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The Transport Advisory Committee (TAC) welcomes the Administration's plan to conduct a trial of the Average Speed Camera System (ASCS).
Currently, speed enforcement cameras (SEC) are installed at strategic spots to take photographs of speeding vehicles and record speed data. They are effective in deterring speeding within the relatively short monitoring zone of each SEC.
In recent years, the average speed camera system (ASCS) has been developed and used in some overseas jurisdictions to monitor speeding activities over a longer distance with better results. Overseas experience has revealed that after installing the ASCS, both crash rates and casualties at the road sections concerned have generally declined.
Members were briefed on the ASCS trial scheme today (April 30) and noted that the Administration proposes to conduct the trial at Shenzhen Bay Bridge of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Corridor in 2015.
The TAC Chairman, Mr Larry Kwok, said, "Members welcome the Administration's plan to conduct an ASCS trial in order to further combat and deter speeding behaviour."
Members were also briefed on the review of the Fare Adjustment Mechanism (FAM) of the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL) and noted the successful conclusion of the five-yearly FAM review, and that the new FAM would take effect from June this year.
"Members welcome that the new FAM package has incorporated profitability and service performance of the MTRCL, as well as public affordability, as additional factors for consideration when MTR fares are adjusted, while preserving the objective and transparent direct-drive formula," Mr Kwok said.
"We note in particular that the fare increase rate would be cut down by 0.5 percentage point in the wake of adoption of a new, objective methodology to compute the productivity factor under the formula, reducing the 2013 fare increase rate to 2.7 per cent.
"We welcome the introduction of several new ticket schemes which would benefit medium- and long-distance frequent travellers and alleviate the burden of their travelling expenses. We also note that the new profit-sharing mechanism, the public affordability cap and service performance arrangements are all breakthroughs under the FAM, benefitting passengers," he said.
Ends/Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Issued at HKT 17:06
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