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off the dripping vehicle oil to make street cleansing easier and to give the tourist area of Tsim Sha Tsui a more attractive sight? If it is proved successful, will the Chairman direct the attention of the relevant authority to its wider use in other bus terminuses?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:--
In October 1959, my friend, the Director of Public Works, raised this matter with the Kowloon Motor Bus Company, and as a result the Company arranged to wash down the major terminals, including those at the Star Ferry, Jordan Road Ferry and Kowloon City Ferry concourses at fortnightly intervals, using a detergent. Mopping up of excess oil is also carried out as necessary in the interval between the fortnightly washings. The sacks laid to absorb the oil drippings are changed at monthly intervals. I understand that in the past, trays of sand were used to absorb the oil but these proved unsuccessful as they were unsightly, they were damaged by the buses and, at that time, they caused some inconvenience to pedestrians. At the recently completed Hung Hom terminus three sunken troughs have been constructed in the roadway to collect oil dripping from the buses. Two of these troughs are filled with sand and one has been experimentally coated with resin to make the concrete impervious to oil. If these troughs prove satisfactory it should be possible to adopt the same method at the Star Ferry Concourse. The Director of Public Works has agreed to look further into this matter.
DR. LEE:-Mr. Chairman, do the Department's street cleansing vehicles do any cleaning of these parking areas?
CHAIRMAN:-Yes, Sir, they do normal cleansing.
DR. LEE:-May I know how frequently?
CHAIRMAN:--I could not tell you now, but I will let you know later.
DR. LEE:-Thank you.
(13) DR. R. H. S. LEE asked the following question:
Will the Chairman state the number of vacancies in the Urban Services Department, and can he tell what steps have been taken with Government to find the necessary personnel to fill these so that the Council's policy with regard to street cleansing and other duties might be carried out more expeditiously?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:--
On 1st August there were 529 vacancies in the Urban Services Department, of which 339 were for labourers. 253 of these vacancies were for labourers in the cleansing division. Vacancies in other grades included 20 Student Health Inspectors, 37 Motor Drivers, and 39 Gardeners, Class II. The department has been experiencing difficulties in recruiting labourers, mainly, it is thought, because of the more favourable rates of pay available to unskilled labour in the building industry. Despite the shortage of labourers, services are being maintained with the payment of overtime where necessary. The opportunities for employment in the Urban Services Department are widely known and in the past a full waiting list of applicants has been maintained. Only a few applications are now received each week. All labourers in the department have been informed of the vacancy position for the benefit of their friends and relatives. The Public Enquiry Service is advertising the vacancies at their offices and arrangements have also been made to inform the residents of resite areas.
Concerning the other vacancies in the department, recruitment is almost complete in respect of the Student Health Inspectors and it is expected that they will be appointed shortly. In regard to Motor Drivers, 36 members of the minor staff of the department who are receiving training in lorry driving by the transport section of the Public Works Department are due to finish the course this month and, if successful, will be appointed as Motor Drivers.
Approximately 20% of the Gardener vacancies are intended for new projects which have not yet been completed. Recruitment is in progress for the remaining vacancies and 11 candidates are expected to be appointed this week.
DR. LEE:-I wonder what action has the Department taken with Government in respect to increasing the rate of pay for these junior posts in the Department so as to make them more attractive and also to maintain the cleanliness of the city in a better state?
CHAIRMAN:--The Department has no power to determine the rates of pay for its staff, but the position regarding the vacancies has been made known to the Colonial Secretary.
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Page 114 of 312
Page 113 of 312
202
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
off the dripping vehicle oil to make street cleansing easier and to give the tourist area of Tsim Sha Tsui a more attractive sight? If it is proved successful, will the Chairman direct the attention of the relevant authority to its wider use in other bus terminuses?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:--
In October 1959, my friend, the Director of Public Works, raised this matter with the Kowloon Motor Bus Company, and as a result the Company arranged to wash down the major terminals, including those at the Star Ferry, Jordan Road Ferry and Kowloon City Ferry concourses at fort- nightly intervals, using a detergent. Mopping up of excess oil is also carried out as necessary in the interval between the fortnightly washings. The sacks laid to absorb the oil drippings are changed at monthly intervals. I under- stand that in the past, trays of sand were used to absorb the oil but these proved unsuccessful as they were un- sightly, they were damaged by the buses and, at that time, they caused some inconvenience to pedestrians. At the recently completed Hung Hom terminus three sunken troughs have been constructed in the roadway to collect oil dripping from the buses. Two of these troughs are filled with sand and one has been experimentally coated with resin to make the concrete impervious to oil. If these troughs prove satisfactory it should be possible to adopt the same method at the Star Ferry Concourse. The Director of Public Works has agreed to look further into this matter.
DR. LEE:-Mr. Chairman, do the Department's street cleansing vehicles do any cleaning of these parking areas?
later.
CHAIRMAN:-Yes, Sir, they do normal cleansing.
DR. LEE:-May I know how frequently?
CHAIRMAN:--I could not tell you now, but I will let you know
DR. LEE:-Thank you.
(13) DR. R. H. S. LEE asked the following question:
Will the Chairman state the number of vacancies in the Urban Services Department, and can he tell what steps have been taken with Government to find the necessary
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
203
personnel to fill these so that the Council's policy with regard to street cleansing and other duties might be carried out more expeditiously?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:-
On 1st August there were 529 vacancies in the Urban Services Department, of which 339 were for labourers. 253 of these vacancies were for labourers in the cleansing division. Vacancies in other grades included 20 Student Health Inspectors, 37 Motor Drivers, and 39 Gardeners, Class II. The department has been experiencing difficulties in recruiting labourers, mainly, it is thought, because of the more favourable rates of pay available to unskilled labour in the building industry. Despite the shortage of labourers, services are being maintained with the payment of over- time where necessary. The opportunities for employment
in the Urban Services Department are widely known and in the past a full waiting list of applicants has been maintained. Only a few applications are now received each week. All labourers in the department have been informed of the vacancy position for the benefit of their friends and relatives. The Public Enquiry Service is advertising the vacancies at their offices and arrangements have also been made to inform the residents of resite
areas.
Concerning the other vacancies in the department, recruitment is almost complete in respect of the Student Health Inspectors and it is expected that they will be appointed shortly. In regard to Motor Drivers, 36 members of the minor staff of the department who are receiving training in lorry driving by the transport section of the Public Works Department are due to finish the course this month and, if successful, will be appointed as Motor Drivers.
Approximately 20% of the Gardener vacancies are intended for new projects which have not yet been completed. Recruit- ment is in progress for the remaining vacancies and 11 candidates are expected to be appointed this week.
DR. LEE:-I wonder what action has the Department taken with Government in respect to increasing the rate of pay for these junior posts in the Department so as to make them more attractive and also to maintain the cleanliness of the city in a better state?
CHAIRMAN: --The Department has no power to determine the rates
of pay for its staff, but the position regarding the vacancies has been made known to the Colonial Secretary.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.