XN000022-1974-07-12 — Page 3

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FRIDAY, JULY 12, 1974

TRAFFIC WARDENS SCHEME PROPOSED

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TRAFFIC WARDENS WHO WILL TAKE OVER THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ENFORCING HONG KONG?S PARKING LAWS ARE EXPECTED TO BE ON THE STREETS LATER THIS YEAR IF A BILL PUBLISHED IN TODAY'S GAZETTE IS APPROVED BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL,

AT PRESENT THE. ENFORCEMENT OF THE LAWS ON PARKING AND THE REGULATION OF TRAFFIC ARE CARRIED OUT-LARGELY BY POLICE PATROL OFFICERS AS A SECONDARY ASPECT OF THEIR DUTIES.

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY THAT IF THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION IS APPROVED THE INTRODUCTION OF TRAFFIC WARDENS WILL RELIEVE THE POLICEMAN ON THE BEAT-FROM THESE ROUTINE DUTIES, THUS ALLOWING HIM TO DEVOTE. HIS FULL ATTENTION TO MORE IMPORTANT DUTIES SUCH AS COMBATTING CRIME.+

THE..SROKESMAN SAID IT WAS PLANNED TO ESTABLISH A CORPS

OF TRAFFIC WARDENS ON A TRIAL BASIS, INITIALLY FOR A PERIOD OF SIX MONTHS. THEY WOULD OPERATE IN SELECTED AREAS AND AT THE

END OF THE TRIAL PERIOD THE RESULTS OF THE SCHEME WOULD BE APPRAISED BY THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE.

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IF IT PROVED SUCCESSFUL. CONSIDERATION WOULD BE GIVEN TO CREATING A PERMANENT CORPS OF TRAFFIC WARDENS TO OPERATE THROUGHOUT HONG KONG.

THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT IT WAS HOPED TO GET THE TRIAL SCHEME GOING IN OCTOBER THIS YEAR.

THE POST OF TRAFFIC WARDEN WOULD BE OPEN TO BOTH MEN AND WOMEN AND RECRUITS WOULD UNDERGO FIVE WEEKS INTENSIVE TRAINING WHICH, AMONG OTHER THINGS, WOULD EMPHASISE THE NEED FOR COURTÉSY IN DEALING WITH THE PUBLIC. THEY WOULD WEAR A SPECIAL UNIFORM WHICH WOULD CLEARLY DISTINGUISH THEM FROM MEMBERS OF THE POLICE FORCE.

K AMONG THE MAIN POINTS OF THE ROAD TRAFFIC (AMENDMENT) (NO.3) BILL PUBLISHED TODAY ARE THAT IT EMPOWERS THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE TO APPOINT TRAFFIC WARDENS AND PROVIDES THAT TRAFFIC WARDENS WILL HAVE THE POWERS AND DUTIES OF A POLICE OFFICER. IN ENFORCING PARKING LAWS AND IN THE CONTROL AND REGULATION OF TRAFFIC, INCLUDING PEDESTRIANS.

HOWEVER. THE BILL STIPULATES THAT A TRAFFIC WARDEN IS PROHIBITED FROM ARRESTING, DETAINING OR SEARCHING A PERSON- AND THAT HE MUST OBEY. ALL LAWFUL ORDERS GIVEN HIM BY A POLICE OFFICER OF OR ABOVE THE RANK OF SERGEANT.

/ANOTHER