XN000022-1985-08-25 — Page 4

SUNDAY, AUGUST 25, 1985

3

EXPANDED DEPOT TO PUT VEHICLES IN ORDER

****

THE SERVICING AND MINOR REPAIR WORK OF THE URBAN

COUNCIL'S 440 VEHICLES IN KOWLOON CAN BE DONE IN-HOUSE WHEN THE EXPANDED VEHICLE SERVICING FACILITIES AT THE COUNCIL'S SAI YEE STREET DEPOT GO INTO FULL OPERATION IN THE MIDDLE OF NEXT MONTH.

THE NEW FACILITIES COSTING SOME $2.3 MILLION INCLUDE A LUBRICATION PIT, TWO INSPECTION AND REPAIR PITS AND 10 REPAIR BAYS WHICH WILL BE HOUSED IN A COVERED AREA TOTALLING ALMOST 600 SQUARE METRES.

+AT PRESENT ALL THE REPAIR WORK IS DONE IN AN OPEN AREA, WHICH MEANS THAT THE PROGRESS OF THE REPAIR WORK MIGHT SOMETIMES BE HELD UP BY RAINY WEATHER, ACCORDING TO THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT'S TRANSPORT MANAGER (KOWLOON), MR STEPHEN SHUM.

+WITH THE PROVISION OF THE COVERED REPAIR PITS AND BAYS, MAINTENANCE WORK CAN BE UNDERTAKEN THROUGHOUT THE YEAR IRRESPECTIVE OF INCLEMENT WEATHER, THEREBY REDUCING THE DOWN-TIME RATE OF VEHICLES AND IMPROVING THE AVAILABILITY OF THE VEHICLE FLEET,+ SAID MR SHUM.

THE DEPOT COMPOUND, WITH A TOTAL AREA OF ABOUT

6 000 SQUARE METRES, ALSO INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING FACILITIES: A HYDRAULIC REPAIR SHOP, A TYRE REPAIR SHOP AND TYRE STORE, A BATTERY CHARGING ROOM, A DANGEROUS GOODS STORE, A GENERAL STORE, 60 VEHICLE PARKING SPACES, VEHICLE WASHING BAYS, FUEL FILLING STATIONS, DRIVERS REST ROOMS, WORKSHOPS, AND

OFFICES.

THE EXPANDED DEPOT WILL SE EQUIPPED WITH A NUMBER OF COMPRESSED AIR POINTS, WHICH WILL FACILITATE THE USE OF PNEUMATIC TOOLS IN THE MAINTENANCE WORK, THEREBY IMPROVING THE EFFICIENCY OF THE WORK TEAM.

THE COUNCIL'S VEHICLE FLEET IN KOWLOON COMPRISES 180 REFUSE COLLECTION VEHICLES, 169 GENERAL PURPOSE VEHICLES, 92 OTHER SPECIALIST VEHICLES SUCH AS MECHANICAL SWEEPERS, STREET FLUSHERS, GULLY CESSPIT EMPTIERS, HYDRAULIC CRANE AND GRAB LORRIES, A MOBILE LIBRARY, A MOBILE TOILET, CEMETERY VANS, BY-PRODUCTS VANS AND MEAT VANS, ETC.

MEANWHILE, WORK ON THE PROVISION OF VEHICLE SERVICING FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT AT THE COUNCIL'S WHITFIELD DEPOT ON HONG KONG ISLAND WILL START IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS AND IS SCHEDULED FOR COMPLETION IN TWO YEARS.