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COMMUNICATIONS AND TRANSPORT
in July 1971, had some effect on local postings but the factor which contributed most to the decline was a marked reduction in mail order promotional postings by air mail. It was estimated that some 182 million ordinary postal articles were posted in Hong Kong for local delivery and for destinations abroad. An estimated 156 million items were delivered, including some 52 million items from abroad. About 2.2 million items were handled in transit.
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, cash-on-delivery parcels, private boxes and bags, postage meter machines and arrangements for bulk postings are available. Agency services provided on behalf of other government departments include the payment of public assistance benefits. Mail deliveries are carried out twice a day, excluding Sundays, in most areas. A fleet of some 80 vehicles is used for posting-box collections, motorised deliveries, and the internal movement of mail.
The routings of both air and surface mails to destinations overseas were kept under constant review and suitable changes were made whenever justified by the volume of mail and the availability of new routes. Direct despatches were made up for 205 different places overseas. The train services between Kowloon and Lo Wu form the main link for the conveyance of mails to and from the People's Republic of China.
There are 63 post offices in operation. While no new post offices were opened during 1972, the So Uk post office was reprovisioned in a new and separate building with larger accommodation in the Lei Cheng Uk resettlement estate. Four new post offices are currently under construction and include one in the Upper Peak Tram terminal building, one in the Mei Foo Sun Chuen estate and two in the Ho Man Tin and Ko Chiu Road government low-cost housing estates. It is anticipated that these offices will be completed in early 1973.
A mobile post office was introduced to serve the Clear Water Bay area but, as there was insufficient public response to this facility, it was withdrawn after a trial period of three months. Temporary post offices were provided for the Agricultural Show held in Sek Kong, and the 30th Exhibition of Hong Kong Products on the Wan Chai Reclamation.
A new complex of temporary hutments was completed on the Central Reclama- tion of Hong Kong Island to house the inward and outward parcel sections. To overcome problems in transferring mail across Connaught Road Central, a new chain conveyor was installed, linking the General Post Office with the temporary hutment complex. This has considerably improved the mail flow and distribution around the GPO building.
The removal of the parcel acceptance counter and parcel processing work from the GPO to the hutments on the Central Reclamation enabled work to proceed on a number of improvements within the GPO itself, such as the modernisation of the