XN000022-1983-01-27 — Page 7

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+THE SIZE OF ELIGIBLE ELECTORATE HAS INCREASED FOUR TIMES FROM 500 000 PEOPLE IN 1981 TO TWO MILLION.

+ALL THE 700 000 PLUS REGISTERED VOTERS IN THE LAST URBAN DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS CAN VOTE IN THE COMING URBAN ELECTIONS. THERE WERE ONLY 34 381 REGISTERED VOTERS IN THE LAST URBCO ELECTIONS TWO YEARS AGO,

+VOTERS IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF HONG KONG AND KOWLOON WILL BE ELECTING THEIR OWN LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES AS THE ELECTIONS WILL BE HELD ON A CONSTITUENCY, INSTEAD OF TERRITORY WIDE, BASIS.

+TO ENABLE ELECTORS TO CAST THEIR VOTES NEAR THEIR HOMES, A TOTAL OF 168 POLLING STATIONS WILL BE SET UP THROUGHOUT THE URBAN AREAS ON ELECTION DAY.

BETTER FACILITY FOR LEARNER DRIVERS SOON

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AGREEMENT HAS BEEN REACHED BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE HONG KONG SCHOOL OF MOTORING LIMITED FOR THE CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF AN OFF-STREET DRIVER TRAINING CENTRE AT A 1.25 HECTARE SITE IN WONG CHUK HANG, A TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).

THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER (LICENSING), MR C.J. PRISTON STATED THAT THE CENTRE WILL HAVE THE CAPACITY OF TRAINING 12 000 STUDENTS A YEAR.

IT WILL OFFER LEARNER DRIVERS COMPREHENSIVE TUITION COMPRISING INITIAL TRAINING ON A DRIVING SIMULATOR, FOLLOWED BY A SPECIALLY LAID OUT OFF-STREET COURSE AND FINALLY BY ON-STREET PRACTICE.

THE ENTIRE COURSE WILL BE SPREAD OVER A 15-WEEK PERIOD, DURING WHICH THE STUDENTS WILL BE EXAMINED IN ALL PARTS OF THE DRIVING TEST BY TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT EXAMINERS WHO WILL BE STATIONED AT THE CENTRE,

THE HONG KONG SCHOOL OF MOTORING IS A JOINT VENTURE BETWEEN THE CROSS HARBOUR TUNNEL CO. LTD. AND RICHARDS MYTTON SYSTEMS LTD. BOTH COMPANIES HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN TRANSPORT-RELATED ACTIVITIES FOR SEVERAL YEARS.

MR PRISTON SAID HE WAS CONFIDENT THAT THIS TYPE OF TRAINING WOULD BE MOST SUITABLE FOR HONG KONG WITH ITS CONGESTED ROADS AND LIMITED FACILITIES FOR DRIVER TUITION.

WITH GREATER CONTROL OVER THE TUITION AND A CAREFULLY PLANNED TRAINING PROGRAMME, MR PRISTON SAID HE EXPECTED A MUCH HIGHER FIRST-TIME PASS RATE THAN THE CURRENT 15 PER CENT.

THE INCLUSION OF CLASSROOM TRAINING, HE ADDED, SHOULD PRODUCE SAFER AND MORE CONSIDERATE DRIVERS.

THE CENTRE, THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN HONG KONG, IS EXPECTED TO BE OPENED IN MID-1983.

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