K 20
105. The Guards Office staff supervises Police watchmen employed by private employers. The numbers so employed on December 31st were Indian watchmen 436 and Chinese watchmen 227. The number of reports against police watchmen was 587 in 1939 as against 406 in 1938.
SECTION 14 A.
ANTI-PIRACY SEARCHERS.
106. Police searchers for the prevention of piracy of all vessels leaving Hong Kong whose terminal ports do not lie beyond Singapore in the South and Vladivostok in the North were carried out throughout the year.
107. No piracy occurred on any ship searched by police in this way, and no piracy on a steamer was reported to police during the year.
108. Police searchers are divided into two main bodies, one the waterfront searchers who search all ships sailing from wharves in Victoria; and water police searchers, who deal with all ships sailing from buoys in the harbour. In addition to their normal duties, waterfront searchers now meet all incoming steamers from Macau and Canton, and conduct an examination of all incoming passengers with a view to preventing destitute persons landing in the Colony. The number of Water Police Searchers has been reduced, as the men were required for the guarding of Vital Posts.
SECTION 15. TRAFFIC.
109. Table VI gives a survey of traffic accidents reported to police during the year, with an analysis of nature of the accidents. The following is a statement of the number of motor vehicles licensed in the Colony for the last 5 years with the number of fatal and non-fatal accidents each year :-
N.B. This table excludes accidents in which no persons were injured.
Year Accidents Motor vehicles in use at year end 1935 Fatal 69 4,584 Non-fatal 1,160 Total 1,229 1936 Fatal 75 4,665 Non-fatal 1,100 Total 1,175 1937 Fatal 77 5,028 Non-fatal 1,117 Total 1,194 1938 Fatal 117 5,826 Non-fatal 1,647 Total 1,764 1939 Fatal 120 6,627 Non-fatal 1,960 Total 2,080110. The increase in the number of accidents in 1939 can be attributed mainly to the influx of refugees, unaccustomed to motor traffic, and partly to the increase in the number of motor vehicles on the road.
111. The parking problem has become very serious in the centre of the city. The number of private motor cars has increased so much that all authorized parking places are filled, and late comers can only find accommodation with difficulty. A large centrally situated garage would solve the problem, but there would be serious difficulties in finding a site and securing funds.
112. The present bus services on the island are inadequate. This has added to the parking problem as in the absence of reasonable public transport facilities the owner driver now must use his car to reach his office, and thus adds to the number of cars parked. The number of trams was increased, but further increase would cause congestion at stopping places. The China Motor Bus Company has 25 new buses on order. The question of allowing double decker buses is under consideration by Government. Many more buses are urgently needed.