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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1981
IT'S BACK TO SCHOOL FOR TD'S DRIVING INSTRUCTORS
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ALL ASSISTANT DRIVING SUPERVISORS OF THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT ARE NOW REQUIRED TO ATTEND +SCHOOL+ FOR AT LEAST 48 HOURS AND OVER A 10-WEEK PERIOD.
COMPULSORY SCHOOLING FOR THEM ACTUALLY STARTED EARLY LAST MONTH AT A SITE AT KAI TAK AIRPORT. AND THEIR TRAINING IS INTENSIVE FOR THAT ALL IMPORTANT GOAL OF RAISING THEIR DRIVING STANDARDS IN THE HANDLING OF ARTICULATED VEHICLES SUCH AS CONTAINER LORRIES AND HEAVY GOODS TRUCK.
THIS IS IN PREPARATION FOR THE PROPOSED INTRODUCTION NEXT YEAR OF A SPECIFIC LICENCE AND TESTING REQUIREMENTS TO DRIVE AN ARTICULATED VEHICLE.
THE COURSE IS CONDUCTED BY THREE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT OFFICERS ALL OF WHOM EXPERIENCED THE SAME TYPE OF TRAINING WHEN THEY WERE SENT TO THE UNITED KINGDOM BETWEEN 1978 AND 1980 TO STUDY THE TECHNIQUES OF HANDLING HEAVY GOODS VEHICLES'.
BEFORE INTRODUCING THEIR PROGRAMME, ALL THREE UNDERWENT A REFRESHER COURSE ORGANISED BY THE ARMY AT SEK KONG CAMP IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.
MR MOHAMMED RUMJAHN, SENIOR EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THE DRIVING TEST SECTION SAID TODAY THAT THE 'STUDENTS' MUST HAVE AT LEAST 48 HOURS OF TRAINING BEFORE THEY CAN SET TO KNOW FULLY THE CONTROLS OF THE HUGE VEHICLES.
TWO 60-FT LONG ARTICULATED VEHICLES RESEMBLING CONTAINER LORRIES ARE BEING USED FOR TRAINING PURPOSES.
SOME OF THE MORE IMPORTANT HIGHLIGHTS OF THE COURSE ARE REVERSING AND TURNING-ABOUT, GEAR-SHIFTING, COUPLING AND UNCOUPLING AND HOW TO BRAKE SAFELY WHEN CONFRONTED WITH AN EMERGENCY.
EMPHASIS ING THAT ANY BREAKDOWNS OR ACCIDENTS INVOLVING LARGE VEHICLES WILL INEVITABLY CAUSE SERIOUS TRAFFIC DISRUPTIONS, MR RUMJAHN SAID IT WAS FOR THIS REASON THAT WE HAD TO DEVISE THIS PROGRAMME WITH THE AIM OF GREATLY REDUCING SUCH MISHAPS.
+TO ENSURE THAT DRIVERS OF ARTICULATED VEHICLES WILL POSSESS ALL THE NECESSARY SKILLS, WE HAD NO ALTERNATIVE BUT TO TRAIN OUR ASSISTANT SUPERVISORS FIRST,+ HE ADDED.
SO ITS BACK TO SCHOOL NOW FOR ALL TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT ASSISTANT DRIVING SUPERVISORS.
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