XN000022-1977-02-28 — Page 10

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1977

BELL TO ATTEND MEETING IN NEW DELHI

*****

MR. G.J. BELL, DIRECTOR, ROYAL OBSERVATORY, TODAY LEFT HONG KONG FOR NEW DELHI TO ATTEND A MEETING OF THE WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION'S PLANNING GROUP FOR THE MONSOON EXPERIMENT DUE TO BEGIN IN OCTOBER NEXT YEAR.

THE MEETING WILL DECIDE ON THE OBSERVATIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS EXPERIMENT, KNOWN AS MONEX. THE EXPERIMENT FORMS A PART OF THE WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION'S GLOBAL ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH PROGRAMME (GARP).

IT IS HOPED THAT OBSERVATIONS TO BE MADE DURING THIS EXPERIMENT WILL ENABLE A MORE PROFOUND UNDERSTANDING OF THE MONSOON TO BE OBTAINED. A PART OF THE EXPERIMENT INVOLVES THE DEVELOPMENT OF IMPROVED MATHEMATICAL MODELS OF THE MONSOONS WHICH, IT IS HOPED, WILL EVENTUALLY LEAD TO BETTER FORECASTS.

AFTER THE PLANNING MEETING, MR. BELL WILL STAY ON IN NEW DELHI TO ATTEND A JOINT MEETING OF THE AMERICAN AND INDIAN METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETIES TO DISCUSS SCIENTIFIC ASPECTS OF THE MONSOONS. HE IS EXPECTED TO RETURN TO HONG KONG ON MARCH 10,

TAI LONG WAN LOSES BUS SERVICE

*****

THE NEW LANTAU BUS ROUTE NO. 5 BETWEEN SILVERMINE BAY AND TAI LONG WAN WILL BE DISCONTINUED FROM TOMORROW (TUESDAY) BECAUSE OF LACK OF PASSENGERS.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY THAT THIS SERVICE WAS CURRENTLY OPERATED AT A SUBSTANTIAL LOSS.

HE POINTED OUT THAT FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, PATRONAGE ON THIS SERVICE HAD BEEN VERY LOW AND THAT THE TRAFFIC DEMAND OF LESS THAN THREE PASSENGERS PER DAY DID NOT WARRANT THE CONTINUATION OF THE SERVICE.

WITH THE CANCELLATION OF THIS SERVICE, THERE ARE STILL FOUR BUS SERVICES BEING OPERATED BY THE NEW LANTAU BUS COMPANY.

/10.....

Page 10Page 11