For discussion PWSC(96-97)71
on 4 December 1996

ITEM FOR PUBLIC WORKS SUBCOMMITTEE
OF FINANCE COMMITTEE

HEAD 706 - HIGHWAYS
Transport - Interchanges and bus termini
58TI - Public transport interchange at the Tai Kok Tsui Airport
Railway Station

Members are invited to recommend to Finance Committee the upgrading of the remaining part of 58TI, entitled "Public transport interchange at Site B of the Comprehensive Development Area associated with the Tai Kok Tsui Airport Railway Station", to Category A at an estimated cost of $18.77 million.

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PROBLEM
PROPOSAL
PROJECT SCOPE AND NATURE
JUSTIFICATION
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
PUBLIC CONSULTATION
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS
LAND ACQUISITION
BACKGROUND INFORMATION

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PROBLEM

There is a need to provide a public transport interchange (PTI) and related facilities to serve the Airport Railway Lantau Line and the new developments in the vicinity of the Tai Kok Tsui Airport Railway Station.

PROPOSAL

2. The Director of Highways, with the support of the Secretary for Transport, proposes to upgrade the remaining part of 58TI to Category A for the construction of a PTI at Site B of the Comprehensive Development Area (CDA) associated with the Tai Kok Tsui Airport Railway Station at an estimated cost of $18.77 million.

PROJECT SCOPE AND NATURE

3. The original scope of 58TI comprises the construction of PTIs at three CDA sites (i.e. Sites A, B and C) associated with the Tai Kok Tsui Airport Railway Station.

4. The part of the project we now propose to upgrade to Category A is the PTI at Site B and comprises :

1. construction of nine bus bays, four green minibus bays and one taxi stand;
2. construction of a regulator’s office, a staff canteen, a tools room and toilets for the bus operator¹ ; and
3. installation of lighting, fire services and ventilation works.

JUSTIFICATION

5. Together with the PTIs at Site A and Site C, the PTI at Site B will provide an integrated transport terminus for passenger interchange between the Lantau Line of the Airport Railway and other forms of public transport. The PTI at Site B will also provide facilities for the new transport services required for residential and commercial developments in the vicinity of the Tai Kok Tsui Airport Railway Station as well as for bus routes now terminating on-street in the Tai Kok Tsui area. As we plan to grant Site B of the CDA to the Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTRC) for development, we intend to entrust the proposed works to the MTRC as part of the land grant conditions at an agreed maximum cost of $18.77 million² .

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

6. We estimate the capital cost of the project to be $18.77 million made up as follows -

7. Subject to approval, we will phase the expenditure as follows -

As agreed with the MTRC, the Government will reimburse the MTRC the actual costs upon completion of the works, subject to the ceiling of $18.77 million. The MTRC will bear any additional costs above the ceiling including any adjustment for inflation⁴ .

8. We estimate the additional annually recurrent expenditure to be $3.08 million. We will review this estimate when the design of the proposed public transport interchange has been finalized.

PUBLIC CONSULTATION

9. In December 1992 the Town Planning Board (TPB) gazetted the Draft South West Kowloon Outline Zoning Plan, which includes the proposed public transport interchange. The TPB received no objections to the proposed public transport interchange. We consulted the Traffic and Transport Committee of the Yau Tsim Mong District Board on 27 July 1995 on our plans for the construction of the PTI. The Committee raised no objection.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS

10. MTRC’s consultants have studied the general environmental impacts of the CDA development. The report of the study is part of the Master Layout Plan submission approved by the Town Planning Board. We will ensure that the MTRC will keep the environmental impacts within established standards and guidelines. The MTRC will finalize the details of the mitigation measures as part of the design process. In this respect, the MTRC will, as part of the development project, provide mechanical ventilation to maintain the air quality inside the PTI to within the requirements recommended by the Director of Environmental Protection. The MTRC has also agreed to implement all necessary mitigation measures required by the Town Planning Board.

LAND ACQUISITION

11. The project does not require land acquisition.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

12. We upgraded 58TI to Category B in November 1992 for the construction of three PTIs at Tai Kok Tsui Airport Railway Station. We created a Category D item 62TI in March 1995 for construction of part of 58TI (i.e. the PTI at Site A). We also upgraded another part of 58TI to Category A as 65TI in January 1996 for construction of the PTI at Site C. We intend to open the PTIs at Site A and Site C in May 1998 and in May 1999 respectively to tie in with the opening of Airport Railway in June 1998 and the new development in the vicinity.

13. We plan to execute the land grant for Site B to the MTRC in January 1997 so that the construction of the PTI can start in the fourth quarter of 1997 for completion in the second quarter of 2000. The MTRC will hand over the PTI to the Government upon completion.

(KK144)

1 -- The bus operator will reimburse Government the actual cost of constructing the facilities on completion of the works.

2 -- The sum of $18.77 million is estimated on the basis of the current cost to Government of building a stand-alone PTI on a green-field site.

3 -- Entrustment cost represents the MTRC's on-cost for design, insurance, project management and resident site staff.

4 -- Thus, unlike other public works projects, we do not need to calculate the value of this project at money-of-the-day prices to take into account inflation adjustment.

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