XN000022-1978-08-16 — Page 15

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 1978

PROSECUTIONS AGAINST TRAFFIC LAW VIOLATORS ON TUEN MUN ROAD ****

ABOUT 2,000 PROSECUTIONS HAVE ALREADY BEEN TAKEN OUT AGAINST MOTORISTS BREAKING TRAFFIC REGULATIONS ON THE NEW TUEN MUN ROAD SINCE IT OPENED ON MAY 6, THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, THE HON. DEREK JONES, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON. WONG LAM, MR. JONES SAID OF THESE PROSECUTIONS, 1,400 HAVE BEEN FOR SPEEDING AND 413 FOR DISOBEYING TRAFFIC SIGNS, MAINLY CROSSING THE DOUBLE WHITE LINE WHEN OVERTAKING.

MR. JONES SAID THE GOVERNMENT IS VERY CONSCIOUS OF THE NEED TO ENFORCE TRAFFIC REGULATIONS ON THE NEW ROAD AS VIGOROUSLY AS POSSIBLE, ESPECIALLY IN VIEW OF THE TEMPTATIONS IT PROVIDES FOR SPEEDING AND HAZARDOUS OVERTAKING.

+AN EIGHT-MAN POLICE UNIT HAS BEEN SPECIALLY ASSIGNED FOR THIS PURPOSE, OPERATING ON THE ROAD BETWEEN 7 A.M. AND 11 P.M. IN ADDITION, AT ALL TIMES, EMERGENCY POLICE UNITS AND NORMAL DIVISONAL PATROLS CAN BE CALLED UP AT SHORT NOTICE, HE SAID.

MR. JONES ALSO REITERATED THAT TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS ALONG THE NEW TUEN MUN ROAD HAVE NOT BEEN MORE FREQUENT THAN ON ANY OTHER BUSY ROAD IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

HE SAID THAT THERE HAVE BEEN 42 ACCIDENTS BETWEEN MAY 6 AND AUGUST 12, COMPARED WITH 1,015 ACCIDENTS IN THE REST OF THE NEW TERRITORIES OVER THE SAME PERIOD,

+PUT IN ANOTHER WAY,+ MR. JONES SAID, THE ACCIDENT RATE ON THE NEW TUEN MUN ROAD HAS SO FAR BEEN ONE ACCIDENT PER ONE MILLION VEHICULAR KILOMETRES, WHEREAS ON THE CASTLE PEAK ROAD THE RATE IS FOUR ACCIDENTS PER ONE MILLION KILOMETRES TRAVELLED.+

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IMPROVEMENTS TO CIVIL SERVICE BENEFITS

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THE GOVERNMENT IS CONSIDERING IMPROVEMENTS IN REGARD TO HOUSING, CERTAIN ALLOWANCES AND RECREATION FACILITIES, NOT ONLY FOR THE POLICE FORCE BUT ALSO FOR OTHER STAFF IN CIVIL SERVICE.

THIS WAS STATED BY THE SECRETARY FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE, THE HON. MARTIN ROWLANDS, IN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

AS REGARDS THE POLICE FORCE, MR. ROWLANDS SAID THE PAY AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE ARE AT PRESENT ABOUT RIGHT IN RELATION TO THE REST OF THE CIVIL SERVICE.

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