Post_Office_1969-1970 — Page 17

congestion at the Air Mail Centre. On 20th October, 1969 the parcel acceptance counter was transferred to them along with the outward parcels work from Kai Tak Airport. The redeployment necessitated re- styling the premises of the Kowloon Parcel Office.

59. Two major new offices referred to in my previous report, the Colony Transit and Sorting Office at Hung Hom, and the new General Post Office in Hong Kong, are now at a more advanced stage of planning, and a realistic date for their opening would appear to be late 1973. These offices should cope with mails up to the 1980's, and it is intended that they should be largely mechanized.

60. In the meantime planning for the intermediate period is pro- ceeding on the basis of providing a new parcel mails complex, including acceptance and delivery facilities, in hangars opposite the present General Post Office, and refurbishing the Kowloon Parcel Office.

61. During 1969-70 four new post offices were opened:

Hennessy Road Sau Mau Ping Shek Lei Causeway Bay

2nd July, 1969.

-29th December, 1969. -24th February, 1970. -3rd March, 1970.

62. Additionally Sai Kung Post Office was replaced by a new office nearer the town centre on 28th June, 1969.

63. The total of post offices in operation is now 59. Preparations have been made for a number of new post offices to open in the next year.

DEVELOPMENT

64. The main effort in 1969-70 has been on preparing the system design for the postal mechanization installation at the proposed Colony Transit and Sorting Office and the new General Post Office. Addi- tionally, however, it is planned to install a newspaper and packing sorting machine, incorporating conveyors to relieve the existing General Post Office, and this should be completed before Christmas 1970. The proposed widening of Connaught Road will necessitate extending or replacing the G.P.O. bridge, and work has been undertaken on the form of mechanical installation required in the new structure.

65. As regards public office equipment, the split-level counter referred to in the 1968-69 Annual Report has been found to be satis- factory and it has been installed in three more post offices.

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