XN000022-1983-01-18 — Page 7

TUESDAY, JANUARY 18, 1983′

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LARGER PUBLIC LIGHT BUSES

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LARGER AND MORE COMFORTABLE PUBLIC LIGHT BUSES WILL SHORTLY BE INTRODUCED ON HONG KONG'S ROADS, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY.

AND THE FIRST MOVE IN THIS DIRECTION WAS MADE THIS MORNING AT THE DEPARTMENT'S TO KWA WAN VEHICLE EXAMINATION CENTRE WHEN A FULLY AIR-CONDITIONED 14 SEATER BUS WAS PRESENTED FOR INSPECTION.

UNDER AMENDMENTS RECENTLY MADE TO THE ROAD TRAFFIC ORDINANCE, PLB OPERATORS ARE ALLOWED TO ORDER NEW VEHICLES OF LARGER DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT THAN PREVIOUSLY PERMITTED.

THIS WILL ENABLE EXISTING OLD LIGHT BUSES TO BE REPLACED BY LARGER AND MORE ROBUST VEHICLES, SOME AIR-CONDITIONED AND OFFERING GREATER COMFORT TO PASSENGERS.

BUT THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF PASSENGERS THAT CAN BE CARRIED REMAINS AT 14.

ONE TEST WHICH IS PRE-REQUISITE TO THE REGISTRATION OF THIS NEW TYPE OF VEHICLE IS A STABILITY CHECK IN WHICH THE BUS IS TILTED TO 35 DEGREES TO EACH SIDE WITH A SIMULATED FULL LOAD OF 14 PASSENGERS.

THIS MORNING'S EXAMINATION WENT VERY SMOOTHLY, MR MARTYN UTTLEY, SENIOR ENGINEER (VEHICLE EXAMINATION) SAID, ADDING THAT HE EXPECTS MORE OF THESE NEW TYPES OF BUSES TO SHOW UP IN THE FOLLOWING WEEKS.

EXHIBITION TO PUBLICISE URBAN COUNCIL ELECTIONS

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A WEEK-LONG EXHIBITION ON THE WORK OF THE URBAN COUNCIL WILL BEGIN ON THURSDAY (JANUARY 20) IN WAN CHAI TO PROMOTE THE U.C. ELECTIONS ON MARCH 8.

THE EXHIBITION, TO BE HELD AT THE MINDEN PLAZA IN CAUSEWAY BAY BETWEEN 9 AM AND 7 PM DAILY, WILL FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHS, MAPS AND EXPLANATORY NOTES.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DISTRICT OFFICE SAID THE EXHIBITION WAS AIMED AT EXPLAINING TO RESIDENTS THE COUNCIL'S WORK, ITS SERVICES AND FACILITIES AVAILABLE AND FUTURE PLANS FOR THE DISTRICT.

*THE EVENT WILL BE THE FIRST OF A SERIES OF PUBLICITY PROGRAMMES ORGANISED BY THE DISTRICT OFFICE TO PUBLICISE THE ELECTIONS, + HE SAID.

+OTHER PROMOTION ACTIVITIES PLANNED IN WAN CHAI WILL INCLUDE SEMINARS, FORUMS, A VARIETY SHOW AND A TELEMATCH, +

THE TOTAL NUMBER OF REGISTERED VOTERS IN WAN CHAI IS 46 972.

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