XN000022-1980-12-07 — Page 4

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1980

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PAYMENTS FOR TRAFFIC ACCIDENT VICTIMS HIT $20 MILLION

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TOTAL DEATH AND INJURY PAYMENTS UNDER THE NO FAULT TRAFFIC ACCIDENT VICTIMS ASSISTANCE (TAVA) SCHEME HAVE WELL EXCEEDED $20 MILLION.

THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT HAS PAID OUT NEARLY $22.6 MILLION AS QUICK CASH RELIEF TO 5 947 CASES SINCE THE SCHEME STARTED IN MAY LAST YEAR.

MRS DIANA LEE, HEAD OF THE TAVA SECTION, SAID TODAY ANOTHER $24 000 HAD BEEN AUTHORISED FOR PAYMENT TO 99 CASES AND NOW AWAIT COLLECTION AT THE DEPARTMENT.

SHE SAID GRANTS ALREADY MADE WERE PAID TO 534 CASES INVOLVING DEATH, AND TO 5 413 CASES INVOLVING INJURIES WHICH HAD CAUSED AT LEAST SEVEN DAYS' LOSS OF EARNING CAPACITY.

DEATH GRANTS AMOUNTED TO OVER $3.9 MILLION, SHE SAID, WHILE INJURY PAYMENTS TOTALLED $18.6 MILLION, OF WHICH $4.5 MILLION WERE FOR FURTHER PAYMENTS TO THOSE REQUIRING EXTENDED SICK LEAVE.

MRS LEE SAID THE HIGHEST PAYMENT SO FAR WAS $26 100 IN ONE FATAL CASE, WHILE OTHER PAYMENTS RANGED FROM $800 TO $25 040.

+AT PRESENT, 375 APPLICATIONS ARE BEING PROCESSED AND THE APPLICANTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO RECEIVE PAYMENTS SHORTLY, SHE SAID.

THE SCHEME IS NON-MEANS TESTED AND PROVIDES QUICK CASH RELIEF FOR TRAFFIC ACCIDENT VICTIMS OR THEIR DEPENDANTS REGARDLESS OF WHO WAS AT FAULT IN CAUSING THE ACCIDENT.

UNDER THE SCHEME, TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS MUST HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO THE POLICE.

PEOPLE INVOLVED CAN APPLY WITHIN SIX MONTHS OF THE ACCIDENT AT THE TAVA SECTION ON THE 14TH FLOOR OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTRE AT 280 GLOUCESTER ROAD, HONG KONG (TEL. NOS. 5-779421 AND 5-7903650).

YAU MA TEI ANTI-NARCOTICS CAMPAIGN ENDS

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AN EXCITING TELEMATCH IN KOWLOON PARK TODAY (SUNDAY) MARKED THE END OF THE THREE-WEEK ANTI-NARCOTICS CAMPAIGN IN YAU MA TEI · THE YEAR'S THIRD INTENSIVE DISTRICT CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED BY THE ACTION COMMITTEE AGAINST NARCOTICS.

THE FIRST OF THESE CAMPAIGNS BEGAN IN CENTRAL AND WESTERN DISTRICT ON SEPTEMBER 20, FOLLOWED BY YUEN LONG ON OCTOBER 19 AND YAU MA TEI ON NOVEMBER 15 WITH THE AIM OF ENLISTING THE SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNITIES IN ANTI-NARCOTICS EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE NARCOTICS DIVISION SAID THE CONCLUSION OF THE THREE DISTRICT CAMPAIGNS DID NOT MEAN AN END TO THE YEAR'S ANTI-NARCOTICS PUBLICITY EFFORTS.

/+IN FACT