ENG-1971 — Page 244

174

COMMUNICATIONS

for hire, particularly at peak hours. The problem encountered at present is that taxis, for economic reasons, flock to congested areas during the busiest times.

To provide areas where pedestrians can walk freely with no fear of traffic, an experiment in pedestrian precincts was started in December 1971. The Statue Square area in Central district, namely the section of Chater Road running through Statue Square Garden, is closed to traffic every week from 7 p.m. on Saturday to midnight on Sunday and also on public holidays. This is an area much used by pedestrians at weekends and holidays and the absence of motor vehicles adds to their enjoyment.

POSTAL SERVICES

The volume of mail continued to increase during 1971 but not at the same high rate experienced in 1969 and 1970. About 204 million postal articles were posted to all destinations-an increase of two per cent over the previous year. Over 174 million items were delivered and about 1.9 million were handled in transit. Some changes in the postal tariff structure were introduced in July as a result of agreements reached at the Tokyo Congress of the Universal Postal Union.

Counter business at all post offices includes the sale of stamps, acceptance of registered articles and parcels, and the issue and payment of money orders and postal orders. Special services, used mainly by the business community, such as business reply facilities, cash on delivery parcels, private boxes and bags, postage meter machines and arrangements for bulk postings, are available. There are two postal deliveries a day, excluding Sundays, in most areas.

The arrangements for the despatch of mail for abroad are kept under constant review. Suitable changes were made where justified by the availability of new routes and the volume of mail. Direct despatches are made up for more than 200 different places overseas. The train services between Kowloon and Lo Wu form the main link for the conveyance of mail to and from China.

Four new post offices were opened during the year, bringing the total number to 63. Nineteen are on Hong Kong Island, 22 in Kowloon and New Kowloon, and 22 in the New Territories, in- cluding a mobile post office. Of the four new post offices, one is in Canton Road, one in the Ngau Tau Kok resettlement estate adminis- tration building and two in the Tsuen Wan district. Two other post offices were resited to cope with increased business. Temporary