XN000022-1986-02-22 — Page 6

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1986

HE SAID YOUNG PEOPLE WERE FAR BETTER OFF INDULGING IN WORTHWHILE ARTISTIC OR SPORTING PURSUITS TO FIND A SENSE OF FULFILMENT.

THE ANTI-NARCOTIC DISCO WAS JOINTLY ORGANISED BY THE DISTRICT FIGHT CRIME COMMITTEE AND THE NARCOTICS DIVISION OF GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT WITH THE AIM OF SPREADING THE ANTI-NARCOTIC MESSAGE TO YOUNG PEOPLE.

HE SAID PARENTS SHOULD ENCOURAGE THEIR CHILDREN TO TAKE UP MORE WORTHWHILE EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES WHICH BRING ENJOYMENT TO RELIEVE SCHOOL PRESSURES.

+THEY SHOULD ALSO TAKE A SYMPATHETIC LINE WITH THEIR CHILDREN IF A DRUG PROBLEM DOES ARISE AND SHOULD SEEK EXPERT HELP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, HE ADDED,

RESULTS OF GREEN MINIBUS TENDERS OUT

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THE GREEN MINIBUS OPERATORS SELECTION BOARD HAS JUST COMPLETED THE TENDERS SELECTION EXERCISE FOR 24 NEW GREEN MINIBUS ROUTES.

THE NEW GREEN MINIBUS ROUTES, SET TO SERVE ABERDEEN, WONG TAI SIN, SHAM SHUI PO, KWUN TONG, YUEN LONG, NORTH DISTRICT, TUEN MUN AND TSUEN WAN, WERE TENDERED OUT IN 11 PACKAGES IN NOVEMBER LAST YEAR AND ARE EXPECTED TO COME INTO OPERATION BY APRIL.

A TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT WHEN THE OFFER CLOSED ON DECEMBER 13, A TOTAL OF 50 APPLICATIONS WERE RECEIVED. HOWEVER, NONE OF THE APPLICANTS WERE INTERESTED IN THE PACKAGE COMPRISING ROUTES LINKING HOP CHOI STREET, YUEN LONG WITH FUNG KAT HEUNG, SHU! ME AND TAI KONG PO.

THE SELECTION OF OPERATORS FOR ANY NEW GREEN MINIBUS SERVICE IS BY OPEN SELECTION. ALL QUALIFIED APPLICANTS HAVE BEEN ASSESSED ON A SCORING SYSTEM WHICH COVERS ASPECTS RELATING TO THE APPLICANTS' EXPERIENCE IN PUBLIC LIGHT BUS AND GREEN MINIBUS OPERATION, PAST PASSING RATE IN MOTOR VEHICLE EXAMINATIONS, FINANCIAL RESOURCES. AND, PERCENTAGE OF VEHICLES OWNED.

IN VIEW OF THE LARGE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS RECEIVED IN THIS TENDER EXERCISE, ONLY APPLICANTS WITH HIGHER SCORES WERE SHORTLISTED FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF THE SELECTION BOARD WHICH IS AN INDEPENDENT BODY CHAIRED BY THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT AND HAS AS MEMBERS, AN UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM VARIOUS GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND THE ICAC.

/THE SPOKESMAN