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HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT
Police Supervision became firmly established during the year and, without doubt, contributed to the reduction of crime. In all, 5,280 persons were ordered by the Courts to be under Police Supervision.
Ceremonies were held at Police Headquarters at which 74 letters of appreciation and monetary awards were presented to members of the public for outstanding services to the community. At one of these ceremonies a Belilios Star, a local award, was presented to a private citizen who at great personal risk saved five persons from drowning during torrential rain storms in June 1957. During the year members of the public assisted in the apprehension of 848 persons responsible for the commission of serious crimes.
Traffic. The continued increase in the number of vehicles on roads of inadequate width has further aggravated the problem of maintaining free traffic circulation, and has in- creased congestion in central areas. The most pressing problem is that of parking, and intensified building develop- ment is now producing parking problems in areas where they did not hitherto exist. The construction of Hong Kong's first three-tiered car parks on the central reclamation in Victoria, one of which is described at page 271 of Chapter 15, will do much to alleviate congestion and improve traffic flow.
During 1957 the provision of vehicle-actuated traffic lights at six selected junctions, the provision of pedestrian refuges and guard rails, and the introduction of one-way street systems in certain main thoroughfares in densely populated areas of Kowloon provided major improvements for the better control and safety of vehicles and pedestrians generally. Revision of the Vehicles and Road Traffic legislation, also described at pages 223, 224 of Chapter 12, included provision for the establishment of pedestrian crossings (Belisha-Beacon type), and the adequate lighting and guarding of roadworks.
Education of the public in road safety was continued during the year through the medium of posters, pamphlets, films and the Road Traffic Exhibition. A series of lectures