TUESDAY, JULY 8, 1936
FUNDS FOR VESSEL TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SYSTEM SOUGHT
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THE FINANCE COMMITTEE WILL BE ASKED TOMORROW (WEDNESDAY) TO APPROVE A COMMITMENT OF $178 700 000 FOR THE INSTALLATION AND COMMISSIONING OF THE PROPOSED VESSEL TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (VTMS), A NETWORK OF RADAR STATIONS SET UP AT STRATEGIC LOCATIONS TO COVER MARINE TRAFFIC LANES.
MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE WILL ALSO BE ASKED TO ACCEPT THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF IMPLEMENTING THE VTMS AT AN ESTIMATED COST OF $215 010 000,
COUPLED WITH COMPUTERS AND VERY HIGH FREQUENCY COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT, THE VTMS WILL BE ABLE TO MONITOR AND CONTROL VESSEL MOVEMENTS CONTINUOUSLY TO IMPROVE SAFETY AND TRAFFIC FLOW, WHICH HAS QUADRUPLED IN THE PAST 20 YEARS IN CERTAIN AREAS.
IN 1985 AN AVERAGE OF 2 229 OCEAN-GOING VESSELS ENTERED AND DEPARTED FROM THE PORT EACH MONTH AND THIS NUMBER IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE BY FOUR PER CENT ANNUALLY.
RIVER TRADE CRAFT AND INTERNATIONAL FERRY TRAFFIC HAS ALSO
AT THE GROWN, WITH ABOUT 13 660 MOVEMENTS A MONTH IN 1985. SAME TIME, VESSELS HAVE BECOME LARGER AND FASTER.
A VTMS FOR THE PORT OF HONG KONG AND ITS APPROACHES HAS BEEN PROPOSED AFTER THE EXAMINATION OF A REPORT SUBMITTED BY THE CANADIAN COMMERCIAL CORPORATION (CCC) IN LATE 1984 AND THE EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS SUBMITTED BY POTENTIAL EQUIPMENT SUPPLIERS.
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE VTMS HAS BEEN ENDORSED BY THE PORTS COMMITTEE, THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON MARINE POLICY.
THE SHIPPING INDUSTRY HAS SUPPORTED THE VTMS AND ACCEPTS THE IMPLICATIONS OF RECOVERING THE COSTS OF IMPLEMENTATION THROUGH INCREASE IN PORT AND LIGHT DUES AND PASSENGER EMBARKATION FEES.
AS THE SYSTEM IS NEW TO HONG KONG, IT IS PROPOSED THAT THE CCC WOULD BE EMPLOYED FOR THE SUPPLY, INSTALLATION AND COMMISSIONING OF THE SYSTEM, SUBJECT TO NORMAL TENDER ING PROCEDURES.
IF ACCEPTED. IT IS ENVISAGED THAT THE IMPLEMENTATION PHASE
WILL BE COMPLETED BY MID-1989.
OTHER ITEMS TO BE CONSIDERED AT TOMORROW'S MEETING ARE:
* AN INCREASE IN PAY AND ALLOWANCES FOR THE AUXILIARY
FORCES (OTHER THAN THE ROYAL HONG KONG AUXILIARY POLICE FORCE) AND TO OFFSET A SUPPLEMENTARY PROVISION OF $2 752 000
A SUPPLEMENTARY