ENG-1960 — Page 286

COMMUNICATIONS

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park in these two parks every month and 588 monthly passes are issued.

POST OFFICE

Postal Services. The intensified search by Hong Kong business enterprise for new and expanded markets abroad strongly influenced the development of overseas postal services during the year, and direct letter and parcel services were introduced to many places which formerly could only be served satisfactorily by using the transit facilities of intermediate countries. Direct letter mails are now sent to 68 countries and parcel mails to no less than 80.

There was an increase of about 20% in foreign mails sent to Hong Kong for re-forwarding, especially between China and countries overseas, and mails originating in Hong Kong for des- tinations in China multiplied more than three-fold to a total of 127,000 bags! Airmail traffic reached a volume which justified the introduction of many extra parcel and insured mail facilities and there is now nearly worldwide coverage by these services. 352 tons of mail originating in Hong Kong were passed to airlines for carriage, slightly less than the 358 tons of transit mail also handed over.

The progressive development of internal services has had con- stant attention. After the Air Mail Centre opened at Kai Tak space became available for more postal call boxes at the main GPO, and all the many applicants for this service were satisfied for the first time since the war. Extra boxes were also installed at Kowloon Central Post Office, and the number available at all offices is more than 10,000. It was also possible to extend the main counter at GPO and reorganize the parcel section.

New Post Offices were opened in So Uk Housing Estate and Man Yee Arcade, bringing the total number in the Colony to twenty three. The small office in Chung On Street closed down and re-opened in more spacious and suitable accommodation in the Hongkong & Shanghai Bank Building at Tsuen Wan.

The first Mobile Post Office went to work in March and has since paid regular daily visits to several important rural centres in the New Territories, where the people have shown warm appreciation of the service. More vehicles were put into use for deliveries in other New Territories' districts, and a considerable improvement resulted in the extent and quality of service.