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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1982
NEW PARKING METERS VERY SUCCESSFUL
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THE NUMBER OF FOREIGN COINS AND OTHER FAKE OBJECTS PUT INTO PARKING METERS HAS DROPPED SIGNIFICANTLY SINCE THE INSTALLATION OF THE NEW DUNCAN METERS, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY (SUNDAY).
THE SUCCESS OF THESE NEW METERS CAN ALSO BE GAUGED BY THE FACT THAT THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS REGARDING JAMMED OR DEFECTIVE SETS HAS DROPPED FROM 2 059 IN JANUARY 1981 TO ONLY 670 LAST DECEMBER.
ADDITIONALLY, THESE METERS HAVE PROVED MORE THIEF-PROOF. NO COIN BOXES WERE REPORTED MISSING DURING THE PAST THREE MONTHS.
IN TERMS OF REVENUE, OVER $3.2 MILLION WAS COLLECTED LAST DECEMBER. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT ONLY 0.2 PER CENT OF REVENUE WAS LOST BECAUSE OF PEOPLE TRYING TO BUY TIME WITH FOREIGN OBJECTS.
ALL THE OLD VENNER METERS HAVE BEEN REPLACED SINCE THE CONVERSION PROGRAMME STARTED IN JULY LAST YEAR. ON HONG KONG ISLAND 3 009 NEW METERS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED AND IN KOWLOON, 5 955 HAVE BEEN SUBSTITUTED.
IN THE NEW TERRITORIES 4 000 NEW METERS WILL BE INSTALLED BY THE END OF THIS YEAR.
THE SPOKESMAN WARNED THAT IT IS A CRIMINAL OFFENCE TO TAMPER WITH PARKING METERS.
+RECENTLY, FOUR MEN WERE GIVEN SUSPENDED JAIL SENTENCES FOR INSERTING METAL DISCS INTO PARKING METERS,+ HE SAID,
HE ALSO EMPHASISED THAT POLICE WILL CONTINUE THEIR EFFORTS TO PREVENT PEOPLE TAMPERING WITH PARKING METERS.
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION
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STAFF FROM THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AND TEACHERS OF AIDED PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS WILL TAKE PART IN SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS TO BE HELD ON MARCH 30 TO FURTHER IMPROVE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE TWO PARTIES.
+SIMILAR DISCUSSIONS IN PREVIOUS YEARS HAVE PROVED TO BE A VALUABLE CHANNEL OF CONSULTATION, AND TEACHER REPRESENTATIVES TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS FREELY THE VIEWS OF THE IR COLLEAGUES ON VARIOUS TOPICS OF CONCERN, AN EDUCATION DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID.
THE REPRESENTATIVES WERE GIVEN A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF CURRENT EDUCATIONAL POLICIES AND THEIR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT IN THE LIGHT OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN VARIOUS WHITE PAPERS ON EDUCATION.
RELEVANT SUGGESTIONS WERE ALSO CONVEYED TO THE HEADS OF SCHOOLS AND TO OTHER CONCERNED PARTIES AS APPROPRIATE, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
/AS IN PREVIOUS