Transport chaos looms
RESIDENTS of Happy Valley can breathe a sigh of relief: the Transport Department's controversial traffic plan to divert the long tail back of vehicles queueing to use the Cross-Harbour Tunnel in their district has been put on hold.
Critics pointed out it would merely divert the traffic jam from one district to another and, on this occasion at least, sanity has prevailed.
But residents of the north-west New Territories are less lucky: the Government has decided to continue its highly-unpopular bus-only lane on the Tuen Mun highway, although its own statistics suggest this has so far only persuaded 100 car users to switch to public transport.
In the midst of this mess, Secretary for Transport Haider Barma is still trying to put together a compromise package to cut traffic congestion, after the Legislative Council cold-shouldered his original blueprint. Recent leaks suggest he will scale back the hikes in car tax, but is still considering higher cross-harbour tunnel tolls. None of this is likely to prove more popular than his original proposals.
That means the present traffic jams will just get worse. Everything the Government does, from diverting traffic in Happy Valley to new bus lanes in the New Territories, only exacerbates the problem.
Electronic road pricing may eventually improve the situation. But, before then, Hong Kong may face gridlock - as much because of the Transport Department's ill-considered plans than anything else.
