XN000022-1990-07-26 — Page 10

THURSDAY, JULY 26, 1990

* SUBSIDY FOR TRAVELLING ON THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY, CURRENTLY BASED ON THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE STUDENT FARE AND HALF THE ADULT FARE, WILL BE REVISED ΤΟ HALF OF THE STUDENT FARE;

*

BASED ON THE FINDINGS OF THE SURVEY, THE TRAVEL ALLOWANCE WILL BE CALCULATED ON 11 SCHOOL EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITY (ECA) TRIP EACH AND SECONDARY STUDENTS AND 11 SCHOOL AND EACH WEEK FOR TERTIARY STUDENTS; AND

TRIPS AND ONE WEEK FOR PRIMARY THREE ECA TRIPS

THE REVISED SCHEME WILL COST ABOUT $7.6 MILLION MORE PER ANNUM, ASSUMING THE SAME NUMBER OF SUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS AND THE SAME FARE LEVELS.

THE SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED THAT UNDER THE REVISED SCHEME, BECAUSE OF THE MORE REFINED ZONING ARRANGEMENTS AND THE MORE REALISTIC TRAVEL PATTERNS USED, STUDENTS WHO SHOULD RECEIVE MORE SUBSIDY PER TRIP COMPARED WITH NOW WILL GET MORE AND THOSE WHO SHOULD RECEIVE LESS WILL GET LESS.

"THE REVISED SCHEME IS THEREFORE A MUCH FAIRER ONE," THE

SPOKESMAN SAID.

SOUGHT.

FINANCE COMMITTEE APPROVAL OF THE REVISED SCHEME WILL BE

GRADING OF BEACH WATER QUALITY

THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT (EPD) TODAY (THURSDAY) ANNOUNCED GRADES ON THE BACTERIAL WATER QUALITY OF ALL BATHING BEACHES IN HONG KONG.

THE PURPOSE OF THE GRADING SYSTEM IS TO INFORM SWIMMERS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC ABOUT THE STATE OF BACTERIAL POLLUTION AT VARIOUS BEACHES.

THE GRADING WILL BE ANNOUNCED BIWEEKLY DURING THE BATHING SEASON, TO COINCIDE WITH THE FREQUENCY AT WHICH BEACH WATERS ARE USUALLY SAMPLED.

THE GRADING IS BASED ON THE MOST RECENT E. COLI DATA OBTAINED BY THE EPD IN ITS ROUTINE MONITORING PROGRAMME.

AS WITH LAST YEAR, THE GRADING ALSO INCLUDES AN ESTIMATE OF THE RISK OF SUFFERING SOME MINOR SKIN OR GASTROINTESTINAL COMPLAINTS AS A RESULT OF SWIMMING AT A BEACH WHICH HAS SOME DEGREE OF POLLUTION. THE ESTIMATE IS BASED ON A VERY LARGE BODY OF STATISTICAL INFORMATION GATHERED IN HONG KONG IN RECENT BATHING SEASONS.

/THE GRADIN

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