COMMUNICATIONS
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for Dangerous Goods (blasting) licences, and gave advice in con- nexion with landslides and the removal of dangerous boulders.
MULTI-STOREY CAR PARKS
There are two multi-storey public car parks--the Star Ferry Car Park and the City Hall Car Park-conveniently located in the central business and shopping district of Victoria. These car parks, which are under the control of the Urban Council, can accom- modate 631 vehicles.
The ordinary charge is 50 cents for 24 hours parking, rising to $5 for a 24 hour period. Special cheap rates are in force for parking during the evenings, at week-ends and on public holidays. There is also a monthly pass which costs $40 and allows the holder to park at any time without extra charge.
Free parking space in the Central District of Victoria is being gradually reduced with the progress of fairly rapid redevelopment in the area. This has led to an increase in the pressure on paid parking space for the cars of city workers, with the result that the car parks are usually filled to capacity during normal office hours. An average of 25,012 cars used the two parks each month during 1961.
Work started on the construction of a third car park of eight storeys at the southern end of the former Murray Parade Ground. This park will provide space for about 700 vehicles and should be completed in the autumn of 1962. It will help considerably in easing parking difficulties in the commercial centre of Victoria.
POST OFFICE
The big increase in Hong Kong's post-war population coupled with the industrial, housing and educational development which has already taken place or is planned, is making ever increasing demands on the Colony's postal services. To meet these demands, the Post Office is working in close co-operation with Government planning sections, especially over the provision of postal services for the new satellite towns.
Two new Post Offices were opened during 1961 bringing the number of offices in the Colony to 26, of which 10 are on Hong Kong Island, eight in Kowloon and eight in the New Territories and