XN000022-1994-08-29 — Page 6

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MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 1994

CAMPAIGN ON GOODS VEHICLE SAFE LOADING

THE GOVERNMENT WILL LAUNCH A SERIES OF PUBLICITY CAMPAIGNS THIS YEAR TO PROMOTE THE SAFE AND PROPER LOADING OF GOODS VEHICLES.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SAID OVERLOADED VEHICLES NOT ONLY CAUSED SERIOUS DAMAGE TO THE ROAD SURFACE, THEREBY IMPOSING HIGH COST ON THE TAXPAYERS, BUT ALSO POSED SEVERE POTENTIAL DANGER TO THE DRIVERS AND OTHER ROAD USERS.

THE USE OF CORRECT LOADING METHODS CAN HELP SAFEGUARD THE SAFETY OF DRIVERS AND ROAD USERS, AS AN UNRVEN LOAD CAN EASILY UPSET THE VEHICLES' BALANCING MECHANISM, RESULTING IN OVERTURNING.

"WE HAVE REASONS TO BELIEVE THAT MANY OVERTURNING CASES INVOLVING GOODS VEHICLES WERE CAUSED BY IMPROPER LOADING OF THE VEHICLES, AMONG OTHER FACTORS, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

"TO HELP PREVENT OVERLOADING AND ENCOURAGE THE ADOPTION OF CORRECT LOADING METHODS, THE GOVERNMENT HAS DECIDED TO LAUNCH A SERIES OF EDUCATIONAL AND PUBLICITY PROGRAMMES TO ALERT THE OPERATORS OF GOODS VEHICLES TO THEIR OBLIGATIONS WITH REGARD TO THE SAFE TRANSPORT OF GOODS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW AND THE PROPER METHODS OF LOADING GOODS, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

BECAUSE OF THE IMMENSE RISKS CAUSED BY OVERLOADED GOODS VEHICLES, THE GOVERNMENT HAS ADOPTED A VIGILANT ENFORCEMENT APPROACH. FOR INSTANCE, IN THE FIRST HALF OF THIS YEAR, THE POLICE HAVE UNDERTAKEN MORE THAN 11,000 PROSECUTIONS AGAINST OVERLOADED VEHICLES.

THIS CAMPAIGN WILL START WITH A WIDE CIRCULATION OF THE UPDATED CODE OF PRACTICE FOR THE LOADING OF VEHICLES. THE CODE OF PRACTICE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN 1988 TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE ON THE MOST APPROPRIATE MEANS OF LOADING BY GOODS VEHICLES.

"IT HAS BEEN RECENTLY UPDATED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT NEW CIRCUMSTANCES, THE COMMENTS CONTRIBUTED BY THE VARIOUS ASSOCIATIONS INVOLVED IN THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY AND THE LATEST AMENDMENTS ΤΟ THE RELATED LEGISLATION, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

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A PAMPHLET CALLED "A GUIDE TO THE PREVENTION OF OVERLOADING GOODS VEHICLES" HAS ALSO BEEN PUBLISHED. THIS PAMPHLET BRIEFLY EXPLAINS THE LEGISLATION AND THE METHODS TO PREVENT OVERLOADING.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID A TOTAL OF 100,000 CHINESE AND 7,000 ENGLISH COPIES OF THE CODE OF PRACTICE AND PAMPHLET WERE BEING DISTRIBUTED FREE TO ALL THE LICENSED GOODS VEHICLE OWNERS, THE RELATED ASSOCIATIONS, GOVERNMENT BUILDING CONTRACTORS AND OTHER PARTIES IN THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY.

MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC MAY ALSO OBTAIN COPIES OF THE PAMPHLET FROM THE LICENSING OFFICES OF THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT AND THE PUBLIC ENQUIRY COUNTERS OF THE DISTRICT OFFICES.

/AS PART