SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1977
FIRST FLYOVER TO BE INSTALLED WITH EMERGENCY TELEPHONES *****
THE NEW GASCOIGNE ROAD FLYOVER, WHICH WILL BE OPENED TO TRAFFIC ON TUESDAY (NOVEMBER 22), IS THE FIRST ELEVATED ROAD IN HONG KONG EQUIPPED WITH EMERGENCY TELEPHONES.
MR. TONY THOMPSON, OFFICER-IN-CHARGE OF THE P.W.D.'S TRAFFIC CONTROL AND SURVEILLANCE UNIT, SAID TODAY THAT A TOTAL OF NINE TELEPHONES HAD BEEN INSTALLED ALONG THE ROAD WHICH FORMS THE FIRST STAGE OF THE WEST KOWLOON CORRIDOR.
THE TELEPHONES WERE SET UP ON BOTH SIDES OF THE CARRIAGEWAY AND SO THERE WOULD BE NO NEED FOR THE USERS TO CROSS THE ROAD.
THE TELEPHONES, HE SAID, WERE CONNECTED TO THE POLICE TRAFFIC OPERATIONS CONSOLE IN THE KOWLOON DISTRICT COMMAND AND CONTROL CENTRE IN ARGYLE STREET.
THEY WOULD ENABLE MOTORISTS TO MAKE A REPORT AT THE SHORTEST POSSIBLE TIME IN CASE OF A BREAKDOWN OR ACCIDENT. POLICE WOULD THEN TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION.
+AT PRESENT, MOTORISTS INVOLVED IN ACCIDENTS ON FLYOVERS HAVE TO WALK FOR A COMPARATIVELY LONG DISTANCE TO REACH A TELEPHONE,+ SAID MR. THOMPSON.
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+THIS OFTEN CAUSES TRAFFIC CONGESTION ON THE FLYOVERS AND RESULTS IN THE LATE ARRIVAL OF AMBULANCES OR TOW CARS.+
APART FROM THE EMERGENCY TELEPHONES INSTALLED IN THE CROSS HARBOUR AND LION ROCK TUNNELS, THE WEST KOWLOON CORRIDOR IS THE FIRST ROAD IN HONG KONG TO HAVE SUCH EQUIPMENT.
IT WILL HAVE A TOTAL OF 37 EMERGENCY TELEPHONES ON COMPLETION OF THE WHOLE PROJECT.
THE NEXT ROAD TO BE EQUIPPED WITH EMERGENCY TELEPHONES WILL BE THE $300 MILLION TUEN MUN ROAD, WHICH IS SCHEDULED TO BE OPENED TO TRAFFIC EARLY NEXT YEAR. IT WILL HAVE A TOTAL OF 72 TELEPHONES.
EXPLAINING THE PROCEDURES OF USING THE TELEPHONES, MR. K.H. LOMAS, DISTRICT SUPER INTENDENT IN CHARGE OF THE POLICE KOWLOON TRAFFIC DIVISION, SAID THAT WHEN THE POLICE TRAFFIC OPERATOR RECEIVED A CALL HE WOULD ASK THE CALLER ABOUT THE NATURE OF THE EMERGENCY BEFORE TAKING THE NECESSARY ACTION.
HE SAID THAT THERE WERE TWO BASIC RULES TO BE OBSERVED BY USERS OF THE TELEPHONES.
+FIRSTLY, THE DRIVER SHOULD, IF POSSIBLE, PULL HIS VEHICLE AS CLOSE TO THE CURB AS POSSIBLE WITH THE EMERGENCY FLASHERS SWITCHED ON.
+SECONDLY, GREAT CARE SHOULD BE TAKEN WHEN OPENING THE CAR DOOR AND WALK ING TO THE TELEPHONE AS THE TRAFFIC ON THE FLYOVER IS EXPECTED TO BE HEAVY, MR. LOMAS SAID.
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