XN000022-1980-01-01 — Page 3

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 1, 1980.

DUE TO THE FLUCTUATION OF THE FUEL COST ADJUSTMENT, ELECTRICITY CHARGES FOR NOVEMBER WERE REDUCED AND CONSEQUENTLY, THE INDEX FOR FUEL AND LIGHT DECREASED BY ONE POINT IN BOTH CPI(A) AND CPI(B).

THE ONE-POINT RISE IN THE INDEX FOR ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO IN CPI(A) WAS MAINLY BROUGHT ABOUT BY HIGHER PRICES FOR FOREIGN-STYLE ALCOHOLIC DRINKS.

THE INDEX FOR CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR INCREASED BY FIVE POINTS EACH IN CPI(A) AND CPI(B) AS A RESULT OF HIGHER PRICES FOR OUTERCLOTHING ITEMS.

HIGHER PRICES FOR NEWSPAPERS PUSHED THE INDEX FOR MISCELLANEOUS GOODS UP BY 14 POINTS IN CPI(A) AND BY 10 POINTS IN CPI(B).

FOLLOWING HIGHER FARES FOR HONG KONG AND YAUMATI FERRY SERVICES AND PUBLIC LIGHT BUSES, THE INDEX FOR TRANSPORT AND VEHICLES ROSE BY FOUR POINTS IN BOTH INDICES.

THE INDEX FOR SERVICES ADVANCED BY ONE POINT EACH IN CPI(A) AND CPI(B) BECAUSE OF HIGHER CHARGES FOR HAIR DRESSING.

PRICE MOVEMENTS IN OTHER COMMODITY SECTIONS WERE INSIGNIFICANT.

AP LEI CHAU BRIDGE EXPECTED TO OPEN IN MARCH

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THE AP LEI CHAU BRIDGE AND ITS APPROACH ROADS AT BOTH ENDS ARE EXPECTED TO OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC IN MARCH THIS YEAR.

WORK ON THE $32 MILLION BRIDGE AND ITS NORTHERN ROAD CONNECTIONS IN ABERDEEN HAS BEEN COMPLETED WHILE WORK ON THE SOUTHERN APPROACH ROADS ON AP LEI CHAU IS PROGRESSING.

THE PWD HAS ALSO BUILT A SPECIAL ACCESS ROAD LINKING THE BRIDGE WITH THE NEW AP LEI CHAU PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATE, FOR THE CONVENIENCE OF RESIDENTS WHO WILL SHORTLY MOVE INTO THEIR NEW HOMES.

THE 230-METRE BRIDGE, THE FIRST TO JOIN HONG KONG ISLAND WITH AN OFFSHORE ISLAND, CARRIES TWO TRAFFIC LANES, WITH A CAPACITY OF ABOUT 1 500 VEHICLES PER HOUR IN EACH DIRECTION.

IT ALSO CARRIES A WATER MAIN AND OTHER ESSENTIAL UTILITIES

TO SERVE THE POPULATION ON AP LEI CHAU.

THE BRIDGE WILL ALSO ENABLE THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT TO PROVIDE A QUICK SERVICE FROM THE MAINLAND.

TO ALLOW PEDESTRIANS TO CROSS SAFELY, A FOOTWAY HAS BEEN BUILT ALONG ITS SIDE.

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