TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1981
4.
SPECIAL FESTIVAL TRAIN SERVICES
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THE KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY WILL RUN ADDITIONAL TRAIN SERVICES ON OCTOBER 4, 6 AND 11, FOR THE CHUNG YEUNG FESTIVAL.
HOWEVER A SPOKESMAN FOR KCR SAID TODAY THAT FEWER SPECIAL SERVICES WILL BE OPERATED THIS YEAR BECAUSE OF THE HEAVY ENGINEERING WORKS CONNECTED WITH THE MODERNISATION-ELECTRIFICATION PROGRAMME AT TAI PO KAU AND SHEUNG SHUI.
TIMETABLES FOR THE SPECIAL SERVICES ARE POSTED AT ALL
STATIONS.
DECISION ON POSTAL RATES PETITION
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REVISED POSTAL RATES FOR SURFACE PRINTED PAPERS AND INLAND PARCELS, THE INTRODUCTION OF WHICH WAS DEFERRED FROM JULY 1, WILL COME INTO EFFECT ON OCTOBER 1 AS PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED.
THE DECISION WAS MADE BY THE GOVERNOR-IN-COUNCIL AFTER CAREFUL CONSIDERATION OF A PETITION BY A GROUP OF PUBLISHING AND DIRECT MAIL ORGANISATIONS, THE PETITIONERS HAVE BEEN INFORMED TODAY THAT THE IR RECOMMENDATIONS COULD NOT BE ACCEPTED.
A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE SURFACE PRINTED PAPER AND INLAND PARCEL SERVICES HAD BEEN RUNNING AT A LOSS FOR SOME TIME,
AND WOULD CONTINUE TO BE SUBSIDISED BY OTHER POSTAL USERS EVEN AFTER THE INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW RATES,
IN RESPECT OF THE INCREASES FOR SURFACE PRINTED PAPERS, THE MAIN REASON FOR THE SERVICE RUNNING AT A LOSS WAS THAT THE UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION HAD SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASED THE PAYMENTS DUE TO OTHER POSTAL ADMINISTRATIONS BY ADMINISTRATIONS THAT SEND MORE MAIL ABROAD THAN THEY RECEIVE FROM OVERSEAS.
THE HONG KONG POST OFFICE DESPATCHES MUCH MORE SURFACE PRINTED MAIL THAN IT RECEIVES FROM ABROAD.
HE POINTED OUT THAT THE RATES HAD NOT BEEN INCREASED FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. HOWEVER, THE GOVERNMENT HAD ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE PERIOD OF NOTICE ORIGINALLY GIVEN WAS SHORT AND BECAUSE OF THIS, THE INTRODUCTION OF THE RATES IN QUESTION HAD BEEN DEFERRED BY THREE MONTHS.
THE POSTMASTER GENERAL WILL CONSIDER WAYS IN WHICH HE CAN GIVE LONGER NOTICE IN RESPECT OF ANY FUTURE SIGNIFICANT INCREASES.
/COMMENTING ON