ENG-1978 — Page 181

PUBLIC ORDER

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This gives a traffic density of 212 vehicles for each of the 1,110 kilometres of road in the territory. Road congestion was further aggravated by the continuing construction work associated with major road improvements and the Mass Transit Railway.

Recent years have seen an increase in the number of traffic accidents, and this trend unfortunately continued in 1978. A total of 15,299 traffic accidents occurred, resulting in 435 people being killed and 19,796 being injured (provisional figures only).

Under the Fixed Penalty (Traffic Contraventions) Ordinance, selective action con- tinued against the more serious obstructions on main roads and indiscriminate road- side parking and stopping, particularly where there was an element of danger to other road users. In view of the continued increase in numbers of vehicles on the road, and the consequent pressure on scarce parking space, it was found necessary to issue 983,249 fixed penalty tickets - 73.5 per cent more than in the previous year. Action continued to be taken to recover unpaid fixed penalty debts, resulting in the seizure of 84 vehicles, of which 53 were subsequently auctioned to meet the outstanding debts. Legislation is also in hand to make present debt recovery procedures more effective, without necessarily seizing the vehicle.

The number of moving traffic offences reported during the year by fixed penalty tickets under the Fixed Penalty (Criminal Proceedings) Ordinance was 214,140. The system commenced in November, 1976, on a restricted basis in order to ensure smooth implementation and acceptability by the public, and was gradually extended until August, 1977, when all police officers were authorised to issue tickets for moving traffic offences.

Road safety activities throughout the year concentrated on a series of mini- campaigns located at 13 districts throughout the territory. The campaigns were run in conjunction with government departments and reached many thousands of people. The Traffic Warden Corps continued to give valuable assistance to police. The corps increased to a total of 207 officers who issued a total of 273,606 fixed penalty tickets 27.8 per cent of the total issued.

Training

Since it opened in 1973, the Police Cadet School has proved to be a success and, because of this, the government has directed that the cadet population be increased from 600 to 750 by early 1979. The present school sites at Fan Gardens, Fanling, and Dodwell's Ridge, Sheung Shui, are temporary pending the building at Shuen Wan, near Plover Cove, of a permanent school for 1,200 cadets. Work on the permanent school has started and site formation for the upper part of the school has been completed. The school is expected to be ready for occupation in late 1980 or early 1981.

At Fan Gardens, Fanling, the school's fifth anniversary was marked in August with the passing out of the fourth group of cadets who had completed two years' training. Of the 146 cadets passing out, 121 joined the police force as constables and the re- mainder joined either the Customs and Excise Service, the Fire Services Department or the Prisons Department.

At the Police Training School, Aberdeen, the syllabus for recruit inspectors and junior police officers is constantly reviewed to ensure that it meets the needs of the officers concerned. In order to equip the recruits with a knowledge of law and police