TRANSPORT
Under the Old Cars Scrapping Incentive Scheme which was implemented in June 1996, the owner of a private vehicle 10 or more years old can enjoy a concession on first registration tax if he scraps his old car and replaces it with a new one. The scheme aims to help improve air quality by reducing the number of old vehicles on the road.
Registered goods vehicles numbered 134 419 in December, which was 1.39 per cent less than the 136 316 in 1995. Of these, 92 900 were light goods vehicles, a decrease of 3.3 per cent from 1995.
Vehicle examination aims to upgrade the safety of vehicles through improved design requirements and correct maintenance. The private car inspection scheme is carried out at 24 designated car testing centres. Compulsory annual inspection applies to all public service vehicles and goods vehicles. The coverage of vehicle examination of trailers was expanded on April 1, 1996, to require trailers manufactured in 1986 and earlier to be inspected before annual licence renewal and again on December 1, 1996, in respect of trailers made in 1989 or earlier.
There were 1 095 639 licensed drivers at the end of 1996, an increase of 2.2 per cent over 1995. The average number of new learner-drivers fell from 4 865 per month in 1995 to 4 501 per month in 1996.
Since the introduction of the Driving Offence Points System in August 1984, 36 582 drivers have been disqualified, 376 649 notices have been served and 452 588 drivers have incurred penalty points for committing offences under the Road Traffic (Driving Offence Points) Ordinance. The figures for 1996 were 4912, 52 309 and 28 461 respectively. New scheduled offences relating to drink-driving were introduced in December 1995.
A performance pledge scheme for licensing services has been in effect since December 1992. It covers most licensing and vehicle examination services. With effect from December 1996, the scheme was further extended to cover government tunnel services. Two active customer liaison groups, with a total of 36 members, enabled direct public participation in advising the Transport Department of customers' requirements and in gauging public opinions on services provided.
Road Safety
Injuries resulted from 14 345 traffic accidents in 1996, of which 252 were fatal and 3 066 serious. This was a decrease of 3 per cent compared with the 14 812 accidents in 1995, of which 247 were fatal and 3 243 serious. In-depth investigations were carried out at 194 traffic accident blackspots to identify accident causes. Remedial accident prevention measures were recommended at 148 of these locations.
Accident records are regularly updated, using the microcomputer-based traffic accident data system installed in 1991. The updated accident database provides a basis for traffic accident blackspot analysis and road safety strategy formulation. (Accident statistics are at Appendix 42.)
Thirteen red-light camera systems were installed at signalised Light Rail Transit road junctions in Tuen Mun, Yuen Long and Tin Shui Wai in September 1996 to deter motorists from disobeying traffic signals. For years, driving too close to the vehicle in front has been the dominant contributory factor towards traffic accidents.
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