COMMUNICATIONS AND TRANSPORT
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in goods vehicles (from 37,108 to 42,798) and private cars (from 113,665 to 122,858). Vehicle statistics are given in Appendix 36. Because of a change of policy in March, 1977, that allows local residents with acceptable overseas driving licences to obtain a full Hong Kong driving licence without a test, more new driving licences were issued in 1977. They totalled 78,509, compared with 75,492 in 1976.
As a result of a switch-over to a new computer with greater capacity, the computer system for the registration and licensing of vehicles has been deferred and its imple- mentation is now expected to take place in 1979.
Altogether 18 training courses for 3,030 learner drivers were held at the Transport Department's indoor driving instruction centre. Since the opening of the centre in 1974, 11,339 people have been trained in basic driving techniques with the aid of 16 driving simulators, films and a computerised control panel.
New provisions in the Road Traffic Ordinance (Cap. 220) were enacted in June, 1977, to enable the Commissioner for Transport to re-register public cars as urban taxis on payment of a fixed premium of $75,000 or to re-classify such vehicles as private cars with a hire car permit at the option of the registered owners. When completed in mid-1978, this conversion scheme will result in the abolition of public cars and the introduction of hire car permits enabling the holders of such permits to use their private cars to provide personalised transport services on a contract hire basis.
Parking
The government provides parking facilities in eight multi-storey car parks and in four temporary open-air car parks, two of which cater for commercial vehicles. The multi-storey car parks have a total capacity of 5,059 vehicles, while there are 1,070 spaces in the temporary car parks.
Off-street parking facilities also are operated by private enterprise in 46 multi- storey car parks with spaces for 7,350 vehicles - mostly in the commercial-residential areas of Causeway Bay, North Point, Tsim Sha Tsui, Mong Kok and San Po Kong. On-street parking spaces are provided where they do not cause traffic obstruction. In areas with limited available spaces but with high demand, the spaces are metered to deter long-term parking. There are 10,849 metered spaces, of which 1,025 cater specially for goods vehicles. Payment is required from 8 a.m. to midnight. In many areas, parking is controlled by traffic wardens who, with the police, operate a fixed penalty system for parking offences.
Kowloon-Canton Railway
Work on laying a double-track on the main line from Hung Hom to Sha Tin (excluding the Beacon Hill Tunnel), which began in October, 1975, was completed in December. The associated coloured light signalling scheme, controlled from a signal control centre at Hung Hom, Kowloon, was partly installed during the year. It will be partially in use in October, 1978, with full operation by February, 1979. Approval was granted by the government in July to double-track the second one-third of the main line from Sha Tin to Tai Po Market. Work will begin early in 1978 and is expected to be com- pleted in mid-1979. Plans also are being prepared for double-tracking the remainder of the line to Lo Wu at the border.