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Following is a question by the Hon Michael Tien and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Professor Anthony Cheung Bing-leung, in the Legislative Council today (November 26):
Question:
As a number of hillside housing estates have not yet been provided with escalators and lifts, the residents there have to walk up and down many steps or slopes when commuting to and from the housing estates, which is particularly inconvenient to the elderly and persons with disabilities. In this connection, the authorities established in 2009 an assessment system for the provision of hillside escalator links and elevator systems (the assessment system). Subsequently, the authorities gave scores under the assessment system to 18 territory-wide project proposals and set their implementation priorities. It has been reported that most of the construction works for these projects have not yet commenced and there is no timetable for completion. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the basis upon which the authorities formulated the scoring criteria under the assessment system and determined the respective weightings of various considerations (i.e. circumstantial, beneficial and implementation factors);
(2) given that the authorities will, in evaluating the circumstantial factors of a project proposal, consider the steadiness of existing pedestrian flow in the district concerned, whether the authorities will consider at the same time the population structure of such district, so as to ensure a more accurate assessment for each project proposal; and
(3) given that the authorities did not conduct the feasibility studies on the aforesaid 18 project proposals at one go and such studies took/take two to four years to complete, and that most of these project proposals are currently still in design and consultation stages, whether the authorities will take measures, such as increasing the manpower of the Highways Department, to expedite the progress of the studies and the works concerned, so as to benefit the residents living in hillside areas at the soonest possible time?
Reply:
President:
The Government established in 2009 a set of comprehensive, objective and transparent scoring criteria for assessing proposals for hillside escalator links and elevator systems (hereafter referred to as "hillside escalator links") to determine the priority for conducting preliminary technical feasibility studies for the 20 works proposals received at that time. On this, the Government also consulted the Legislative Council Panel on Transport in May 2009. Upon completion of the assessment, the results were reported to the Legislative Council Panel on Transport in February 2010. Two proposals were screened out initially, and 18 others were ranked. The Government indicated at the time that preliminary technical feasibility studies for the proposals ranked top ten in the assessment would be conducted by batches, and that the remaining proposals would be followed up after the smooth implementation of the top ten proposals.
Our reply to the three parts of the Hon Michael Tien's question is as follows:
(1) As mentioned above, the Government briefed the Legislative Council Panel on Transport in 2009 and 2010 on the scoring system, including the evaluation criteria as set out in the table below.
(a) Circumstantial factors (Total score:40)
(i) existing population/ (6)
employment within catchment
(ii) existing population of (5)
65 year-old or above within catchment
(iii) topographical conditions, (11)
i.e. steep gradient/level difference
(iv) connectivity with other existing/ (4)
committed pedestrian facilities
(v) connectivity with existing/ (4)
committed mass public transport
facilities within catchment
(vi) connectivity with existing/ (4)
committed centres of activity
within catchment
(vii) steadiness of existing (6)
pedestrian flow
(b) Beneficial factors (Total score: 35)
(viii) revitalisation of/ (6)
benefits to local community
(ix) journey time/cost saving (8)
(x) improvement to existing (6)
traffic conditions
(xi) improvement to existing (6)
pedestrian conditions
(xii) road safety (6)
(xiii) tourism promotion (3)
(c) Implementation factors (Total score: 25)
(xiv) land requirement (6)
(xv) technical/environmental (6)
constraints
(xvi) cost-effectiveness (13)
(2) As shown in the table of part (1) above, when assessing the circumstantial factors of a proposal, the Government will not only take into account the steadiness of the existing pedestrian flow, but will also consider the existing population/employment within the catchment, as well as the existing population of 65 year-old or above within the catchment.
