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MONDAY, JUNE 3, 1974
HECTIC YEAR FOR THE POSTMAN
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HONG KONG POSTMEN WENT THROUGH A PARTICULARLY HECTIC PERIOD IN THE FINANCIAL YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 1974 WHEN THEY HANDLED 261.1 MILLION POSTAL ITEMS - ON AVERAGE, MORE THAN 700,000 EACH DAY.
OF THESE, AN ESTIMATED 119.8 MILLION LETTERS, POSTCARDS, SMALL PACKETS ETC. WERE POSTED IN HONG KONG FOR LOCAL DELIVERY, 5.4 MILLION MORE THAN IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR. AT THE SAME TIME, SUBSTANTIALLY MORE PEOPLE MADE USE OF THE INLAND PARCEL SERVICE WITH 61,700 PARCELS POSTED, AN INCREASE OF 57 PER CENT.
TO HANDLE THE ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC, 35 NEW POSTMEN'S DELIVERY BEATS WERE INTRODUCED - 14 ON HONG KONG ISLAND AND 21 IN KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES. AT THE END OF THE YEAR THE TOTAL NUMBER OF POSTMEN'S DELIVERY BEATS WAS 586.
SIX ADDITIONAL MOTOR VEHICLES WERE ALSO BROUGHT INTO SERVICE. TWO OF THESE WERE FOR DELIVERY OF BULKY LETTER POST ITEMS ON EACH SIDE OF THE HARBOUR, TWO FOR CONVEYING MAIL THROUGH THE HARBOUR TUNNEL, ONE FOR INTER-OFFICE SERVICES IN KOWLOON, AND THE SIXTH FOR INSPECTION DUTIES IN KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES. AT THE END OF THE YEAR, THE POST OFFICE HAD A COMPLEMENT OF 87 MAIL VEHICLES OF VARIOUS SIZES PLUS FOUR SCOOTERS IN SERVICE.
THE TOTAL NUMBER OF LETTER MAIL ITEMS POSTED TO OTHER COUNTRIES INCREASED TO 80.2 MILLION COMPARED WITH 79.4 MILLION DURING 1972/73.
AIRMAIL TRAFFIC ROSE FROM 44.6 MILLION TO 45.1 MILLION, WHILE POSTED SURFACE ITEMS WENT UP MARGINALLY FROM 34.8 MILLION TO 35.1 MILLION.
THE NUMBER OF SMALL PACKETS TO CHINA SHOWED A SLIGHT DECREASE FROM 5.8 MILLION TO 5.6 MILLION, BUT THE NUMBER OF PARCELS TO CHINA WENT UP FROM 541,800 TO 702, 100.
SURFACE PARCELS POSTED TO OTHER COUNTRIES WENT UP SLIGHTLY TO 1,659,400 BUT THERE WAS A 19.5 PER CENT DROP IN THE NUMBER OF AIR PARCELS POSTED WHICH STOOD AT 745,000.
PARCELS RECEIVED FROM ABROAD, INCLUDING PARCELS RECEIVED
IN TRANSIT, INCREASED FROM 587,100-TO 597,900.
DURING THE YEAR, THREE NEW POST OFFICES WERE OPENED AT YAU TONG, TSAT TSE MUI CNORTH POINT), AND MEI FOO SUN CHUEN, BRINGING THE TOTAL NUMBER OF POST OFFICES IN OPERATION TO 68.
TO FACILITATE MOVEMENT OF MAIL TO AND FROM CHEUNG CHAU ISLAND, THE POST OFFICE THERE WAS REPROVISIONED IN NEW PREMISES IN A MORE CONVENIENT POSITION NEARER THE FERRY PIER. IMPROVEMENT WORKS WERE ALSO CARRIED OUT AT THE KOWLOON PARCEL OFFICE AND THE TSIM SHA TSUI POST OFFICE.
TWO ADDITIONAL ................