XN000022-1980-12-09 — Page 4

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1980

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MR BEATON SAID THE NEW REFLECTIVE ROAD MARKINGS, INTRODUCED LAST YEAR BY THE SAME COMPANY, HAD PROVED TO BE SUITABLE FOR USE IN HONG KONG.

+THESE ROAD MARKINGS ARE MORE EXPENSIVE INITIALLY THAN ROAD MARKING PAINT, BUT THEY HAVE SEVERAL BENEFITS, HE SAID.

+FIRSTLY, THEY DO NOT NEED TO BE REPLACED OR REPAINTED FREQUENTLY, THUS GREATLY REDUCING INCONVENIENCE TO MOTOR ISTS.

+SECONDLY, THE MINUTE GLASS BEADS MIXED IN THE MARKING MATERIAL GIVE A REFLECTIVE EFFECT AT NIGHT, IMPROVING VISIBILITY AFTER DARK, HE EXPLAINED.

THE SPEED OF MACHINE LAYING AND THE RAPID DRYING TIME OF THE MATERIAL ENSURE THAT TRAFFIC DELAYS ARE KEPT TO A MINIMUM, CERTAINLY MUCH LESS THAN FOR SIMILAR JOBS USING HAND APPLIED PAINT.

MACHINE LAYING ALSO REDUCES CONSIDERABLY THE DANGER TO WORKERS

ON THE ROAD PAINTING THE MARKINGS, MR BEATON ADDED.

WORK ON THE CONTRACT IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN SOON AND TO BE COMPLETED BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT YEAR.

YUEN LONG DEVELOPMENT DESERVES LOCAL PRIDE

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THE RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF YUEN LONG FROM A FARMING VILLAGE TO A COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL NEW TOWN WITH MORE THAN 200 000 PEOPLE DESERVES THE LOCAL COMMUNITY'S PRIDE, THE DIRECTOR OF NEW TERRITORIES SERVICES, MR JIMMY SWEETMAN SAID TODAY.

ADDRESSING A GATHERING OF STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS AT THE 31ST ANNUAL SPEECH DAY OF YUEN LONG PUBLIC MIDDLE SCHOOL, MR SWEETMAN SAID THE HUMAN RESOURCES THAT MOTIVATE DEVELOPMENT WOULD GREATLY INCREASE AFTER THE MASSIVE HOUSING PROJECTS INCLUDING FAIRVIEW GARDENS AND THE SHUI PIN VILLAGE ESTATE WERE COMPLETED.

ON THE LOCAL ECONOMY AND JOB OPPORTUNITIES, MR SWEETMAN SAID MANY BANKS IN YUEN LONG AND BRANCH COMPANIES OR OFFICES OF LOCAL AND FOREIGN ORGANISATIONS HAD SPRUNG UP.

A GREAT NUMBER OF FACTORIES HAVE ALSO JOINED IN PRODUCTION ONE AFTER ANOTHER AND MOST OF THEM BELONG TO THE LABOUR-CONCENTRATED LIGHT INDUSTRIES AND WILL PROVIDE A LOT OF JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE SKILLED WORKERS IN YUEN LONG, HE SAID.

+THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN OF THE WANG CHAU INDUSTRIAL ESTATE IS BEING VIGOROUSLY PURSUED, HE ADDED.

MR SWEETMAN TOLD THE GRADUATES THAT LOCAL PEOPLE INTENDING INDUSTRIAL CAREERS WOULD HAVE PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITIES TO DEPLOY THE IR ABILITIES TO ATTAIN THEIR GOALS.

/ON PUBLIC