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THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 1975
SURCHARGE ON PEAK-HOUR MOVEMENTS AT KAI TAK
AIRLINES GET CONCESSION ******
AIRLINES WERE TODAY GRANTED A SMALL CONCESSION FROM THE PROPOSED $500 SURCHARGE ON PEAK-HOUR MOVEMENTS AT HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHEN THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY REDEFINED THE PEAK PERIOD FROM 12 NOON-6 PM TO 1 PM - 6 PM.
THE ONE-HOUR DIFFERENCE WILL MEAN A LOSS OF $1.2 MILLION FROM ESTIMATED REVENUE IN 1975/76.
WINDING UP THE BUDGET DEBATE, THE HON. PHILIP HADDON- CAVE SAID HE HAD NOT RROPOSED THE SURCHARGE AS A MEANS OF DISCOURAGING AIRLINES FROM USING THE PEAK PERIOD, AS HAD DEEN IMPLIED BY THE HOM. J.H. BREMRIDGE.
MY POINT WAS THAT PEAK MOVEMENTS ARE DICTATING THE SIZE OF THE GOVERNMENT'S INVESTMENT AT THE AIRPORT,* MR. HADDON--CAVE SAID.
THE FACT IS, HE ADDED IF MOVEMENTS WERE SPREAD OUT EVENLY OVER THE DAY, THE PRESENT FACILITIES AT THE AIRPORT WOULD BE ADEQUATE AND THE SUBSTANTIAL CAPITAL EXPENDITURE WE ARE NOW UNDERTAKING WOULD BE UNNECESSARY, AT LEAST FOR THE TIME BEING.*
D.
HE SAID HE WAS AWARE THAT THE CONCENTRATION OF MOVEMENTS IN THE PEAK PERIOD WAS PARTIALLY THE RESULT OF HONG KONG'S GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION. DUT IF, AS RESULT OF THE SURCHARGE, SOME AIRLINES DID ADJUST THEIR SCHEDULES, GIVEN THAT THE RUNWAY WAS REACHING SATURATION POINT IN THE PEAK PERIOD, SO MUCH THE DETTER.
THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY ALSO DENIED THAT THE SURCHARGE AS DESCRIBED BY MR. BREMRIDGE, 'A\SIGNAL EXAMPLE OF RANDOM TAXATION."
WAS
D
MOVEMENTS PER HOUR BETWEEN THE PEAK\PERIOD MID-DAY AND 6 P.M., HE SAID, EXCEEDED THE AVERAGE MOVEMENTS PER HOUR PETWEEN 8 A.M. AND MIDNIGHT AND MORE THAN VIALF THE NUMBER OF DAILY MOVEMENTS FELL WITHIN THIS BRACKET.
HOWEVER, HE CHANGED THE PEAK HOUR PERIOD TO 1 P.M. - 6 P.M. AS THE NUMBER OF MOVEMENTS BETWEEN MID-DAY AND 1 P.M. ONLY SLIGHTLY EXCEEDED THE AVERAGE DURING THE 16 HOURS BETWEEN 8 A.M. AND MIDNIGHT.
IN HIS BUDGET SPEECH ON FEBRUARY 26, HR. HADDON--CAVE SAID THE SURCHARGE WOULD BE INTRODUCED ON JULY 1. THIS YEAR.
J
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