XN000022-1976-02-23 — Page 5

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1976

MR. BENNETT ALSO SPOKE ON THE CLEARANCE OF SHAM SHING HUI, A VILLAGE COMMUNITY CLOSE TO TUEN MUN WHICH SERVES THE FISHING FLEET. THE CLEARANCE WAS TO MAKE WAY FOR DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING A CRUCIAL PART OF THE TSUEN WAN - TUEN MUN HIGHWAY, A TYPHOON SHELTER AND BUSINESS AND RESIDENTIAL ACCOMMODATION. HE SAID REMOVAL OF BUSINESSES TO A RESITE AREA, WHICH WAS NOW IN PROGRESS, HAD NOT BEEN WITHOUT ITS PROBLEMS, +BUT, THEN, WHEN SO MANY PEOPLES' HOMES AND LIVELIHOOD HAVE TO BE DISTURBED IN SUCH A TRAUMATIC WAY AS THIS, PROBLEMS ARE ONLY TO BE EXPECTED.+

HE PRAISED THE TUEN MUN AND SHAM SHING HUI COMMUNITIES AS WELL AS GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS +FOR ALL THE TIME AND EFFORT WHICH THEY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TOWARDS THE SOLUTION OF THESE PROBLEMS.+

INCREASE IN AIR PASSENGER 'TRAFFIC ****

PASSENGER TRAFFIC AT KAI TAK DURING THE LAST QUARTER OF 1975 WENT UP BY NEARLY FOUR PER CENT WHEN COMPARED WITH THAT OF THE PREVIOUS QUARTER.

ACCORDING TO STATISTICS RELEASED BY THE CIVIL AVIATION DEPARTMENT, AIR CARGO MOVEMENTS DROPPED BY JUST OVER TWO PER CENT.

HOWEVER, PASSENGER AND CARGO TRAFFIC SHOWED AN INCREASE OF ALMOST 11 PER CENT AND 60 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY WHEN COMPARED WITH THE FIGURES FOR THE LAST QUARTER OF 1974.

DURING THE LAST CALENDAR YEAR, PASSENGER TRAFFIC (3,868,211) WENT UP BY 4.65 PER CENT OVER THAT OF THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

AIR CARGO (141,619 METRIC TONS) SHOWED AN IMPRESSIVE INCREASE OF 38.49 PER CENT WHILE AIR MAIL (4,763 METRIC TONS) WENT UP BY 5.28 PER CENT.

DESPITE THIS, AIRCRAFT MOVEMENTS CONTINUED TO DECLINE SLIGHTLY AS AIRLINES CHANGED OVER TO WIDE-BODIED AIRCRAFT. DURING THE LAST CALENDAR YEAR, THERE WERE 51,094 MOVEMENTS REPRESENTING A DROP OF 3.47 PER CENT.

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