FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1983
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QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY HOLIDAYS NEXT YEAR CHANGED
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THE DATES OF NEXT YEAR'S QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY PUBLIC HOLIDAYS HAVE BEEN CHANGED, A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY.
THE CHANGE TO HONG KONG'S LIST OF GENERAL HOLIDAYS HAS BEEN MADE NECESSARY BY THE DECISION IN THE UNITED KINGDOM THAT NEXT YEAR'S QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY WILL BE CELEBRATED ON THE THIRD SATURDAY IN JUNE INSTEAD OF, AS NORMALLY, THE SECOND SATURDAY, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
THE ACTUAL SATURDAY BIRTHDAY PUBLIC HOLIDAY WILL THEREFORE FALL ON JUNE 16 AND THE FOLLOWING MONDAY PUBLIC HOLIDAY ON JUNE 18 - RATHER THAN ON JUNE 9 AND JUNE 11 RESPECTIVELY.
THIS CHANGE WILL HAVE TO BE MADE BY AN ORDER UNDER THE HOLIDAYS ORDINANCE, WHICH HAS BEEN AMENDED TO EMPOWER THE GOVERNOR TO APPOINT AN ALTERNATIVE DATE FOR THE CELEBRATION OF THE QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY.
THE LIST OF HOLIDAYS FOR 1984, INCORPORATING THIS REVISION IS EXPECTED TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE FIRST ISSUE OF THE GOVERNMENT GAZETTE IN THE NEW YEAR.
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CONTRACT GRANTED FOR CAR PARK OPERATION ****
THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT TODAY (FRIDAY) ANNOUNCED THAT WILSON PARKING (HONG KONG) PTY. LTD. HAS BEEN GRANTED A CONTRACT FOR THE OPERATION AND MANAGEMENT OF ALL TEN GOVERNMENT MULTI-STOREY CAR PARKS IN THE TERRITORY.
WILSON PARKING'S TENDER WAS ACCEPTED BY THE CENTRAL TENDER BOARD FROM AMONG 42 TENDERS SUBMITTED BY 21 OPERATORS.
A TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE CONTRACT WOULD COMMENCE ON MAY 1 NEXT YEAR, BUT THAT THE COMPANY WOULD START TO TAKE OVER SOME OF THE CAR PARKS IN MARCH, THE FIRST ONES BEING THE YAU MA TEI AND MIDDLE ROAD CAR PARKS FOLLOWED BY OTHER CAR PARKS ON HONG KONG ISLAND A MONTH LATER,
ALL TEN GOVERNMENT CAR PARKS AT STAR FERRY, CITY HALL, GARDEN ROAD, RUMSEY STREET, MURRAY ROAD, ABERDEEN, MIDDLE ROAD, YAU MA TEI, KWAI FONG, AND TSUEN WAN STATION WOULD BE UNDER PRIVATE MANAGEMENT AS FROM MAY 1.
INITIALLY. THE CONTRACT WILL BE FOR THREE YEARS AND THE EXISTING PARKING FEES WILL REMAIN UNCHANGED FOR THREE MONTHS AFTER THE AGREEMENT COMMENCES. SUBSEQUENT REVISIONS TO THE FEES WILL BE SUBJECT TO AGREEMENT BETWEEN WILSON PARKING AND THE COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT,
THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE DEPARTMENT WOULD MONITOR THE STANDARDS OF SERVICE BEING OFFERED AND ANTICIPATED THAT THE PUBLIC WOULD BE MORE THAN SATISFIED WITH THE SERVICE THEY WOULD RECEIVE WHEN THE CAR PARKS WERE UNDER SPECIALIST MANAGEMENT.
HE ADDED THAT ONE OF THE OTHER ADVANTAGES OF PRIVATISING THE MANAGEMENT OF GOVERNMENT CAR PARKS IS THAT PRIVATE MANAGEMENT CAN RESPOND MORE QUICKLY TO CHANGING MARKET CONDITIONS.