XN000022-1979-07-04 — Page 18

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 1979

16

HE EXPLAINED THAT DIFFERENT ARRANGEMENTS WERE NECESSARY BECAUSE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS OPERATE WITH DIFFERING DEGREES OF DECENTRALISATION AND THEY DO NOT NECESSARILY DECENTRALISE TO THE SAME OPERATIONAL REGIONS.

+ON THE FACE OF IT THIS MAY SEEM UNTIDY. BUT THE GOVERNMENT HAS ALWAYS HELD THAT IT WOULD NOT MAKE GOOD ADMINISTRATIVE SENSE TO CARVE AN AREA AS SMALL AS HONG KONG ISLAND AND KOWLOON INTO A MULTIPLICITY OF ADMINISTRATIVE REGIONS AND REQUIRE ALL GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS WISHING TO DECENTRALISE THEIR OPERATIONS TO CONFORM STRICTLY TO THOSE REGIONS,+ MR. WALDEN SAID,

+DEPARTMENTS HAVE BEEN ALLOWED A DEGREE OF FLEXIBILITY IN REGIONAL ISATION TO SUIT THE NATURE OF THEIR OPERATIONS.+

CROSS HARBOUR TUNNEL (AMENDMENT)(NO. 2) BY-LAWS 1979

******

THE CROSS HARBOUR TUNNEL (AMENDMENT) (NO. 2) BY-LAWS 1979 WHICH PROPOSES TO BAN VEHICLES FROM CARRYING CERTAIN DANGEROUS GOODS THROUGH THE TUNNEL EVEN THOUGH THEIR CONTAINERS MAY BE EMPTY, WAS PASSED BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

MOVING THE MOTION MADE BY THE CROSS HARBOUR COMPANY ON JUNE 22, 1979, THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, THE HON. GRAHAM BARNES SAID RESTRICTIONS ON THE PASSAGE OF VEHICLES CARRYING COMPRESSED GAS AND PETROLEUM WERE IMPOSED FROM JANUARY 15 AND JULY 1 THIS YEAR RESPECTIVELY, BUT DID NOT SPECIFICALLY PROHIBIT THE PASSAGE OF VEHICLES WITH EMPTY TANKS OR CYLINDERS.

+AS A PETROL TANKER WITH A SMALL AMOUNT OF PETROL IN ITS CONTAINER TANK IS POTENTIALLY MORE DANGEROUS THAN A TANKER CARRYING A FULL CONTAINER TANK AND THERE IS A SIMILAR ELEMENT OF RISK WITH GAS CYLINDERS, IT IS NECESSARY TO TIGHTEN THE EXISTING RESTRICTIONS ON VEHICLES IN THESE CATEGORIES,+ HE SAID.

OTHER AMENDMENT INTRODUCED BY THESE BY-LAWS INCLUDE A PROVISION FOR FRANCHISED BUSES TO STOP AT DESIGNATED STOPS IN THE TUNNEL AREA, AN INCREASE IN THE PERMIT FEE FOR THE PASSAGE OF CONSTRUCTION SITE VEHICLES THROUGH THE TUNNEL AND THE INCLUSION OF FIVE ADDITIONAL ROAD SIGNS IN THE SCHEDULE TO THE BY-LAWS.

/17