XN000022-1976-01-06 — Page 2

Tuesday, January 6, 1976

PUBLIC REMINDED OF NEW POSTAL RATES

The Post Office has expressed concern that thousands of aerogrammes

and letters are being posted without sufficient postage following the

increase in some air mail postal rates from January 1.

A Post Office spokesman today reminded the public that the cost of an aerogramme posted to any part of the world was now 60 cents while

the basic air mail postal rate of letters to destinations in South-east

Asia and. India (Zone 1) was 80 cents for the first half ounce.

He said that rather than surcharging all these aerogrammes and

letters or sending them by sea instead of by air, the Post Office, wherever possible, returned them to the senders so that they might affix the necessary

additional stamps.

"Some short delay is unavoidable in these cases, but the Post Office

believes the senders prefer this to several weeks of delay or the imposition

of a charge on the addressee at the other end," the spokesman said,

SUPPORT FOR AIRPORT COMCH SERVICE ENCOURAGING

Transport Department officials are "cautiously optimistic" of the

KMB airport coach service between Kai Tak and Central District continuing.

In the first week of operation since a $2 fare and a revised route were introduced, an average of 1,348 passengers used the Route 200 service each day compared to only 640 a day previously. However, at least 1,500 passengers a day or an average of 15 a trip are needed to ensure that the

service covers its operating costs.

A spokesman said that a Transport Department research team would be interviewing all passengers using the service on January 7 and 8. "A final decision on the fate of the route would probably be made on January 12

in conjunction with senior KMB officials."

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