SUNDAY, JUNE 19, 1983
TO ILLUSTRATE HONG KONG'S POSTAL EFFICIENCY, MR YAM SAID, +AN AIR MAIL LETTER TO, SAY, THE UK, POSTED AT THE GPO, KOWLOON CENTRAL POST OFFICE, TSIM SHA TSUI POST OFFICE OR THE IMC AT 5 PM WILL BE ON THE PLANE BY 9 PM THE SAME DAY.+
SURFACE LETTER MAIL TO CHINA, WHICH ACCOUNTS FOR 37 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL SURFACE MAIL, IS LOADED DIRECTLY INTO RAILWAY WAGONS PARKED AT IMC'S OWN RAILWAY PLATFORM,
SEA MAIL TO OVER 200 COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD IS LOADED EVTHER VIA FLOOR CONVEYORS AND PIER CHAINS ONTO LAUNCHES MOORED AT THE CENTRE'S BERTHS, OR INTO CONTAINERS PARKED AT THE CONTAINER PLATFORM.
+THESE PIER CHAINS HAVE A UNIQUE DESIGN FOUND NOWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD, IN THAT THEY CAN BE RAISED OR LOWERED TO SUIT THE TIDAL CHANGES AND OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS, MR YAM SAID.
+THE TRANSPORTATION OF AIR MAIL LETTERS AND PARCELS BETWEEN THE IMC AND THE AMC IS QUICK AND EFFICIENT, WITH POST OFFICE VEHICLES ON REGULAR HOURLY RUNS, MR YAM POINTED OUT.
THE TWO CENTRES ARE LINKED THROUGH A TELEPRINTER WHICH FACILITATES THE PREPARATION OF THE NECESSARY MAIL DOCUMENTS REQUIRED BEFORE THE MAIL IS HANDED OVER TO THE AIRLINES.
POSTAL EFFICIENCY HAS BEEN FURTHER INCREASED BY THE ESTABLISHMENT OF MORE LOCAL POST OFFICES, ESPECIALLY IN THE NEW TOWNS WHERE POPULATION GROWTH IS MOST RAPID.
THERE ARE NOW 91 POST OFFICES IN THE TERRITORY, EIGHT OF WHICH WERE OPENED IN 1982-83.
STAFF ARE GIVEN THOROUGH TRAINING AT A TRAINING CENTRE WHICH PROVIDES BASIC INDUCTION COURSES FOR RECRUITS AS WELL AS SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS TAILORED TO THEIR INDIVIDUAL DUTIES.
THOSE WHO HAVE WORKED FOR TWO YEARS ALSO ATTEND REFRESHER COURSES TO KEEP ABREAST OF ADVANCED POSTAL KNOWLEDGE.
LOOKING AHEAD, MR YAM SAID, +OUR PLANS HAVE BEEN SO DESIGNED THAT FACILITIES, INCLUDING THOSE AT THE AMC AND THE IMC. MAY BE EXPANDED WHERE NECESSARY, TO COPE WITH INCREASES IN MAIL TRAFFIC OVER THE NEXT DECADE.+
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