XN000022-1982-10-17 — Page 5

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1982

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TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT REGIONALISED

或藏罩

REGIONAL AUTONOMY ON TRANSPORT AND TRAFFIC MATTERS COVERING HONG KONG AND THE OUTLYING ISLANDS, KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES WILL BE EFFECTED ON MONDAY, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY.

THIS WILL ENABLE THE DEPARTMENT TO RESPOND MORE QUICKLY AND EFFECTIVELY TO THE NEEDS OF THE DISTRICT BOARDS AS EACH AREA HAS ITS OWN TRANSPORT AND TRAFFIC CHARACTERISTICS.

ASSISTANT TRANSPORT COMMISSIONER, MR RICHARD MEAKIN WILL HEAD THE HONG KONG REGION AND HIS KOWLOON AND NEW TERRITORIES COUNTERPARTS WILL BE MR PANG HAU-CHUNG AND MR R.G. SCURFIELD, BOTH RECENT APPOINTMENTS BUT WITH EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN THE FIELD OF TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORT.

THE SPOKESMAN ADDED THAT EACH REGION HAS SET UP A TELEPHONE ENQUIRY CENTRE FOR THE PUBLIC TO DIRECT THEIR QUERIES AND PROBLEMS. THE NUMBER FOR HONG KONG REGION IS 5-756541 AND THAT FOR BOTH KOWLOON AND NEW TERRITORIES REGIONS IS 3-309944.

SAFER PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS

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THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT WILL BE EXPERIMENTING WITH TWO NEW AND MORE DISTINCTIVE TYPES OF PEDESTRIAN MARKINGS ON ROAD CROSSINGS · TO DETERMINE WHICH IS THE MORE EFFECTIVE FOR POSSIBLE FUTURE USE.

THE FIRST CONSISTING OF YELLOW STRIPES, WILL BE INTRODUCED IN CENTRAL AND THE OTHER, CONSISTING OF WHITE BOXES, IN WAN CHAI ON MONDAY, AT CROSSINGS IN FRONT OF YELLOW BOX JUNCTIONS AT QUEEN'S ROAD CENTRAL/ICE HOUSE STREET AND HENNESSY ROAD/TONNOCHY ROAD.

THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THE TRIAL SCHEME IS TO ESTABLISH A MORE EFFECTIVE METHOD OF MARKING PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS AT SIGNAL CONTROLLED JUNCTIONS TO DISCOURAGE MOTORISTS FROM ENTERING OR STOPPING INSIDE THE AREA WHILE WAITING FOR THE EXIT ROAD IN FRONT OF THE YELLOW CRISS-CROSS BOXES TO CLEAR.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT'S ROAD SAFETY DIVISION SAID MOTORISTS OFTEN BLOCKED THESE PEDESTRIAN-WAYS BY EDGING UP TO THE YELLOW BOX JUNCTIONS ONCE THE GREEN LIGHT IS IN THE IR FAVOUR ALTHOUGH THE EXIT IS NOT CLEAR.

THIS INVARIABLY RESULTS IN PEDESTRIANS HAVING TO WEAVE THROUGH BLOCKED CROSS INGS, WHICH IS EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS.

AZY PAIN