The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) yesterday suggested moving the planned Sha Tin-Central Link (SCL)'s To Kwa Wan station closer to Kowloon City for a bigger passenger flow and the convenience of residents there.

The political party made the proposal in a press conference yesterday.

"The suggested To Kwa Wan and Kai Tak stations are located far away from the old town of Kowloon City and residents there are being neglected," said DAB member Starry Lee.

She said the residents would need to spend about 30 minutes to get to either stations.

"But normally the catchment area of a train station is about 500m, or within an 8-minute walk," she said.

The Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTRC) should consider our proposal, especially when most of the residents in Kowloon City's old town are low-income earners and the elderly, Lee said.

In addition, she pointed out that the two stations proposed by the government cover only a small population and there may not be enough passengers to sustain the operation.

As such, the DAB proposed moving the To Kwa Wan station to the border of Sung Wong Toi Road and Tam Kung Road where more residents live.

If the To Kwa Wan station is built where the government plans, it can only serve about 54,000 people as at present, according to the Census and Statistics Department, while the proposed station can serve 65,700 more.

"Bus and light bus service frequency may be reduced after the SCL construction is completed, so if the station is not moved, it will be very much inconvenient to residents in the area in terms of transportation," Lee said.

The DAB also suggested exits of the SCL as well as Kwun Tong Line Extension be set up at the old town of Kowloon City, Laguna Verde, Open University and Oi Man Estate to serve a larger population.

Meanwhile, the party conducted a survey of 1,500 residents in Kowloon City over the past two weeks.

While 73 percent of the interviewed knew about the approval of the SCL and Kwun Tong Line Extension, only 48 percent knew about the schedule concerning the design works and site investigation.

The design works of the SCL will commence in August this year and complete in 2010.

Lee said the public lacks understanding of the railway projects, including noise levels that will be generated.

The DAB also proposed that the SCL be constructed before the Kwun Tong Line Extension.

"Only two stations (in Ho Man Tin and Whampoa) are involved in the construction of the extension. The project should not take as much time as the SCL does," Lee said.

(HK Edition 06/10/2008 page1)