Safety is the Government's key concern as it considers opening up the restricted areas at Lok Ma Chau to taxis and minibuses when it opens round the clock, says Secretary for Environment, Transport & Works Dr Sarah Liao.

Speaking after officiating at the KCRC's Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Ground-breaking Ceremony this afternoon, she said the Government would arrange pilot tests to make sure that all goes smoothly and that passengers can cross the boundary safely.

"When you get to the Lok Ma Chau control building, that's it. The taxi will end there, and who is going to pick up the passengers from there?" she added.

"We have a lot of construction work going on, which can only be done after 11pm when the main bulk of the traffic is gone. So if we open it up again to more traffic, how are we going to guarantee the safety of the construction site as well as the people crossing the border? So safety is our main concern."

On the Chief Executive's Policy Address, she said a number of initiatives had been put on the agenda to help develop a green Hong Kong.

She said that Mr Tung noted that for Hong Kong to become a world class city, and the hub for the Pearl River Delta, we need to have a quality environment.