SATURDAY, JULY 30, 1983
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IDENTITY CARD SCHEME ENTERING FOURTH PHASE
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THE FOURTH PHASE OF THE NEW IDENTITY CARD SCHEME WILL BEGIN ON AUGUST 8, TWO DAYS AFTER THE CLOSE OF THE CURRENT PHASE, THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCED TODAY.
UNLIKE THE FIRST THREE PHASES, THE COMING PHASE WILL COVER TWO AGE GROUPS INSTEAD OF ONE, I.E. MEN BORN IN 1961 AND 1960.
A DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT DURING THE FIVE-WEEK PERIOD ENDING SEPTEMBER 10, ABOUT 128 000 MEN ARE EXPECTED TO TURN UP FOR NEW IDENTITY CARDS -- AN AVERAGE OF 4 600 PEOPLE A DAY.
+WE HAVE GEARED UP RESOURCES TO COPE WITH THE INCREASED WORKLOAD. NEVERTHELESS, WE WOULD APPRECIATE FULL CO-OPERATION FROM THE APPLICANTS TO FACILITATE THE SMOOTH IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS PHASE, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
HE POINTED OUT THAT APPLICATIONS MUST BE MADE IN PERSON TO ANY OF THE EIGHT NEW I.D. CARD ISSUE OFFICES WHICH ARE OPEN FROM 8 AM TO 9.30 PM MONDAYS TO SATURDAYS.
APPLICANTS WERE ALSO REMINDED TO BRING ALONG THEIR OLD IDENTITY CARDS TO THESE OFFICES.
+THE PROCESSING WILL TAKE ONLY HALF AN HOUR AND APPLICANTS WILL BE INFORMED OF THE DATE TO PICK UP THE IR NEW CARDS AND TO SURRENDER THE IR OLD ONES, THE SPOKESMAN ADDED.
MEANWHILE, 49 000 APPLICATIONS HAD BEEN RECEIVED IN THE CURRENT PHASE OF THE SCHEME, AIMED AT MEN BORN IN 1962.
THE SPOKESMAN URGED THE REMAINING 13 000 TO COME FORWARD BEFORE APPLICATIONS CLOSE ON AUGUST 6.
HE REITERATED THAT THOSE WHO ARE AWAY FROM HONG KONG DURING THE SPECIFIED PERIOD MUST MAKE THE IR APPLICATIONS WITHIN 30 DAYS UPON THE IR RETURN.
FEWER COMPLAINTS ABOUT PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES
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THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE'S TRANSPORT COMPLAINTS UNIT HAD BEEN RECEIVING FEWER COMPLAINTS AGAINST PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES.
IN ITS LATEST QUARTERLY REPORT, COVERING APRIL 1 TO JUNE 30, THE TCU RECORDED 1 208 DIRECT COMPLAINTS - SOME 550 OF THEM (45 PER CENT) BEING ABOUT PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES. IN THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR. 760 CASES WERE IN THIS CATEGORY, AMOUNTING TO SOME 57 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL OF 1 328 DIRECT COMPLAINTS.
THE EXECUTIVE