SUNDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1977
ANNUAL SCHOOL ROAD SAFETY PATROL REVIEW
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ROAD SAFETY PATROLS OVERSEE THE SAFETY OF MORE THAN 150,000 STUDENTS AND EVERY YEAR AT THE IR REVIEW THE PROUD BOAST IS MADE THAT NO YOUNGSTER HAS EVEN BEEN KILLED, MA IMED OR EVEN SUFFERED THE SLIGHTEST INJURY WHEN UNDER THE PROTECTION OF A PATROL.
DR. RICHARD BUTLER, DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, SAID THIS TODAY (SUNDAY) AT THE 13TH ANNUAL REVIEW OF SCHOOL ROAD SAFETY PATROLS, HELD AT THE GOVERNMENT STADIUM, AT WHICH HE TOOK THE SALUTE.
PATROLS FROM 105 SCHOOLS WITH A TOTAL MEMBERSHIP OF 4,500 WERE REPRESENTED AT THE CEREMONY.
DR. BUTLER SAID: +OVER THE 10 YEARS THAT I HAVE BEEN IN HONG KONG I HAVE SEEN THE PATROLS MORE THAN DOUBLE IN STRENGTH FROM A MEMBERSHIP OF 2,000 IN 1968 TO THEIR PRESENT LEVEL.
+EVERY YEAR AT THIS REVIEW THE PROUD BOAST IS MADE THAT NO ACCIDENT HAS EVER OCCURRED WHERE AND WHEN THE PATROLS ARE ON DUTY.
+THIS YEAR IS NO EXCEPTION AND I CONGRATULATE YOU ON THE MAINTENANCE OF YOUR UNBLEMISHED RECORD. LONG MAY IT CONTINUE.+
HE PRAISED THE POLICE IN HELPING TO TRAIN +YOU HIGHLY DISCIPLINED YOUNG PEOPLE+ AND SAID THIS WAS SOMETHING FOR WHICH THE COMMUNITY OWED THE ROYAL HONG KONG POLICE FORCE A GREAT DEBT.
DR. BUTLER SAID HE WAS IN FAVOUR OF AN EXPANSION OF THE GOVERNMENT'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE ROAD SAFETY ASSOCIATION.
+AT PRESENT THE COSTS OF UNIFORMS FOR THE PATROLS ARE PROVIDED BY THE STUDENTS AND CLEARLY THIS MUST BE A DETERRENT TO ESTABLISHING PATROLS IN SCHOOLS WHERE THE STUDENTS' PARENTS HAVE BELOW AVERAGE INCOMES, HE SAID.
+ IT SEEMS JUSTIFIABLE TO SPEND PUBLIC FUNDS TO HELP PROV IDE UNIFORMS IN SUCH INSTANCES AND WOULD SUPPORT DOING SO.+
DR. BUTLER SAID A FLEET OF 10,000 BUSES, MINI-BUSES AND TRAMS ON OUR ROADS CARRIED FIVE MILLION PASSENGERS A DAY AND WERE
INVOLVED, IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF 1977, IN 900 ACCIDENTS.
+
HE CONTRASTED THIS WITH THE FACT THAT A FLEET OF 140,000 TAXIS, PUBLIC CARS, MOTOR CYCLES AND PRIVATE CARS, CARRYING LESS THAN TWO MILLION PEOPLE A DAY IN 1977, WAS INVOLVED IN 2,500 ACCIDENTS DURING THE SECOND QUARTER OF THE YEAR.
+ IS IT NOT CLEAR THAT PURELY FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF ROAD SAFETY THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD ENCOURAGE ITS CITIZENS TO USE PUBLIC TRANSPORT?
+YOU WILL CONCLUDE THAT COLLECTIVE PASSENGER MOVEMENT REDUCES COSTS, CONGESTION AND CARNAGE,+ HE REMARKED.
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