XN000022-1980-09-24 — Page 2

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1980

KING'S ROAD PUBLIC TRANSPORT PRIORITY SCHEME SPEEDED UP

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WORK ON THE KING'S ROAD PUBLIC TRANSPORT PRIORITY SCHEME IS TO BE SPEEDED UP AND THE OPERATIONAL DATE FOR THE COMPLETE SCHEME TO HING FAT STREET HAS BEEN BROUGHT FORWARD FROM FEBRUARY NEXT YEAR TO THE END OF THIS YEAR.

ANNOUNCING THIS TODAY (WEDNESDAY) THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SAID THE IMPLEMENTATION OF STAGE 1 OF THE SCHEME COVERING THE SECTION OF KING'S ROAD BETWEEN TAI KOO SHING AND JAVA ROAD, ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER 1, WILL NOW TAKE PLACE AT THE SAME TIME AS STAGE 1 IS COMPLETED IN DECEMBER.

CHIEF TRANSPORT OFFICER, MRS DOROTHY CHAN EXPLAINED: +IT HAS BECOME POSSIBLE TO SPEED UP THE WHOLE SCHEME BY NIGHTWORK, BY INCREASING THE WORK FORCE AND BY BRINGING FORWARD OTHER ASSOCIATED TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT MEASURES.+

IT WAS DECIDED, SHE SAID, TO COMBINE THE OPERATIONAL DATE OF THE SECOND STAGE WITH THE THIRD TO MINIMISE CONFUSION TO THE MOTORING PUBLIC.

THIS WOULD BENEFIT PUBLIC TRANSPORT PASSENGERS AS THERE WOULD BE MORE THAN 5 KM OF BUS AND TRAM LANES.

THIS WOULD, MRS CHAN SAID, ENABLE THE BUS COMPANY TO BRING FORWARD THEIR ROUTE IMPROVEMENT PLAN SCHEDULED TO TAKE EFFECT CONCURRENTLY WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF THE SCHEME.

UNDER THE REVISED WORK PROGRAMME, A SERIES OF TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT MEASURES INCLUDING URBAN CLEARWAY RESTRICTIONS, BOX JUNCTIONS, NEW TRAFFIC ROUTES AND BANNING OF RIGHT TURNS WILL BE INTRODUCED IN THE COMING MONTHS.

SPECIAL STAMPS ON PARKS

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A SPECIAL ISSUE OF POSTAGE STAMPS FEATURING HONG KONG'S COUNTRY PARKS AND RECREATIONAL PARKS IN URBAN AREAS WILL BE ON SALE ON NOVEMBER 12.

THE STAMPS IN DENOMINATIONS OF 20 CENTS, $1, $1.30 AND $2, WILL BE DISPLAYED AT THE FIRST FLOOR PUBLIC COUNTER OF THE GENERAL POST OFFICE BUILDING, CONNAUGHT PLACE, BETWEEN 9.30 AM AND 4.30 PM ON NOVEMBER 10.

OFFICIAL FIRST DAY COVERS WILL BE ON SALE AT ALL POST OFFICES AT 50 CENTS EACH FROM OCTOBER 29. EACH COVER WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY AN INSERT CARD CONTAINING A DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIOUS PARKS SHOWN ON THE STAMPS, AND BRIEF PHILATELIC INFORMATION,

/ADDITIONAL COVERS