XN000022-1984-02-13 — Page 8

NOTE TO EDITORSt

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1984

PRESS BRIEFING ON GDP

***

A PRESS BRIEFING ON GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT ESTIMATES WILL BE HELD ON WEDNESDAY (FEBRUARY 15) AT 4 PM IN THE GIS THEATRE, FIFTH FLOOR, BEACONSFIELD HOUSE, CENTRAL.

FOR REFERENCE BEFORE THE BRIEFING A BOOKLET ON +ESTIMATES OF GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT 1966-83+ WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PRESS AT 3 PM.

PRESENT AT THE BRIEFING WILL BE THE COMMISSIONER FOR CENSUS AND STATISTICS, MR COLIN GREENFIELD; THE ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER FOR CENSUS AND STATISTICS, MR FREDERICK HO;

THE SENIOR STATISTICIAN, MISS LILY FONG; THE DEPUTY SECRETARY (ECONOMIC SERVICES), DR A.A. MCLEAN; AND THE PRINCIPAL ASSISTANT SECRETARY (ECONOMIC SERVICES), MRS ANNIE WONG.

RESIDENTIAL COACH SERVICE SUCCESSFUL

X X X

RESIDENTIAL COACHES HAVE PROVIDED SERVICES FOR OVER 2.5 MILLION PASSENGERS SINCE THEIR INTRODUCTION IN FEBRUARY 1982.

THE COACHES SERVE THE NEEDS OF OUTLYING RESIDENTIAL AREAS DURING PEAK HOURS, ESPECIALLY THOSE PRIVATE DEVELOPMENTS WITH INADEQUATE PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES.

THERE ARE NOW 23 RESIDENTIAL COACH SERVICE ROUTES THROUGHOUT THE TERRITORY, PROVIDING A USEFUL ADDITION TO VARIOUS TRANSPORT SERVICES.

OF THESE, 19 ARE IN THE NEW TERRITORIES AND FOUR ON HONG KONG ISLAND, A TOTAL OF 58 BUSES ARE AUTHORISED FOR THESE SERVICES.

THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT WILL SOON APPROVE TWO MORE ROUTES - ONE FROM WALDORF GARDEN IN TUEN MUN TO TSUEN WAN MTR STATION AND THE OTHER FROM SHUEN WAN TEMPORARY HOUSING AREA IN TAI PO TO KWUN TONG.

+THIS TYPE OF TRANSPORT SERVICE HAS BEEN VERY USEFUL FOR LOWER DENSITY HOUSING AREAS WHICH DO NOT JUSTIFY FULL-DAY SERVICES,+ A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID.

+THE PROPOSAL FOR NEW SERVICE ROUTES USUALLY COMES FROM LOCAL RESIDENTS AND APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED BY THEM WILL BE GIVEN SYMPATHETIC CONSIDERATION.+

/UNDER THIS