XN000022-1978-02-09 — Page 5

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1978

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FIVE MORE CARGO HANDLING AREAS IN FOUR YEARS

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THE MARINE DEPARTMENT IS PLANNING TO BUILD FIVE MORE PUBLIC CARGO WORKING AREAS IN THE NEXT FOUR YEARS, TO COPE WITH THE INCREASING DEMAND FOR THESE FACILITIES.

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A SPOKESMAN FOR THE MARINE DEPARTMENT SAID SITES HAD BEEN EARMARKED FOR THIS EXPANSION. THEY INCLUDE AREAS IN THE WESTERN DISTRICT, AND CHAI WAN ON HONG KONG ISLAND, CHEUNG SHA WAN IN KOWLOON RAMBLER CHANNEL, AND TUEN MUN IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

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HE ALSO REVEALED THAT THE DEPARTMENT IS INVESTIGATING THE POSSIBILITY OF INTRODUCING MECHANISED CARGO HANDLING DEVICES INCLUDING COVERED CONVEYOR BELTS FOR TRANSPORTING DUSTY CARGO`` SUCH AS CEMENT, LIME AND AGGREGATE TO REDUCE AIR POLLUTION.

COMMENTING ON THE ADVANTAGES OF CONTROLLED PUBLIC CARGO WORKING AREAS, THE SPOKESMAN SAID: +PAST EXPERIENCE INDICATED THAT A HIGHER THROUGHPUT RATE WAS ACHIEVABLE IN THESE AREAS THUS REDUCING COSTS FOR OPERATORS WHO MAKE GOOD USE OF SUCH FACILITIES.+

THE SPOKESMAN ESTIMATED THAT THE ANNUAL TONNAGE OF CARGO HANDLED WITH PUBLIC CARGO HANDLING FACILITIES WILL INCREASE FROM THE PRESENT 3,000,000 TONS TO 5,000,000 TONS BY 1981.

MEANWHILE, HONG KONG'S FOURTH PUBLIC CARGO WORKING AREA IN TSUEN WAN IS EXPECTED TO BECOME OPERATIONAL THIS MONTH,

THE NEW CARGO HANDLING AREA HAS A FRONTAGE OF 346 METRES AND WILL BE EXTENDED TO A LENGTH OF 900 METRES BY 1982.

IT WILL PROVIDE BERTHING FACILITIES FOR LIGHTERS AND PARKING SPACES FOR LORRIES.

MEASURES SIMILAR TO EXISTING CARGO WORKING AREAS IN WAN CHAI, YAU MA TEI AND KWUN TONG WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE NEW WORKING AREA AND IT WILL BE MANNED BY STAFF OF THE MARINE DEPARTMENT ON A 24-HOUR BASIS ALL YEAR ROUND.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID: THE NEW CARGO WORKING AREA WILL IMPROVE

CARGO HANDLING FACILITIES IN THE NEW TOWN.

AT THE SAME TIME, THE KWUN TONG PUBLIC CARGO WORKING AREA WHICH WAS OPENED LAST MONTH IS PROVING TO BE VERY POPULAR WITH CARGO OPERATORS.

MORE AND MORE LIGHTERS AND CARGO VESSELS ARE MAKING USE OF FACILITIES IN THIS NEW WORKING AREA.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID, +OPERATORS IN TO KWA MAN ARE BEING ATTRACTED TO THE NEW FACILITIES BECAUSE OF THE HIGHER THROUGHPUT RATE.

'* IN ADDIPION,