THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1982
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INCREASED SECURITY AT FERRY TERMINALS
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NEW REGULATIONS WILL BE INTRODUCED TO STRENGTHEN SECURITY AT TERMINALS USED FOR FERRY SERVICES OPERATING BETWEEN HONG KONG AND BOTH CHINA AND MACAU.
THE SHIPPING AND PORT CONTROL (HONG KONG - CHINA AND MACAU FERRY TERMINALS) REGULATIONS 1982, WHICH WILL BE PUBLISHED IN THE GOVERNMENT GAZETTE TOMORROW, WILL COME INTO OPERATION ON A DAY TO BE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR. THEY ENABLE THE GOVERNMENT TO EXERCISE GREATER CONTROL THAN ALREADY EXISTS WITH HONG KONG - MACAU SERVICES BY THE DECLARATION OF CERTAIN PARTS OF THE TERMINALS AS RESTRICTED AREAS AND BY THE ISSUE OF DIFFERENT PASSES FOR ENTRY TO SUCH AREAS. THEY ALSO EXTEND THE SCOPE OF CONTROL TO INCLUDE EXTERNAL FERRY SERVICES TO CHINA.
A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID IMPROVED SECURITY WOULD, IN PARTICULAR, MAKE ATTEMPTS TO ENTER HONG KONG ILLEGALLY THROUGH THE TERMINALS MUCH MORE DIFFICULT.
THE NEW REGULATIONS PROVIDE FOR A MORE STRINGENT PASS SYSTEM MACAU IN RESPECT OF ENTRY TO RESTRICTED AREAS OF BOTH HONG KONG - AND HONG KONG - CHINA FERRY TERMINALS.
A NEW PROCEDURE FOR THE ISSUE OF ALL PASSES WILL BE INTRODUCED. THERE WILL BE THREE TYPES OF PASSES:
CREW PASSES, FOR THE CREWS OF THE VESSELS CONCERNED;
RESTRICTED AREA PASSES, FOR PERSONS WHO BY THE NATURE OF THE IR WORK REQUIRE FREQUENT AND REGULAR ACCESS TO A RESTRICTED AREA, AND
POOL PASSES, FOR AUTHORISED OFFICERS AND PERSONS REQUIRING IMMEDIATE ACCESS FOR A LIMITED PERIOD OF TIME.
THERE WILL ALSO BE A NEW PROCEDURE FOR THE DISPLAY, LOSS, REPLACEMENT, REVOCATION AND VALIDITY OF PASSES.
A RANGE OF NEW OFFENCES IS CONTAINED IN THE REGULATIONS AND PENALTIES ARE RAISED, THE MAXIMUM BEING A FINE OF $20 000 AND IMPRISONMENT FOR SIX MONTHS.
THE MAXIMUM PENALTY PROVIDED FOR AT THE MOMENT IS A FINE OF $2 000.
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