'Green transport system may make traffic worse'
Concerns have been raised that a green transport system proposal for the New Territories could increase traffic congestion in the area. Officials on Tuesday told a Tuen Mun District Council meeting that they are planning to introduce trackless trams or articulated buses in the Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen new development area as well as Yuen Long south. They said the 16-kilometre network, which would connect to the MTR's Tuen Ma Line, would allow higher flexibility in bus routes and cost less to build. But Wong Tan-ching, the vice-chair of Tuen Mun District Council, voiced concern that the new system would be similar to the existing light rail system, which has been blamed for causing traffic jams in Tuen Mun and Yuen Long. "It's just like the light rail [but] with rubber wheels. It has most of the drawbacks of the light rail system. Both right of way and signal issues can lead to traffic congestion," he told RTHK after the meeting. "For example, in Tuen Mun, all the cars need to stop at the junctions and let the light rail cross. So it causes traffic jams." Chung Lok-chin, a chief engineer with the Civil Engineering and Development Department, said grade-separated arrangements - bridges or tunnels that separate traffic flows - can be made at busy junctions. Wong also called on authorities to provide more information about the speed of the trackless trams or articulated buses, as well as the location of stops.