(3) The Government's original plan is to conduct the preliminary technical feasibility studies for the proposals ranked top ten in the assessment by batches, and then follow up on the proposals ranked lower after the smooth implementation of the top ten proposals. Subsequently, upon reviewing the manpower resources of the relevant departments, we have commenced the preliminary technical feasibility studies for the proposals ranked eleventh (Lift and Pedestrian Walkway System between Tai Wo Hau Road and Wo Tong Tsui Street) and twelfth (Lift and Pedestrian Walkway at Luen On Street). These two studies were completed in the second and third quarters of 2014 respectively. The current progress of the 18 ranked proposals is as follows:
Rank Proposal Progress of
the project
---- ---------- ------------
1 Pedestrian Link This link is
at Tsz Wan Shan implemented under
the Shatin to Central
Link project
2 Braemar Hill The preliminary technical
Pedestrian Link feasibility study has
been completed
3 Lift and The preliminary technical
Pedestrian feasibility study has
Walkway System been completed
at Cheung Hang
Estate, Tsing Yi
4 Escalator Link The preliminary technical
and Pedestrian feasibility study has
Walkway System been completed
at Pound Lane
5 Lift and The preliminary technical
Pedestrian feasibility study has
Walkway System been completed
between Kwai
Shing Circuit and
Hing Shing Road,
Kwai Chung
6 Lift and The preliminary technical
Pedestrian feasibility study has
Walkway System been completed
between Castle
Peak Road and
Kung Yip Street,
Kwai Chung
7 Lift and The preliminary technical
Pedestrian feasibility study has
Walkway System been completed
between Lai Cho
Road and Wah Yiu
Road, Kwai Chung
8 Pedestrian Link The preliminary technical
near Chuk Yuen feasibility study has
North Estate been completed
9 Lift and The preliminary technical
Pedestrian feasibility study has
Walkway System been completed
at Waterloo Hill
10 Lift and It is revealed in the
Pedestrian preliminary technical
Walkway System feasibility study that
between Lai King the project involves
Hill Road and Lai two dangerous private
Cho Road slopes. The Highways
Department will revisit
the project after the
owners concerned have
completed repairing the
dangerous slopes
satisfactorily.
11 Lift and The preliminary technical
Pedestrian feasibility study has
Walkway System been completed.
between Tai Wo
Hau Road and Wo
Tong Tsui Street,
Kwai Chung
12 Lift and The preliminary technical
Pedestrian feasibility study has
Walkway been completed
at Luen On Street
13 Yuet Wah Street This project is being
Pedestrian linkage implemented by the Civil
Engineering and
Development Department
under the Kwun Tong
Town Centre Redevelopment
14 Escalator Link This proposal would be
System between followed up after the
Hong Sing Garden smooth implementation
and Po Hong Road of the higher-ranking
proposals
14 Lift System The Hospital Authority
between Lai King is conducting ground
Hill Road and investigation
Princess Margaret
Hospital
16 Lift and This proposal would be
Pedestrian Walkway followed up after the
System between smooth implementation
Saddle Ridge of the higher-ranking
Garden and Sai Sha proposals
Road
17 Lift and This proposal would be
Pedestrian Walkway followed up after the
System between smooth implementation
Hing Shing Road of the higher-ranking
and proposals
Tai Wo Hau Road
18 Escalator Link This proposal would be
System between followed up after the
Sha Tin Sui Wo smooth implementation
Court and MTR of the higher-ranking
Fo Tan Station proposals
Construction works for two of the 18 ranked proposals have already commenced. The first-ranked Pedestrian Link at Tsz Wan Shan has been included under the Shatin to Central Link project. Construction works commenced in July 2012 and are scheduled for completion by phases between 2014 and 2016. The thirteenth-ranked Yuet Wah Street Pedestrian Linkage is being implemented by the Civil Engineering and Development Department under the Kwun Tong Town Centre Redevelopment. Construction works commenced in April 2013 and are scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of 2015.
In addition, the Hospital Authority is currently conducting ground investigation for the Lift System between Lai King Hill Road and Princess Margaret Hospital (one of the fourteenth-ranked proposals).
Works for hillside escalator links often involve considerations such as slopes, structures, soil properties, diversion of underground utilities and land resumption, and are therefore considerably complex. Subject to the findings of the preliminary technical feasibility studies, the Highways Department will continually carry out various tasks of pre-construction preparation, which cover investigation and preliminary design, consultation with District Councils and relevant stakeholders, gazettal of the proposals and handling of any objections under the Roads (Works, Use and Compensation) Ordinance (Cap. 370), land acquisition if necessary, formulation of detailed design, application for funding approval from the Legislative Council in respect of individual projects and invitation for tenders, etc. Since these pre-construction tasks involve complicated procedures and are relatively controversial in nature, the time required for these works projects varies with actual circumstances.
Currently, staff members of the Highways Department, Transport Department and Electrical and Mechanical Services Department are assisting in the implementation of the hillside escalator links. We will review the works progress and manpower resources need in a timely manner.
Ends/Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Issued at HKT 12:30
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