XN000022-1982-11-04 — Page 4

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1982

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WORKING HOURS FOR BUS DRIVERS

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THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT HAS PROPOSED TO EACH OF THE BUS COMPANIES THAT THEY SHOULD VOLUNTARILY ADOPT STANDARDS AIMED AT ELIMINATING THE SMALL PROPORTION OF EXTREME WORKING PATTERN, THE ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT, MR RICHARD MEAKIN SAID TODAY.

HE IS RESPONDING TO CRITICISM OF CHINA MOTOR BUS PERMITTING EXCESS WORKING HOURS FOR BUS DRIVERS.

MR MEAKIN SAID THAT THE PROPOSALS WERE MADE FOLLOWING A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION OF WORKING HOURS, WORKING CONDITIONS AND FATIGUE AMONG BUS DRIVERS IN HONG KONG, WHICH WAS COMPLETED LAST NOVEMBER.

THESE PRELIMINARY PROPOSALS, WHICH ARE BASED ON REGULATIONS GOVERNING DRIVERS' HOURS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, ARE:

* FOR EVERY 5-1/2 HOURS OF DUTY A DRIVER SHALL HAVE AT

LEAST A 30-MINUTE BREAK:

* THE MAXIMUM PERIOD BETWEEN COMMENCEMENT OF DAILY DUTY AND COMPLETION SHALL BE 14 HOURS (THIS STANDARD IS INTENDED TO LIMIT THE SPREADOVER OF 'SPLIT' DUTIES WHICH REQUIRE A DRIVER TO COVER MORNING AND EVENING PEAK PERIODS WITH A BREAK BETWEEN).

* MAXIMUM DAILY DUTY (EXCLUDING BREAKS IN EXCESS OF ONE HOUR)

NOT TO EXCEED 11 HOURS;

* TOTAL CUMULATIVE DUTY NOT TO EXCEED 77 HOURS IN ANY

8-DAY PERIOD.

+THESE STANDARDS WERE PROPOSED TO THE COMPANIES BY THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT IN EARLY SEPTEMBER AND THE COMPANIES ARE CURRENTLY STUDYING THEM.

+EXPERIENCE IN OPERATING A PERIOD OF VOLUNTARY STANDARDS WILL INDICATE WHETHER LEGISLATION IS NECESSARY TO PLACE STATUTORY LIMITS ON DRIVER'S WORKING HOURS, AND WILL ASSIST IN DETERMINING WHAT THOSE LIMITS SHOULD BE,+ MR MEAKIN SAID.

SIR PHILIP VISITS RCD ****

THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR PHILIP HADDON-CAVE THIS (THURSDAY) AFTERNOON VISITED THE RECREATION AND CULTURE DEPARTMENT AT THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT OFFICES, WEST WING, ICE HOUSE STREET.

ON ARRIVAL, HE WAS MET BY THE DEPARTMENT'S COMMISSIONER, MR BARRIE WIGGHAM. SIR PHILIP THEN HAD A BRIEF DISCUSSION WITH MR WIGGHAM AND OTHER SENIOR STAFF OF THE DEPARTMENT.

/SIR PHILIP