2
the extent and nature of the application of the Traffic Accident Victims Assistance Scheme to village vehicles.
number.
The
state present
The Bill gives the Commissioner for Transport wide powers, including powers to limit the number of permits that may be issued, either generally or in a particular area, and to limit the issuing of permits to certain persons or classes of persons. It also gives the Commissioner the power to restrict the times of
day during which the vehicles may be used. These powers are
useful in that they will enable village vehicles in a
particularly congested area to be controlled
in or reduced
of congestion on Cheung Chau may
already require attention of this kind; other areas are, I
The less congested.
it of these powers makes very important that there is full consultation on when, how, and where they should be
be exercised : the views of districts boards, rural committees, area committees, and other appropriate local bodies should be taken into account before the powers are used.
Care should also be taken
be taken to ensure that any restriction in the to the creation of a number of permits issued should not lead black market in permits. I understand that the intention is to avoid this problem by making the permits valid for only one year and by making them non-transferable.
believe,
nature
Finally,
the Commissioner
for Transport will have
to refuse the powers
issue of a permit or to cancel a permit. The permit system is a simple one and it is not to be expected that it will be encumbered with complicated statutory appeal
Of the procedures
kind that
available
denied to persons for other types of vehicles. Nevertheless, I hope that
the Government will look
look carefully at the administration of the
permit
licences for other
system
in
its first
are
year to
see whether
machinery to deal with appeals is necessary.
With these remarks, Sir, I support the Bill.
statutory