works at Lo Wu with a view to providing a betterenvironment for passengers. The major works to be completed LC Paper No. CB(1)1678/02-03(08) Annex A Passenger Statistics of the Lo Wu Control Point1997 to 2002 YearYearly PassengerVolumeAverage DailyPassenger VolumePercentageIncrease overPrevious Year 199756 296 232154 23617.3% 199866 105 559181 1111

8 7.4% 199977 193 998211 49016.8% 200086 4
7.4% 199977 193 998211 49016.8% 200086 472 363236 26312.0% 200189 505 440245 2203.5% 200295 714 525262 2326.9% Annex B Provision of Public Transport Services/Facilities at Control Points –Guiding Principles Priority should be given to mass carriers and transport modeswhich have large carrying capacity to ensure efficient use of thelimited road space and facilities of the control points.Smooth operation of existing transport services through thelimited access facilities must be maintained.Law and order inside the control point should not becompromised. As a responsible Government, we must devisepragmatic and comprehensive traffic control schemes for bothvehicles and passengers.Passenger safety should not be compromised under anycircumstances. We must ensure adequate and safe pedestrianaccess for passengers.Smooth traffic flow inside the control points must be ensured tomaintain proper operation of the control points.There should not be any disruption to the operation orprogramme of any ongoing construction works taking placeinside the control points. The provision of additional publictransport services should not be at the expense of otherimprovement works at hand or planned proj