XN000022-1985-07-21 — Page 12

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SUNDAY, JULY 21, 1985

RSD TO OPEN FIRST MULTI-STOREY VEHICLE DEPOT

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THE REGIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT WILL OPEN ON WEDNESDAY (JULY 24) THE FIRST GOVERNMENT MULTI-STOREY VEHICLE DEPOT

CAPABLE OF PROVIDING A COMPREHENSIVE RANGE OF REPAIR, MAINTENANCE AND RELATED SERVICES FOR A QUARTER OF THE DEPARTMENT'S FLEET OF 480 VEHICLES.

TRANSPORT MANAGER OF THE RSD, MR JOHN HARRISON, SAID THAT ALTHOUGH THE INITIAL OUTLAY OF $50 MILLION FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE DEPOT WAS SLIGHTLY HIGH, IT OFFERED MANY ADVANTAGES IN BEING ABLE TO CONCERNTRATE THE DEPARTMENT'S TRANSPORT SERVICES FOR KWAI CHUNG AND TSUEN WAN IN ONE WELL-EQUIPPED CENTRE.

+TO BEGIN WITH, THE FACT THAT THE KWAI CHUNG DEPOT CAN TAKE OVER MANY OF THE VEHICULAR REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE SERVICES PRESENTLY RENDERED BY THE ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT MEANS THAT IT WILL CONSIDERABLY SHORTEN THE 'DOWN TIME' OF OUR VEHICLES.

+THE QUALITY SERVICE THAT THE DEPOT CAN PROVIDE EXPEDITIOUSLY SHOULD ENABLE THE DEPARTMENT TO INCREASE ITS PRODUCTIVITY AND AT THE SAME TIME MAINTAIN THE SERVICE LIFE OF THESE EXPENSIVE SPECIAL-PURPOSE VEHICLES.

+ALL THESE ARE COST-EFFECTIVE MEASURES THAT SHOULD BECOME APPARENT SOON,+ MR HARRISON SAID.

ONE NOTABLE FEATURE OF THE SIX-STOREY DEPOT IS THAT IT HAS A FLOOR-LOADING CAPACITY OF 1.2 TONNES PER SQUARE METRE, MAKING IT CAPABLE OF SUPPORTING 25-TONNE VEHICLES. AT PRESENT, THE HEAVIEST SPECIALIST VEHICLES OWNED BY THE RSD WEIGH ONLY 19 TONNES.

LOCATED AT THE JUNCTION OF TAI LIN PAI ROAD AND SAN KWA! STREET, THE DEPOT HAS 6 000 SQUARE METRES OF FLOOR AREA. AMONG ITS MODERN FACILITIES ARE A FULLY-EQUIPPED HYDRAULIC REPAIR ROOM, A TYRE ROOM AND AN ELECTRICAL FAULT-FINDING AND BATTERY-RECHARGING ROOM.

THERE ARE THREE SERVICE PITS, TWO REPAIR BAYS AND VEHICLE GREASING AND WASHING BAYS.

REFUELLING POINTS FOR BOTH DIESEL AND PETROL ENGINED VEHICLES ARE ALSO PROVIDED. IT HAS SUFFICIENT PARKING SPACE FOR SOME 130 VEHICLES.

TO FACILITATE THE MOVEMENT OF BIG MUNICIPAL SERVICES VEHICLES, THE DEPOT IS FITTED WITH CONVEX MIRRORS AT EVERY CORNER ON EACH FLOOR. REVERSING BARRIERS ARE ALSO PROVIDED AT ALL PARKING BAYS TO SIGNIFY TO DRIVERS WHEN TO STOP WHILE BACKING THEIR VEHICLES INTO THE IR PARKING SPACE.

/WITH A