XN000022-1983-11-25 — Page 8

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1983

+THIS COOPERATION IS VERY WELCOME BECAUSE IT PROVIDES A MUCH BROADER RANGE OF VEHICLES FOR THE PILOT STAGE TESTING,+ MR CLANCY SAID.

THE MILITARY VEHICLES OF THE ROYAL CORPS OF TRANSPORT WOULD ALSO PARTICIPATE. CHINA MOTOR BUS, KOWLOON MOTOR BUS AND CITYBUS HAD ALSO AGREED TO HAVE ENPS FITTED TO THEIR BUSES.

+THIS IS PARTICULARLY ADVANTAGEOUS BECAUSE ON CERTAIN ROUTES THROUGH THE CENTRAL/ADMIRALTY AREA BUSES WITH ENPS WILL PASS OVER LOOPS SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE COURSE OF THE DAY, AND IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE TO HELP VERIFY EQUIPMENT PERFORMANCE BY CHECKING OPERATORS LOGS AGAINST THE COMPUTER LOGS,+ HE ADDED.

UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS HAD ALSO AGREED TO HAVE THEIR PRIVATE CARS FITTED WITH ENPS. MR CLANCY ALSO HOPED TO SEE PARTICIPATION FROM TAXIS, MAXICABS AND HKAA MEMBERS. HE REITERATED THAT NO ONE WOULD BE CHARGED DURING THE PILOT STAGE,

+THE COMPLETE SYSTEM THROUGH TO THE BILLING STAGE WILL BE TESTED, BUT NO BILLS WILL BE ISSUED, HE SAID.

REPORTING FURTHER ON PROGRESS OF THE PILOT STAGE, MR CLANCY SAID THE SHAPE AND METHOD OF FITTING THE ENP TO VEHICLES HAD NOW BEEN DETERMINED.

+ IT NOW LOOKS VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE PROTOTYPE ENP DESIGNED AND PRODUCED FOR TRIALS IN THE U.K. ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO.+

THE ENP HAS UNDERGONE AN IMPORTANT RE-THINK TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF ADVANCES IN TECHNOLOGY AND HONG KONG CONDITIONS. AS ENVISAGED IN EARLIER ANNOUNCEMENTS, IT WILL BE ABOUT THE SAME SIZE AS A VIDEO CASSETTE AND THE CASING WILL BE AN IMPACT RESISTANT PLASTIC.

IT WILL BE FITTED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE FRONT PASSENGER WELL ON CARS, WHEREAS THE PROTOTYPE WAS FITTED WITH BOLTS, THE ENP FOR HONG KONG WILL COME SUPPLIED WITH AN H-SHAPED BRACKET TO BE FIXED SECURELY TO THE CAR BY INERT GAS WELDING.

LOCAL GARAGES WILL BE USED FOR THIS FITTING, WHICH FOR EACH ENP SHOULD TAKE UNDER 10 MINUTES, THIS FITTING METHOD DOES NOT INVOLVE ANY PROTRUSIONS ON THE INSIDE OF THE CAR NOR ANY DAMAGE,

MR CLANCY CAUTIONED THAT THE GOOD PROGRESS MADE DID NOT MEAN THAT THE ELECTRONIC HARDWARE WOULD BE IN PLACE IN THE NEAR FUTURE. HE EXPECTED TO SEE INITIAL SHIPMENTS OF EQUIPMENT IN THE SUMMER OF 1984, BUT SAID FULL TESTING WOULD NOT BEGIN FOR A FURTHER SIX MONTHS.

+THE HARDWARE DESIGN AND SITE AND FLEET SELECTION WHICH HAS BEEN ON THE CRITICAL PATH OF THE PROJECT IS EXACTLY ACCORDING TO SCHEDULE, AND NOTHING IS BEING RUSHED THROUGH, HE POINTED OUT.

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