Post_Office_1962-1963 — Page 16

58. Air parcels posted numbered 274,028 and those received 69,259, showing an increase of 28% and 1.5% respectively over the totals for the previous year.

59. New direct closed surface parcel despatches were introduced to Aleppo (Syria), Christchurch (New Zealand) and Kabul (Afghanistan).

60. The violation of parcels in transit by ships showed a slight increase. Altogether 20 cases involving 74 parcels were recorded and formed the subject of representations to the shipping lines concerned.

61. Door to door parcel delivery was inaugurated in Hong Kong Island, after a few months' trial, in October 1962. The service is re- stricted to uninsured and uncharged parcels and does not extend to trade parcels in quantity.

Registration and Insurance

62. A total of 6,038,818 registered and insured items were handled during the year exceeding the previous year's total by 620,314 items or approximately 11.5 per cent.

Local Mails

63. Constant surveys were made on delivery beats and revisions in- troduced as the need arose. Motorized deliveries replaced foot deliveries in many areas and eleven additional vans were brought into use during the year.

64. The numbers of delivery beats in the Mong Kok, Tsim Sha Tsui and North Point areas were increased and the daily delivery in the Stanley area was put on a twice daily basis.

65.

Delivery by postmen from Tsuen Wan was introduced in Tsing Yi Island in August 1962. Delivery by postmen was also introduced in Tai O, following upon the opening of the Post Office there in May, to replace a restricted local service which for seventeen years previously had been given by a licensed stamp vendor in the village.

Posting Boxes

66. Thirteen additional street posting boxes were installed bringing the total to 315 and seven were re-sited.

Typhoon Wanda

67. Despite extensive damage to the roofs of the buildings used as Post and Mails Offices in Tsim Sha Tsui there was only brief interruption to services there and practically no water damage to mail

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