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Private Car Controls10.5.9 It is recommended that the growth in the private car fleet is controlled to not morethan 5% per year by means of real increases in both ownership taxes and fuel duties.The effects of increases should be monitored in terms of fleet size and usage andadjustments made to tax rates and duties accordingly.Goods Vehicle Controls10.5.10 It is recommended that taxation of goods vehicles be increased, focussing on thetaxation of light goods vehicles in particular. The principal aim of taxes on lightgoods vehicles is to control the growth of the vehicle fleet. Taxes on medium andheavy goods vehicles are recommended to contribute to the costs of road repairs androad provision attributable to heavy vehicles. It is also recommended that duties ondiesel fuel be increased as an additional measure to curb the growth of goodsvehicle traffic.Area Pricing10.5.11 The disadvantage of most of the transport demand management measures is thatthey are blunt instruments affecting all motorists irrespective of whether their tripsare causing congestion. The alternative is area pricing which permits wider vehicleownership but aims to charge for the use of vehicles with the highest charges in themost congested areas and busiest times of day. It is recommended to re-investigatethe potential for area pricing considering both techniques similar to those adopted inSingapore and the results of the 1985 ERP Study. The possibility of widening thecoverage of such an area scheme, if adopted, to include all or most types of vehicles,should also be considered.10.6 Transport Projections with the Recommended Strategy10.6.1 Transport projections to the year 2001 were presented in Chapter 5 assuming nochanges in transport policy and construction of no further highways and railwaysbeyond those already under construction or otherwise firmly committed. Thissection summarises the impact on transport of the projects and policies recommendedby this Study. Detailed tables of transport demand with the recommendedtransport strategy are included in Annexes 10.1-10.5.Trip Making and Choice of Mode10.6.2 The projections of daily person travel by main mode are illustrated in Figure 10.1.Public transport trip-making is projected to increase by 37% between 1986 and2001. The increase is attributable partly to the increase in population and partly tothe increase in personal incomes associated with the growing economy. Thestrongest growth is projected for rail travel with three new rail lines recommended by1996. Ferry trips are expected to decline to 1991 following the opening of theEastern Harbour Crossing in 1989, but growth is expected to resume thereafter. Withgrowth in the private car fleet limited to 5% per year, private car trip making isexpected to more than double by 2001.Congest/on Levels and Road Speeds10.6.3 Figure 10.2 shows the projected usage of the 2001 highway network assumingimplementation of the recommended strategy. The map indicates road links wherethe projected traffic volumes are likely to exceed practical road capacity. A volumeto capacity ratio (V/C) above 1.0 indicates the onset of congestion; above 1.2indicates more serious congestion with traffic speeds deteriorating sharply withfurther increases in traffic.200