XN000022-1980-11-05 — Page 21

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1980

PLANS FOR VEHICLE EXAMINATION FACILITIES

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THE KOWLOON BAY VEHICLE EXAMINATION CENTRE HAS CARRIED OUT 7 425 EXAMINATIONS SINCE SEPTEMBER LAST YEAR, ALL OF THEM ON GOODS VEHICLES.

THIS FIGURE WAS GIVEN BY THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, THE HON DEREK JONES, IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON WONG PO-YAN IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

+THE ADDITIONAL CENTRES PLANNED FOR HONG KONG ISLAND AND TSUEN WAN ARE BOTH IN CATEGORY B OF THE PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME.

+ IT IS PROPOSED TO UPGRADE THEM TO CATEGORY A AT THE NEXT REVIEW AND, IF THEY ARE THEN AWARDED SUFFICIENT PRIORITY FOR CONSTRUCTION TO BEGIN NEXT YEAR, THEY SHOULD BE OPERATIONAL IN THREE TO FOUR YEARS' TIME,+ MR JONES ADDED.

MORE TAXIS WILL PLY IN THE NEW TERRITORIES

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THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, THE HON DEREK JONES, IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON CHARLES YEUNG IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY, DISCLOSED THAT A HUNDRED MORE NEW TERRITORIES TAXI LICENCES WOULD BE ISSUED LATER THIS YEAR.

A DETAILED ASSESSMENT WILL THEN BE MADE TO DETERMINE WHETHER FURTHER LICENCES SHOULD BE ISSUED, HE SAID.

MR JONES SAID THE NUMBER OF NT TAXIS HAD REMAINED CONSTANT, 738, SINCE THEY WERE FIRST INTRODUCED IN 1977.

THE DECISION TO ISSUE MORE LICENCES WAS MADE BECAUSE THE POPULATION IN THE AREAS THEY SERVE IS INCREASING RAPIDLY, HE SAID.

AT

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VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FIGURES ****

THERE WERE 25 250 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES STILL IN CAMPS IN HONG KONG AWAITING RESETTLEMENT AS AT 9 AM ON TUESDAY (NOVEMBER 4) THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON LEWIS DAVIES TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON LYDIA DUNN, MR DAVIES SAID THAT OF THIS NUMBER, 5 796 ARRIVED SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR.

+THESE FIGURES EXCLUDE 4 154 PERSONS WHO WERE PREVIOUSLY SETTLED IN CHINA AND ARE BEING DETAINED PENDING REPATRIATION THERE, HE ADDED.

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