Public computer facilities, IGSD web site enriched

May 25, 2000

More computers will be installed at convenient public locations throughout the territory to enable members of the public who do not have their own computer facilities to have free access to computers and the Internet.

At a press briefing today (May 25), Deputy Secretary for Information Technology and Broadcasting, Mr Alan Siu, said the Government had launched the second phase of the Community Cyber Points project which would provide an additional 150 computers at about 50 community centres/halls and some local organisations.

The first phase of the project which was launched in June last year saw the installation of 50 computers in 20 community centres/halls managed by the Home Affairs Department.

Mr Siu explained that the aim of the Community Cyber Points project was twofold - to facilitate public access to the Interactive Government Services Directory (IGSD) web site, Government web pages, and the Internet; and to serve as front-end workstations for the Electronic Service Delivery scheme when it is launched in October.

In fact, he said, the Government would have installed by the end of this year some 2,300 computers with Internet access for free use by the public in various District Offices, community hall/centres, post offices, public libraries, and youth and social centres.

Also attended today's briefing were Assistant Director of Information Technology Services, Mr Simon Yan; and Chief Engineer (Traffic Control Division) of the Transport Department, Mr Tony So.

Mr Yan said that to cater for the need of the blind and the visually impaired, the Government would install 28 computers with special devices at different locations.

"These include ten each at the headquarters of the Hong Kong Society for the Blind in Sham Shui Po and the Ebenezer School for the Blind in Pokfulam; six at the offices of the Hong Kong Blind Union; and two at the headquarters of the Hong Kong Retinitis Pigmentosa Society in Sham Shui Po," he said.

"The computers will be equipped with screen enlarging software, voice synthesizer software, power braille hardware and large-size flat LCD monitor to facilitate the blind and the visually impaired to access information on the Internet," Mr Yan added.

The Government has further enhanced the Interactive Government Services Directory web site (www.igsd.gov.hk) by providing traffic images from an additional 17 online cameras to give the public wider access and more comprehensive coverage to traffic information collected by the Transport Department's traffic surveillance Close Circuit Television (CCTV) System.

Explaining details of the scheme, Mr Tony So said the new images covered the major routes in Shatin, Shing Mun Tunnel, Cheung Tsing Bridge, Ting Kau Bridge, Kap Shui Mun Bridge, Tsing Ma Bridge and North Lantau Highway.

"With the installation of the new cameras which came into operation in April this year, a total of 43 images covering traffic conditions in all nine major trunk roads in the territory are available on the IGSD web site," he said.

The IGSD, an innovative project under the "Digital 21" Information Technology Strategy launched in March 1999, enables the public to obtain public information and services electronically over the Internet in an interactive manner. It is one of the most popular Government web sites visited by the public, with an average daily access count of over 150,000 web pages in April 2000.

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