657/18 C.S.O.
51
HONGKONG.
No. 1920
B
REPORT ON THE IMPROVEMENT OF JINRIKISHA SERVICES IN HONGKONG DURING THE YEAR 1919.
Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Governor, 17th June, 1920.
As a result of the question asked in Legislative Council by the Honourable Mr. P. H. HOLYOK on the 30th January, 1919, a Committee was appointed consisting of the following for the purpose of selecting a new type of jinrikisha to be put into service in the Colony-Hon. Mr. E. D. C. WOLFE, Captain Superintendent of Police, Hon. Mr. P. H. HOLYOK, Hon. Mr. S. H. DODWELL, Mr. A. SHELTON HOOPER, Mr. J. W. FRANKS, and Commander C. W. BECKWITH, R.N.
The Committee met in the compound of the Central Police Station on the 31st March, 1919, and five different types of jinrikishas were submitted for their inspection. Of these one had been imported from Shanghai, one was then plying for hire in Hong- kong and one in Kowloon, and two were specially made for the occasion. The Committee selected the best features of each type and a complete vehicle was constructed in accord- ance with this selection. This vehicle was put on view at the Central Police Station and all jiurikisha proprietors were invited to take the necessary notes for their guidance and were informed that in future only jinrikishas of this type would be passed by the Police for service.
There are 1,150 public jinrikishas licensed for hire on the lower levels of Hongkong, 16 for hire on Caine Road and the Upper Levels, and 15 for service on the Peak. 50 temporary licences have also been issued making a total of 1,231. Since the selection of the new type of vehicle by the Committee 348 of this type have been passed by the Police and brought into service in Hongkong and a similar number of the old type withdrawn. In Kowloon there are at present 600 public jiurikishas licensed for hire, of which some 250 were practically new at the time of the selection of the improved type. It would be unreasonable therefore to expect the proprietors of these jinrikishas to make any great change in their machines for some time so that only some 10 of the new type have so far been passed for service in Kowloon. At present also there is considerable difficulty in obtaining the materials for constructing new vehicles.
All the jinrikishas in the Colony have now been fitted with spring cushion seats and about one-third of each proprietor's vehicles has been fitted with thick rabber tyres. The remainder will be gradually fitted with thick tyres when the tyres at present in use require renewing.