XN000022-1981-07-24 — Page 2

FRIDAY, JULY 24, 1981

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ROYAL WEDDING STAMPS ON SALE JULY 29

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ALL POST OFFICES WILL BE OPEN AS USUAL FOR THE SALE OF THE SPECIAL STAMPS COMMEMORATING THE WEDDING OF PRINCE CHARLES AND LADY DIANA SPENCER ON WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, WHICH IS A HOLIDAY, THE POSTMASTER GENERAL ANNOUNCED TODAY (FRIDAY).

THE AIRPORT POST OFFICE WILL BE THE ONLY EXCEPTION, AND WILL BE OPEN FROM 9 AM TO 5 PM, INSTEAD OF THE USUAL HOURS OF 8 AM TO 9 PM.

THERE WILL, HOWEVER, BE NO DELIVERY OF MAIL ON JULY 29.

MEANWHILE, THE PUBLIC ARE REMINDED THAT AN ADDITIONAL 250 000 FIRST DAY COVERS FOR THE ISSUE OF THE ROYAL WEDDING STAMPS WILL BE PUT ON SALE ON MONDAY, JULY 27, AT ALL POST OFFICES.

ON AUGUST 3, WHICH IS THE FIRST MONDAY OF THE MONTH, 33 POST OFFICES, INCLUDING THE GENERAL POST OFFICE ON HONG KONG ISLAND, KOWLOON CENTRAL AND TSIM SHA TSUI POST OFFICES IN KOWLOON, AND THE TSUEN WAN AND TAI PO POST OFFICES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES WILL BE OPEN FOR BUSINESS FROM 9 AM TO NOON.

THERE WILL BE ONE MAIL DELIVERY ON MONDAY, AUGUST 3.

MORE TAXIS FOR NEW TERRITORIES

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THE GOVERNMENT HAS DECIDED TO ISSUE NEW TERRITORIES TAXI LICENCES AT THE RATE OF 50 A MONTH TO KEEP PACE WITH PUBLIC DEMAND CREATED BY THE RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEW TOWNS.

ANNOUNCING THIS TODAY, A TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAIDI WITH MORE PEOPLE MOVING TO THE NEW TOWNS, COUPLED WITH GREATER INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AND GROWING AFFLUENCE IN THE NEW TERRITOR IES GENERALLY, IT IS CLEAR THAT THERE IS A STRONG NEED FOR THIS TYPE OF TRANSPORT.+

THE PRESENT MAXIMUM LEGAL LIMIT OF 838 NEW TERRITORIES TAXIS HAS BEEN REACHED AND, AS A RESULT, THE GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED IN TODAY'S GOVERNMENT GAZETTE THAT IT IS RAISING THE MAXIMUM LEGAL LIMIT TO 3 000.

THE GOVERNMENT ALSO IS RAISING THE EXISTING LEGAL LIMIT OF 10 000 URBAN TAXIS TO 12 000 TO ALLOW IT TO CONTINUE WITH THE POLICY OF ISSUING URBAN TAXI LICENCES AT THE RATE OF 100 A MONTH.

TENDERS FOR BOTH NEW TERRITORIES AND URBAN TAXI LICENCES WILL BE CALLED AT THREE-MONTHLY INTERVALS.

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