XN000022-1979-07-29 — Page 7

SUNDAY, JULY 29, 1979

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IMPROVED POSTAL SERVICE IN THE NEW TERRITORIES

MORE THAN 250,000 NEW LIVING IN REMOTE VILLAGES DELIVERY SERVICE.

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TERRITORIES RESIDENTS

INCLUDING MANY

ARE SOON TO GET A DOOR-TO-DOOR POSTAL

THE FIRST STAGE OF THE NEW SERVICE IS TO BE INTRODUCED IN 269 VILLAGES IN ALL MAINLAND DISTRICTS OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.

THE SECOND PHASE OF THE SCHEME WILL COVER ANOTHER 75 VILLAGES TOWARDS THE END OF THIS YEAR AND EARLY NEXT YEAR,

THE SCHEME INVOLVES THE NUMBER ING OF THOUSANDS OF NEW TERRITORIES HOUSES BY LAND TEAMS FROM THE DISTRICT OFFICES OF SAI KUNG, YUEN LONG, TUEN MUN, TAI PO, SHA TIN AND TSUEN WAN SO THAT THE POST OFFICE CAN PROVIDE THE DOOR-TO-DOOR SERVICE,

HITHERTO, THE VILLAGES HAVE BEEN SERVICED MAINLY BY CORRESPONDENCE ADDRESSES OR COMMUNAL LETTER BOXES SUPERVISED BY VILLAGE REPRESENTATIVES.

+NEITHER THE VILLAGERS NOR THE AUTHORITIES WERE ENTIRELY HAPPY WITH THE SYSTEMS, SO A STUDY WAS MADE LAST YEAR TO SEE HOW WE COULD BRING ABOUT IMPROVEMENT, THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR. JOSEPH WONG SAID TODAY (SUNDAY).

+THE STUDY SHOWED THAT WE COULD COVER 344 OF THE VILLAGES WITH A DOOR-TO-DOOR DELIVERY SERVICE WITH THE AID OF A PROPER HOUSE NUMBERING SCHEME, WORK ON WHICH IS BEING DONE IN TWO STAGES.

+YUEN LONG AND SAI KUNG ARE THE FIRST TO GET THE NEW SERVICE AND ARRANGEMENTS ARE IN AN ADVANCED STAGE TO ENSURE THAT THE DISTRICTS ARE PROVIDED WITH THE SERVICE IN AUGUST. OTHER DISTRICTS IN THE FIRST STAGE WILL FOLLOW IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.

+ THE POST OFFICE IS RECRUITING MORE STAFF TO ENSURE THE SUCCESS OF THE NEW SCHEME, HE SAID.

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