XN000022-1975-10-13 — Page 6

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1975.

STREET SWEEPING TO STOP ONE DAY PER WEEK

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STREET SWEEPING SERVICES WILL BE WITHDRAWN THROUGHOUT HONG KONG ONE DAY PER WEEK FOR A MONTH STARTING TODAY.

THE AIM OF THE TEMPORARY WITHDRAWAL IS TO BRING HOME TO THE PUBLIC THAT IT IS THEY WHO LITTER THE STREETS AND THAT THEY CAN KEEP THE STREETS CLEAN BY MORE CONSCIENTIOUS USE OF THE THOUSANDS OF LITTER BINS PROVIDED.

FROM NOVEMBER 1972 TO DECEMBER 1974 THE TOTAL NUMBER OF LITTER BINS IN HONG KONG ROSE FROM 11,884 TO 29,096.

IN DECEMBER 1974, 10,692 WERE IN KOWLOON, 7,124 ON HONG KONG ISLAND AND 11,280 IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

AT PRESENT THE AVERAGE DAILY AMOUNT OF REFUSE COLLECTED THROUGHOUT HONG KONG IS 3,259 TONS AND OF THIS UP TO 20 PER CENT WAS PICKED UP FROM THE STREETS.

THE PUBLIC WILL BE ABLE TO SEE INSTANTLY THE DIFFERENCE THAT THE ABSENCE OF STREET SWEEPING MAKES.

NO ADVANCE WARNING WILL BE GIVEN ABOUT PRECISE DATES WHEN STREET SWEEPING SERVICES ARE TO BE WITHDRAWN.

REPORTS FROM VISITORS AND FROM RESIDENTS RETURNING FROM TRIPS ABROAD REVEAL THAT THE STANDARD OF CLEANLINESS IN HONG KONG NOW COMPARES FAVOURABLY WITH THOSE IN MANY MAJOR CITIES OF THE WORLD.

IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THAT STANDARD, MAIN THOROUGHFARES, PARTICULARLY IN CENTRAL AND TSIM SHA TSUI ARE SWEPT SIX TO EIGHT TIMES A DAY.

IT IS HOPED THAT THE WITHDRAWAL OF STREET SWEEPING SERVICES WILL PROMPT THE PUBLIC TO RECOGNISE THEIR CIVIC DUTY TO KEEP HONG KONG CLEAN,

REFUSE COLLECTION WILL CONTINUE WITHOUT INTERRUPTION IN ALL DISTRICTS.

IF THE MONTH LONG TRIAL SCHEME IS SUCCESSFUL, THE NUMBER OF STREET SWEEPINGS MAY IN FUTURE BE REDUCED AND COSTS CUT.

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