XN000022-1985-07-03 — Page 13

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 1985

MORE SPECIALISED VEHICLES FOR CLEANSING FLEET

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TO ACHIEVE GREATER EFFICIENCY IN CLEANSING WORK, THE URBAN COUNCIL IS TO BUY SIX HIGHLY SPECIALISED REFUSÉ COLLECTION VEHICLES.

THE ORDER, AT A COST OF OVER $1.9 MILLION, COMPRISES TWO TRACTORS AND FOUR ELECTRO-HYDRAULIC COMPACTION TRAILERS.

ONE OF THE MAIN ADVANTAGES OF THESE VEHICLES IS THAT THE TRACTOR CAN TAKE A TRAILER TO A DESIGNATED REFUSE COLLECTION POINT WHERE IT WILL BE UNCOUPLED AND CONNECTED TO AN AUXILIARY POWER PACK TO DRIVE THE COMPACTION UNIT READY FOR LOADING.

THIS WILL NOT ONLY REDUCE THE NOISE LEVEL AND ENGINE EXHAUST BUT ALSO LEAVE THE TRACTOR FREE TO PICK UP A SECOND TRAILER AT ANOTHER LOCATION FOR A SIMILAR TASK TO BE UNDERTAKEN.

IN FACT, THE COUNCIL HAS PUT ON TRIAL A TRACTOR AND TWO TRAILERS SINCE AUGUST 1983. IT HAS BEEN ASCERTAINED THAT THE SYSTEM OFFERS SUBSTANTIAL OPERATIONAL AND, PARTICULARLY, ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS.

AT PRESENT THE COUNCIL MAINTAINS SOME 780 VEHICLES, OF WHICH ABOUT 420 ARE SPECIALISED ONES SUCH AS REFUSE COLLECTION VEHICLES, STREET WASHERS, MEAT VANS, MECHANICAL SWEEPERS AND GULLY CESSPIT EMPTIERS, THE REST ARE GENERAL PURPOSE VEHICLES INCLUDING PICK-UP VANS, MOTOR CYCLES AND LORRIES.

FOUR FIREMEN COMMENDED FOR RESCUE

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THE DRAMATIC RESCUE OF AN ELDERLY MAN WHO THREATENED TO JUMP FROM A BUILDING LAST MAY WAS AN EXAMPLE OF THE REPUTATION FOR PROFESSIONAL ISM AND EFFICIENCY ENJOYED BY THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT, THE ACTING CHIEF FIRE OFFICER OF HONG KONG, MR LAM CHEK-YUEN, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY),

HE WAS SPEAKING AT A CEREMONY AT WAN CHAI FIRE STATION THIS MORNING AT WHICH A FIRE OFFICER AND THREE FIREMEN WERE PRESENTED WITH THE DIRECTOR OF FIRE SERVICES' COMMENDATION FOR THE RESCUE OPERATION.

/+IT MAY