XN000022-1986-02-19 — Page 6

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1986

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+THE DEPARTMENT IS TAKING ALL NECESSARY MEASURES TO ENSURE THAT NORMAL OPERATION WILL BE RESUMED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AND THAT DISRUPTION DURING THE RECABLING EXERCISE WILL BE KEPT TO A MINIMUM, + THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

HOWEVER, HE POINTED OUT THAT THIS IS A SUBSTANTIAL PROJECT TO IMPROVE TRAFFIC FLOW AT THE TUNNEL AND CONSIDERABLE CONGESTION MUST BE EXPECTED, PARTICULARLY DURING PEAK HOURS.

THE SPOKESMAN THEREFORE URGED MOTORISTS TO USE PUBLIC TRANSPORT WHEREVER POSSIBLE IN ORDER TO AVOID CONGESTION AT THE TUNNEL.

HE ALSO CALLED UPON MOTORISTS WHO CANNOT AVOID USING THE TUNNEL DURING THE RECABLING EXERCISE, PARTICULARLY AT THE PEAK PERIODS, TO BE AS PATIENT AS POSSIBLE.

THE DEPARTMENT WILL KEEP ALL 10 TOLL LANES OPEN AT PEAK PERIODS (FROM 7 AM TO 9 AM AND 5 PM TO 7 PM) DURING THE FIRST 48 HOURS OF THE RECABLING WORK. HOWEVER, IT WILL BE NECESSARY TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF LANES IN OPERATION TO FIVE AT OFF-PEAK TIMES.

DURING THE LAST 30 HOURS OF WORK, ALL LANES WILL AGAIN BE AVAILABLE TO VEHICULAR TRAFFIC.

ADVISORY SIGNS WOULD BE PUT UP ALONG THE APPROACH ROADS AT BOTH ENDS OF THE TUNNEL TO WARN MOTORISTS OF THE RECABLING WORK.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS BEING SENT BACK

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SEVEN MEN AND A WOMAN, CAUGHT IN ANTI-ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION OPERATIONS CARRIED OUT BY IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT OFFICERS IN WAN CHAI AND YAU MA TEI YESTERDAY (TUESDAY), WILL BE SENT BACK TO CHINA, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY.

ALL EIGHT, WHOSE AGES RANGE FROM 17 TO 40, HAD BEEN FOUND EMPLOYED IN THREE WORKSHOPS. THEY HAD COME FROM HOI FUNG AND LUK FUNG IN CHINA, AND HAD BEEN HERE SINCE NOVEMBER LAST YEAR, HE SAID.

THE OPERATORS OF THE WORKSHOPS WERE UNDER INVESTIGATION, HE SAID.

ALL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, IRRESPECTIVE OF AGE, WOULD BE SENT BACK AND THERE WAS NO QUESTION OF ANY AMNESTY, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

AND AS IT WAS AGAINST THE LAW TO EMPLOY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, ALL EMPLOYERS WERE REQUIRED TO CHECK THE IDENTITY CARDS OF WORKERS AND TO KEEP RECORDS OF THEM. FAILURE TO DO SO RENDERED THE EMPLOYER LIABLE TO A FINE OF $10 000 ON CONVICTION, HE ADDED.

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