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Following is a question by the Hon Lee Wing-tat and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Ms Eva Cheng, at the Legislative Council meeting today (November 21):
Question:
At the Legislative Council meeting on June 21 2006, the Government indicated that it would consider the idea of linking together the pedestrian footbridges in Central and Western District and Wan Chai District. Regarding the planning of pedestrian footbridge systems, will the Government inform this Council whether it has:
(a) consulted the Central and Western District Council (DC) and Wan Chai DC on the above idea; if so, of the details of the consultation, and whether the two DCs support the idea;
(b) assessed the costs required for the works in connection with the above idea; if so, of the details; and
(c) considered developing pedestrian footbridge systems in other districts apart from Central and Western District, Wan Chai and Mong Kok; if so, of the details?
Reply:
Madam President,
(a) We briefed the then Panel on Planning, Lands and Works of the Legislative Council in mid-2006 on the proposed extension of footbridge networks in Central and Western and Wan Chai Districts. The extension in Wan Chai will link up the northern end of the existing footbridge at O'Brien Road with the existing one at Tim Mei Avenue via Gloucester Road and Harcourt Road. The feasibility of the project has been confirmed. We are conducting the preliminary design for the project and intend to consult the Wan Chai DC in mid-2008. The section in Central and Western will stretch from Shun Tak Centre to Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park along Connaught Road West, and will pass through a commercial site, for which no concrete development plan has been made yet. We believe that to achieve its optimum benefits, this section of the footbridge should be planned in the light of a clearer picture about the development for the site. We will seek the views of the Central and Western DC when we have further plans about the proposed footbridge.
(b) The feasibility study on the section of footbridge extension in Wan Chai has been completed. According to the preliminary estimate, the project will cost about $240 million. As for the section in Central and Western District, the estimated cost is not available at the moment as the feasibility study has yet to be conducted.
(c) Apart from Central and Western District, Wan Chai and Mong Kok, footbridge projects under planning include the extension of the footbridge network in Tsuen Wan to enhance the connectivity among the existing footbridges at the Tsuen Wan MTR Station, Castle Peak Road and Sha Tsui Road. We will continue to monitor the traffic conditions in different districts and consider the construction or improvement of footbridge networks taking into account the demand and site constraints.
Ends/Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Issued at HKT 15:19
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