COMMUNICATIONS
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comply with basic safety requirements. There are two vehicle inspec- tion centres, one on each side of the harbour, and a third will be opened early in 1969.
The 4,677-foot Lion Rock Tunnel, which was formally opened to traffic on November 14, 1967, and provides a shorter alternative route between Kowloon and Sha Tin, is managed and operated by the Transport Department. The tunnel is the first and only toll road in the Colony. The tolls charged are $1 for buses, goods vehicles and dual purpose vans, and 50 cents for private cars and motor cycles. During the first full calendar year of its operation, a total of 1,998,000 vehicles used the tunnel and $1,143,000 was collected in tolls.
CROSS-HARBOUR TUNNEL
A resolution approving in principle the grant of a franchise to the Victoria City Development Company, to construct and operate a tunnel across the harbour between Wan Chai and Hung Hom, was approved in principle by the Legislative Council in 1965, subject to certain conditions, one of which was that the tunnel had to be completed by 1970. With the approval of the Government, the company assigned all its rights and obligations to the Cross- Harbour Tunnel Company on May 17, 1966. In November 1966 the Cross-Harbour Tunnel Company issued tender documents for the construction of the tunnel to contractors with the necessary experience. During the year negotiations arising out of the tenders submitted by the contractors continued, but no final conclusions were reached.
POSTAL SERVICES
The development of postal services continued in 1968 with post- ings to all destinations of more than 149.5 million postal articles, representing an increase of more than one per cent over postings for the previous year. Items delivered locally exceeded 132 million and over two million were handled in transit. Postal statistics are given at Appendix XXXVIII.
Counter business at all post offices includes the sale of stamps, acceptance of registered articles and parcels, and the issue and payment of money orders and postal orders. Special services, used mainly by the business community, such as business reply facilities,