7
SUNDAY, MARCH 16, 1986
EXPANSION OF POLICE DRIVING SCHOOL PROPOSED
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EXPANSION IS ON THE CARDS FOR THE POLICE DRIVING SCHOOL IN A BID TO BOOST TRAINING FACILITIES FOR FORCE DRIVERS, INCREASE PROFESSIONALISM, AND MAINTAIN HIGH STANDARDS.
IF THE GO-AHEAD SIGNAL IS GIVEN, IT WILL MEAN MORE AND BETTER-TRAINED STAFF FOR THE PDS, ENABLING IT TO RUN MORE TRAINING COURSES AND INTRODUCE NEW REFRESHER COURSES.
AS PART OF THE EXPANSION, IT HAS BEEN RECOMMENDED THAT THE POST OF HEAD OF THE SCHOOL SHOULD BE UPGRADED TO SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE.
''THE PROPOSALS HAVE BEEN RECENTLY APPROVED, IN PRINCIPLE, BY THE POLICE HEADQUARTERS AND A FINAL DECISION IS LIKELY TO BE MADE SOON,' SAID THE OFFICER-IN-CHARGE OF PDS, CHIEF INSPECTOR JIM LANGTON.
MR LANGTON SAID THE EXPANSION WAS NECESSARY BECAUSE OF THE INCREASING RESPONSIBILITIES WHICH HAVE BEEN ASSUMED BY THE SCHOOL AS A RESULT OF RAPID GROWTH BY THE FORCE.
SITUATED ON THE SPACIOUS SITE FORMERLY OCCUPIED BY THE ROYAL AIR FORCE CAMP AT KAI TAK, THE PDS IS THE TRAINING BASE FOR ALL DRIVERS OF THE FORCE FLEET OF 1 860 VEHICLES.
IT RUNS A VARIETY OF DRIVER-TRAINING COURSES FOR FORCE MEMBERS, COVERING MOTORCYCLES, SALOON CARS, LANDROVERS, TRANSIT PATROL CARS AND HEAVY VEHICLES SUCH AS LORRIES AND COMMAND UNITS. SPECIAL TRAINING IN DRIVING TOW TRUCKS AND SARACENS IS ALSO PROVIDED.
IN ADDITION, THE PDS ORGANISES TRAINING COURSES FOR OFFICERS FROM THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT, CUSTOMS AND EXCISE DEPARTMENT, CORRECTIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, THE GURKHA REGIMENTS AND THE
ARMY.
''IN THE PAST 10 MONTHS, WE HAVE TRAINED 838 DRIVERS FOR THE FORCE IN 378 COURSES WHILE, IN 1984/85, A TOTAL OF 446 COURSES WERE RUN AND 1 311 DRIVERS WERE TRAINED," SAID MR LANGTON.
"THIS IS A HEAVY SCHEDULE, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE CONSTRAINED MANPOWER IN THE PDS," HE REMARKED.
THE SCHOOL HAS 40 INSTRUCTORS IN CHARGE OF TRAINING COURSES (EACH RUNNING FROM FOUR TO 12 WEEKS), THREE DRIVING EXAMINERS AND ONE ASSISTANT EXAMINER.
''HIGH ON