'New Transport Links For Kai Tak Runway Area Planned'

The government is expected to announce more transport facilities between the Kai Tak area and MTR stations and the central business district "soon", the executive committee chairman of the Real Estate Developers Association said on Thursday.

Stewart Leung, who is also the chairman of Wheelock Properties, said a consortium of developers which has bought land parcels there, including his company, has been speaking to the government about the arrangements.

The other members in the newly formed "Kai Tak Runway Private Development Company" are Chinachem Group, China Overseas, Empire Group, Far East Consortium, Henderson Land, K Wah International, New World Development and Sun Hung Kai Properties.

The developers have been anxious about the transport situation after the government scrapped its monorail proposal for the area due to cost concerns, Leung said in an interview with Commercial Radio.

He said he has been formulating an alternative plan with the government that will include water taxis taking people to Central, Wan Chai, Tsim Sha Tsui and Causeway Bay.

A moving pedestrian walkway as well as a direct bus link with the two MTR stations in the area – Sung Wong Toi and Kai Tak – have also been discussed, continued Leung.

"In principle, we've come to a consensus," he said, adding that the government has told him such transport links are feasible but that it cannot make any announcement yet.

The consortium has dubbed the development of the former airport runway "Park Peninsula", which it said will feature green and leisure areas more than double the size of Victoria Park, as well as an 11-kilometre-long water promenade.

There will also be an "underground shopping street" and a pedestrian and cyclist bridge connecting the development with Kwun Tong and Kowloon Bay.

Leung said the consortium has estimated that there will be about 30,000 residents at the future development.