12.07.2015 Views

Untitled - HKU Libraries - The University of Hong Kong

Untitled - HKU Libraries - The University of Hong Kong

Untitled - HKU Libraries - The University of Hong Kong

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS
  • No tags were found...

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

3.5.4 <strong>The</strong> growth in rail transport occurs in the Spring <strong>of</strong> each year, as shown in Figure3.21, when passengers seek the air-conditioned comfort associated with rail. Little<strong>of</strong> the new traffic is lost at the end <strong>of</strong> the hot season. (<strong>The</strong> particularly strong growthshown at the end <strong>of</strong> 1988 is associated with the opening <strong>of</strong> the Northwest LRTsystem.)3.21: INPer Oaf4*03.53,02.S2.0Jan Jan Jan1986 1988Jan1987 19883.5.53,5.63.5.73.5.8<strong>The</strong> growth <strong>of</strong> rail travel was so rapid that the limits <strong>of</strong> capacity were being reachedin 1988 in some locations; in particular, the Sha Tin to Kowloon section <strong>of</strong> the KCR,the Nathan Road Corridor on the MTR and the MTR/KCR interchange station atKowloon Tong,<strong>The</strong> main problem for the railways is the very high demand in the morning andevening peak periods. <strong>The</strong> distribution <strong>of</strong> passengers by hour <strong>of</strong> day entering andexiting the MTR Central station is shown in Figure 3.22. Some 22% <strong>of</strong> all passengerscoming to Central arrive in the hour between 8:00 and 9:00 in the morning, whilevolumes for most <strong>of</strong> the day barely reach one quarter <strong>of</strong> this level. It is estimated thatbetween 20% and 26% <strong>of</strong> one-way demand occurs in the morning peak hour on allthe main rail corridors, including the KCR line south <strong>of</strong> Sha Tin.<strong>The</strong> capacity <strong>of</strong> the rail system and policies for managing demand in the peak hourare important issues for transport planning.MinibusesMinibus services are restricted by the policy <strong>of</strong> maintaining the fleet <strong>of</strong> public lightbuses constant at 4350. Minibus patronage declined slightly after 1976, butregained their 1976 level <strong>of</strong> demand by 1988. <strong>The</strong> main change in the period hasbeen the conversion <strong>of</strong> the red minibus services operating in the main transportcorridors to green minibuses to serve defined feeder routes. By 1988, the greenminibus services were carrying nearly 40% <strong>of</strong> the total minibus demand.50

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!