Today's bus commuters could expect more stopovers on journeys under the proposed railway-dominated approach to transport planning, Mr Ng told legislators. 'Franchised buses will play a bigger role in feeding commuters to railways . . . it sounds troublesome, but commuters will eventually find they can reach their destinations faster,' the Transport Secretary said. He was briefing the Legislative Council transport panel on the Third Comprehensive Transport Study. Panel member Emily Lau Wai-hing of The Frontier urged a rethink on road projects planned previously, to see if they could be replaced by rail services. But panel chairman Miriam Lau Kin-yee warned of a possible monopoly by railways if too much preference was given to rail development. If development was aimed only at feeding passengers to railways, people could be deprived of a choice over the form of transport they used, she said. Selina Chow Liang Shuk-yee of the Liberal Party suggested underground bus interchanges be built in key areas to avoid traffic congestion.
