TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1984
TWO MP'S ARRIVE ON VISIT TOMORROW
***
SIR ANTHONY KERSHAW, CHAIRMAN OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND SIR PAUL BRYAN, FORMER CHAIRMAN OF THE ALL PARTY HONG KONG GROUP WILL ARRIVE TOMORROW (WEDNESDAY) FOR A VISIT.
SIR ANTHONY IS COMING UNDER THE SPONSORSHIP OF THE GOVERNMENT, AND SIR PAUL IS ON A PRIVATE VISIT. THEY WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY THE IR WIVES.
THEY WILL ATTEND A LUNCHEON HOSTED BY THE GOVERNOR, AND WILL MEET UMELCO MEMBERS, SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, STAFF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE SENIOR CIVIL SERVICE COUNCIL, INTEREST GROUPS AND YOUNG PROFESSIONALS.
THEY WILL ALSO VISIT A FACTORY, THE CHI MA WAN VIETNAMESE REFUGEES CLOSED CENTRE AND TUEN MUN DISTRICT, AND WILL ATTEND A RECEPTION HOSTED BY THE URBAN COUNCIL.
SIR PAUL THEY WILL GIVE A PRESS CONFERENCE ON OCTOBER 2. BRYAN WILL LEAVE ON OCTOBER 3 AND SIR ANTHONY KERSHAW THE FOLLOWING DAY.
TAC STUDIES LORRY WEIGHT LIMITS ON ROADS
****
MEMBERS OF THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE TODAY (TUESDAY) STUDIED THE CRITERIA FOR THE PROHIBITION OR RESTRICTION OF HEAVY LORRIES ON THE ROADS ON HONG KONG ISLAND.
A PAPER EXPLAINING THESE CRITERIA WAS PREPARED BY THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT IN RESPONSE TO TAC MEMBERS' CONCERN OVER A FATAL ACCIDENT INVOLVING A HEAVY GOODS VEHICLE IN EASTERN STREET ON AUGUST 21.
CURRENTLY, WEIGHT LIMITS ARE IMPOSED ON ROADS WHERE THE GRADIENT IS STEEP, WHERE THERE ARE NARROW AND WINDING ALIGNMENTS, OR WHERE PUBLIC UTILITIES SUCH AS GAS AND WATER MAINS ARE BURIED AT A SHALLOW DEPTH AND THEREFORE VULNERABLE TO PRESSURE DAMAGE, THE COMMITTEE SAID.
ANOTHER FACTOR DETERMINING THE IMPOSITION OF SUCH RESTRICTIONS IS STRUCTURAL WEAKNESS, AN EXAMPLE OF WHICH IS 'JARDINES BRIDGE' CARRYING MT. KELLETT ROAD OVER PEAK ROAD WHERE VEHICLES WITH A GROSS WE IGHT OF MORE THAN 10 TONS ARE BANNED,
THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT FURTHER EXPLAINED THAT RESTRICTIONS ON LORRIES WERE NOT IMPOSED BY SET STANDARDS, NOR WAS THE SEVERITY OF GRADIENT THE SOLE CRITERION FOR IMPOSING A PROHIBITION.
/RATHER, RESTRICTIONS