CPU member highly concerned with execution of Zone A plans

An Urban Planning Committee (CPU) member expressed concerns yesterday on the execution of the New Urban Zone A plans, despite government assurances.

The consultation company the government commissioned to study the detailed planning of Zone A made a presentation to, and took questions from, the CPU yesterday.

Despite the company’s reiteration on the reliability of its model that proved the capacity of road networks on the zone, Omar Yeung To Lai, a member of the CPU, demanded the government be exceptionally careful in executing the plans.

Noting that he was commissioned to handle some construction projects on Hengqin, he said the original plans were mainly very progressive, such as moving turning traffic underground to avoid obstruction to ground traffic traveling in other directions. Moreover, moving vehicles underground for short distances is also applauded.

However, he then noted that during the execution, there were problems.

For example, the construction of a private premises could not align the building’s underground access with that of public facilities or another building.

“It is a simple matter for footpaths but a major challenge for vehicle traffic,” he said.

These underground connections went abandoned “because neither side is willing to spend extra money to facilitate the connections,” he added.

In response, Lai Weng Leong, director of the Land and Urban Construction Bureau (DSSCU), said the government meets weekly about the execution of the plans.

“Similar to Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raimundo do Rosário’s comment: try to make as few mistakes as possible,” Lai said.

Yeung asked if the planned roads, and those being built in the zone, would be capable of handling all future traffic.

“I personally saw that the roads on the zone [currently opened to the public] are rather narrow. Please explain to us if they will be able to handle future traffic with cars entering and leaving both the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the zone,” he requested.

In response, Lai confirmed the roads Yeung mentioned would be at least doubled in width.

“Currently, construction hoardings are covering parts of these roads. After the conclusion of these constructions, the roads will be one-fold wider,” Lai said.

In addition, Mak Tat Io, deputy director of the DSSCU, said the roads the public uses currently on Zone A are not main avenues, adding that the traffic capacity assessments were conducted with higher intensity.

“The assessments were conducted based on an assumption that four-lane roads would be built,” Mak said. “In reality, we will build these main avenues with six lanes.”

Yeung also suggested the government reconsider the decision not to extend the Light Rapid Transit (LRT) to the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.

“Examples in Hong Kong have shown us that railway connections to a transport hub – such as the airport – have triggered many drivers to abandon driving to the airport,” he said, hinting that the railway will help ease road traffic needs on the bridge.

He suggested the long-term efficiency and effectiveness of the railway extension will be able to compensate for the short-term costs of building the extension.

On this matter, neither the consultation company nor the government made any comments.

Yeung and fellow member Vong Kock Kei asked if an LRT passenger would have their destinations within 300 meters after alighting a train, a distance that Yeung finds preferable.

Mak responded that as the three LRT stations will be located along the north-south centerline of the zone, the distance from each station to the closest coastal point will be about 300 meters.

Meanwhile, Vong and member Teng Kai On were concerned with the quality of life in relation to the population density of the zone.

Vong found the projected 4.5-square-meter residential area per head rather small.

Another member, Si Kun Hong, asked if enough spaces had been reserved for community facilities considering the population on Zone A.

Mak responded that if the waterway between the Macau Peninsula and Zone A can be reclaimed, the population density can be lowered from 70,000 to 50,000 per square kilometer.

He said the design of community facilities on Zone A will be better than those in other districts and will attend to the needs of Zone A residents before other residents. However, should surplus exist, they will be able to handle additional demands.

Reiterating previous government guarantees, Transport Bureau (DSAT) representative Lam Chi Kim confirmed that construction of roads linking Zone A and other districts will be expedited to ease current traffic congestion affecting road users.