Provisional Legislative Council

Panel On Transport

Permitted Areas for New Territories Taxis

INTRODUCTION

The Transport Advisory Committee (TAC) has recommended an extension of the permitted areas for New Territories (NT) taxis to meet passenger demand after the opening of the new airport at Chek Lap Kok and the Airport Railway.

BACKGROUND

2.At present, there are 2 838 NT taxis serving designated areas in the NT except Tseung Kwan O, Kwai Tsing, Lantau Island, Chek Lap Kok Island and most of the roads in Tsuen Wan and Sha Tin. However, NT taxis may carry passengers on specified routes to and from Tsuen Wan MTR Station, Prince of Wales Hospital and the Racecourse in Sha Tin, and Shun Lee Estate in Kowloon.

3.Following the Transport Study for the New Airport (TRANSNA) and a public consultation exercise, it has been decided that NT taxis should be allowed to serve -

  1. the Air Passenger Terminal of the new airport at Chek Lap Kok, including the Ground Transportation Centre, to provide a direct NT taxi service to reach the new airport; and

  2. the Tsing Yi Station of the Airport Railway (AR) to enable taxi passengers to use the AR for access to the new airport and Tung Chung new town and to encourage them to switch to the MTR Tung Chung Line to help relieve the congestion along the MTR Nathan Road Corridor.

4.The Panel on Transport of the former Legislative Council was consulted on the proposals of TRANSNA on 18 January 1996. On 14 February 1997, the Panel was briefed on a proposal to amend the permitted areas for Lantau taxis to cover the Chek Lap Kok Island and at the same time, informed of Government's intention to amend the permitted areas for NT taxis.

5.The Traffic and Transport Committees of the Kwai Tsing and Tsuen Wan District Boards were consulted in August and September 1996 respectively, and had no objection to the proposed amendment to the NT taxi permitted areas.

PROPOSAL

6.The possible routes that NT taxis can take to reach the new airport and AR Tsing Yi Station, before and after the opening of Ting Kau Bridge and Tai Lam Tunnel, are at Annex A. The relevant road maps are at Annex B.

REACTION OF THE TRADE

7.The taxi trade was consulted in late 1996 and in October 1997 on the proposed amendment to the NT taxi permitted areas. The NT taxi associations proposed a further extension to the permitted areas. The urban taxi associations initially objected to the proposal but finally agreed to the proposed routeings at Annex A provided that there would be no further extension of the NT taxis permitted areas as proposed by the NT taxi associations.

THE WAY FORWARD

8.Under section 6 of the Road Traffic Ordinance, the Secretary for Transport is empowered to amend Schedule 7 to the Road Traffic (Registration and Licensing of Vehicles) Regulations to revise the permitted areas for NT taxis. It is expected that the amended permitted areas for NT taxis will be gazetted in February 1998.


Transport Bureau
Government Secretariat
2 January 1998

Annex A

Possible Routes for NT Taxis to reach the new airport and Tsing Yi AR Station

(I) Before the opening of Ting Kau Bridge and Tai Lam Tunnel

To new airport

  1. via Tuen Mun Road, Castle Peak Road, Sai Lau Kok Road, Wai Tsuen Road, Tsuen Kam Interchange, Texaco Road North, Texaco Road, Tsuen Tsing Interchange, Tsing Tsuen Road, Tam Kon Shan Interchange, Fung Shue Wo Road, Tsing Yi Road West, slip road, Cheung Tsing Highway, North West Tsing Yi Interchange, Lantau Link, North Lantau Highway, Airport Road, Cheong Hong Road and Cheong Hing Road; or

  2. via Tuen Mun Road, Tsuen Wan Raod, Tsuen Tsing Interchange, Tsing Tsuen Road, Tam Kon Shan Interchange, Fung Shue Wo Road, Tsing Yi Road West, slip road, Cheung Tsing Highway, North West Tsing Yi Interchange, Lantau Link, North Lantau Highway, Airport Road, Cheong Hong Road and Cheong Hing Road; or

  3. via Route Twisk, Tsuen Kam Interchange, Texaco Road North, Texaco Road, Tsuen Tsing Interchange, Tsing Tsuen Road, Tam Kon Shan Interchange, Fung Shue Wo Road, Tsing Yi Road West, slip road, Cheung Tsing Highway, North West Tsing Yi Interchange, Lantau Link, North Lantau Highway, Airport Road, Cheong Hong Road and Cheong Hing Road; or

  4. via Shing Mun Tunnels, Cheung Pei Shan Road, Tsuen Kam Interchange, Texaco Road North, Texaco Road, Tsuen Tsing Interchange, Tsing Tsuen Road, Tam Kon Shan Interchange, Fung Shue Wo Road, Tsing Yi Road West, slip road, Cheung Tsing Highway, North West Tsing Yi Interchange, Lantau Link, North Lantau Highway, Airport Road, Cheong Hong Road and Cheong Hing Road.

To Tsing Yi AR Station

  1. via Tuen Mun Road, Castle Peak Road, Sai Lau Kok Road, Wai Tsuen Road, Tsuen Kam Interchange, Texaco Road North, Texaco Road, Tsuen Tsing Interchange, Tsing Tsuen Road, Tam Kon Shan Interchange and Tsing King Road; or

  2. via Tuen Mun Road, Tsuen Wan Road, Tsuen Tsing Interchange, Tsing Tsuen Road, Tam Kon Shan Interchange and Tsing King Road; or

  3. via Route Twisk, Tsuen Kam Interchange, Texaco Road North, Texaco Road, Tsuen Tsing Interchange, Tsing Tsuen Road, Tam Kon Shan Interchange and Tsing King Road; or

  4. via Shing Mun Tunnels, Cheung Pei Shan Road, Tsuen Kam Interchange, Texaco Road North, Texaco Road, Tsuen Tsing Intrechange, Tsing Tsuen Road, Tam Kon Shan Interchange and Tsing King Road.

(II) After the opening of Ting Kau Bridge and Tai Lam Tunnel

To new airport

  1. via Tuen Mun Road, Ting Kau Bridge, North West Tsing Yi Interchange, Lantau Link, North Lantau Highway, Airport Road, Cheong Hong Road and Cheong Hing Road; or

  2. via Tai Lam Tunnel, Ting Kau Bridge, North West Tsing Yi Interchange, Lantau Link, North Lantau Highway, Airport Road, Cheong Hong Road and Cheong Hing Road.

To Tsing Yi AR Station

  1. via Tuen Mun Road, Ting Kau Bridge, North West Tsing Yi Interchange, Cheung Tsing Highway, slip road, Tsing Yi Road West, Fung Shue Wo Road, Tam Kon Shan Interchange and Tsing King Road; or

  2. via Tai Lam Tunnel, Ting Kau Bridge, North West Tsing Yi Interchange, Cheung Tsing Highway, slip road, Tsing Yi Road West, Fung Shue Wo Road, Tam Kon Shan Interchange and Tsing King Road.