THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 28тп JANUARY, 1899.
A BILL
ENTITLED
An Ordinance for the Regulation of Vehicles.
Be it enacted by the Governor of Hongkong, with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof, as follows:-
1. This Ordinance may be cited as the Vehicles Regu- Short title. lation Ordinance, 1898.
2. The expression "vehicle" as used in this Ordinance Interpreta- shall include every bicycle, tricycle, velocipede, or other tion. similar machine and also every jinricksha, chair, carriage,
eur, cart, truck, van, and trolly.
3. Every vehicle when meeting any other vehicle shall Rule of road pass it by keeping to its own left side of the road.
4. Every vehicle overtaking any other vehicle going in the same direction shall pass it by keeping to its own right of such vehicle. •
for vehicles meeting.
Rule of road for passing a
vehicle.
5. During the period between sunset and sunrise every Lights to be person driving, drawing, pushing, riding, bearing, or other carried. wise in charge of a vehicle shall carry attached to the vehicle two lamps, one on each side, in the case of a vehicle other than a jiuricksha, chair, bicycle, tricycle, velocipede, or other similar machine, and one lamp in the case of a jinricksha, chair, bicycle, tricycle, velocipede, or other similar machine; which lamps or lamp shall be so con- structed and placed, and shall be so lighted and kept lighted, as to afford adequate means of notifying the ap- proach or position of the vehicle.
6. No driver, drawer, rider, or bearer of any vehicle shall by negligence or wilful misbehaviour cause any hurt or damage to any person, horse, cattle, or goods conveyed in any vehicle passing or being upon any street or road, or if the vehicle be drawn by a horse or other animal shall negligently or wilfully be at such distance from such vehicle or in such a situation whilst it shall be passing upon such street or road that he cannot have the direction aud government of the horse or animal drawing the same, or shall leave any vehicle drawn by a horse or other animal unattended in any street or road or at any place of public resort or entertainment whether such vehicle shall be hired or not, or shall leave any vehicle on such street or road so as to obstruct the passage thereof.
Causing damage by negligence or misbehav. iour.
7. The Governor-in-Council may from time to time make Power to bye-laws under this Ordinance for the regulation of vehicles make bye.
laws. and of street traffic, and may alter or repeal sach bye-laws when made, and may substitute a new bye-law or bye-laws in place of any bye-laws so repealed or any of theni.
deal with offender.
8. Any party offending against any of the provisions of Power to this Ordinance or of any bye-law made thereunder may, either with or without any warrant, be lawfully stopped, seized, apprehended, and detained by any person who shall see such offence committed, and such party shall thereupon be taken before a Police Magistrate to be dealt with accord- ing to law, and if any such party shall refuse to disclose his name, it shall and may be lawful to proceed against him by a description of his person and the offence only without adding any name or designation, but in such case the Police Magistrate shall mention in the depositions that the defendant refused to disclose his name.
9. Any person convicted of an offence against this Penalty. Ordinance or against any bye-law made thereunder shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding fifty dollars or, in default of payment thereof, to imprisonment for a term not exceed- ing six mouths with or without hard labour.
Objects and Reasons.
The object of this Ordinance is to render compulsory in this Colony the observance of the ordinary rule of the road and the proper lighting of vehicles at night, and this legislation applies to private as well as to public vehicles.
Section 6 of the Ordinance is framed with the object of rendering less probable the occurrence of certain classes of street accidents which are due to negligence or reckless-
ness.
HENRY E. POLLOCK,
Acting Attorney General,
77
the