Speech by SCS at the Transport Day 2001

Following is the speech by the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Joseph W P Wong, at the Opening Ceremony of Transport Day 2001 today (December 2) :

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is my honour to be invited to Transport Day 2001 today.  The event is organised to promote, in the form of a carnival, the concept of road safety among the general public and the culture of "Putting Our Hearts Into It" in the transport industry.

Road safety is an integral part of our daily life.  Motorists or other road users alike should be aware of road safety.  They should observe traffic rules and be patient and accommodating at all times.  Any misjudgment of the traffic situation made on impulse might cause an accident, resulting in irreparable losses to all those concerned.

Spreading the message of road safety in the Civil Service is one of our major tasks.  At present we have some 3 000 professional drivers and about 10 000 staff-members who have to drive at work.  In view of the large number of government employees who are at the wheel in the course of duty, efforts have been made by the Government to enhance staff awareness about safe driving, in addition to the promotion of road safety in the wider community.  Between last February and June, a number of Seminars on Driving Safety were organised by the Civil Service Bureau in conjunction with the Government Land Transport Agency for staff required to drive on duty and were well received.  To keep the momentum, similar activities will be run next year.   Several Driving Skill Competitions were also staged by the Government for its professional drivers to nurture and strengthen their awareness of safe driving.

Another theme of the event is to promote the spirit of " To Serve with Dedication and Sincerity" in the transport sector.  As society progresses, members of the public are getting more demanding in service quality.  It is now common for both public and private sectors to provide customer-oriented and customer-focused service.  In fact, the theme of "To Serve with Dedication and Sincerity" echoes the Government's policy of "Serving the Community".  To encourage the provision of quality service, the Civil Service Bureau has launched the Civil Service Customer Service Award Scheme again this year, under which departments with outstanding performance in customer service will be presented the Customer Service Excellence Award.  In this connection, I wish to appeal for your valuable support for customer service and your joint efforts in building up the culture of customer-oriented service in Hong Kong.

To end off, may I wish the organisers every success in the event.  Thank you.

Sunday, December 2, 2001