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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1974.
NEW RULES PROPOSED TO INCREASE ROAD SAFETY
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AMENDING LEGISLATION AIMED AT IMPROVING THE SAFETY OF PEDESTRIANS ON ZEBRA CROSSINGS WILL BE INTRODUCED INTO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SHORTLY.
KNOWN AS THE FIXED PENALTY (TRAFFIC CONTRAVENTIONS) (AMENDMENT) (NO. 2) BILL, IT SEEKS TO INTRODUCE A TRAFFİC CONTRAVENTION FOR THE STOPPING OF MOTOR VEHICLES WITHIN A ZEBRA CONTROLLED AREA.
AMENDMENTS WERE MADE LAST MONTH TO THE ROAD TRAFFIC (ROAD CROSSING) REGULATIONS TO PROVIDE FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF ZEBRA CONTROLLED AREAS INDICATED BY A TRANVERSE BROKEN GIVE WAY** LINE AND ZIG-ZAG MARKINGS ON ONE OR BOTH SIDES OF A ZEBRA CROSSING, CONTROLLING OVERTAKING OF ALL VEHICLES AND BANNING VEHICLES FROM STOPPING, WITH CERTAIN EXCEPTIONS, WITHIN SUCH AREAS.
THE NEW BILL PROVIDES FOR CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS TO THE PRINCIPAL ORDINANCE AND SEEKS TO MAKE SUCH STOPPING OF MOTOR VEHICLES WITHIN A ZEBRA CONTROLLED AREA A TRAFFIC CONTRAVENTION.
THIS BILL, IF ENACTED, AND THE REGULATIONS ALREADY AMENDED, WILL COME INTO EFFECT ON A DATE TO BE APPOINTED. HOWEVER, THE EXISTING LAW WILL STILL APPLY TO PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS WITHOUT A ZEBRA CONTROLLED AREA UNTIL THEY HAVE ONE.
A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY THAT ZEBRA CONTROLLED AREAS WERE FIRST TRIED OUT IN LONDON AND HAD PROVED SUCCESSFUL IN REDUCING CASUALTIES. AT ZEBRA CROSSINGS BY 12.5 PER CENT. LATER, THEY WERE WIDELY INTRODUCED IN BRITAIN.
+THE NEED TO IMPROVE SAFETY AT PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS IN HONG KONG, WHERE THE VOLUME OF PEDESTRIAN MOVEMENTS IS VERY HIGH, IS GREATER THAN IN BRITAIN, AND IT HAS BEEN DECIDED TO FOLLOW BRITAIN'S SUCCESSFUL EXAMPLE AND TO INTRODUCE ZEBRA CONTROLLED AREAS HERE,+ HE SAID,
UNDER THE AMENDING BILL, THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS TO THE STOPPING OF MOTOR VEHICLES WITHIN ZEBRA CONTROLLED AREAS. MOTOR VEHICLES MAY STOP IF THE DRIVER HAS STOPPED FOR THE PURPOSE OF GIVING WAY TO PEDESTRIANS CROSSING ON A ZEBRA CROSSING- IF THE DRIVER IS PREVENTED FROM PROCEEDING BY CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND HIS CONTROL OR IF IT IS NECESSARY FOR HIM TO STOP IN ORDER TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT OR IF THE MOTOR VEHICLE IS STOPPED FOR THE PURPOSE OF MAKING A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN.
ALSO EXCEPTED ARE EMERGENCY VEHICLES AND MOTOR VEHICLES ENGAGED IN ROAD WORKS, CLEANSING WORKS OR PUBLIC UTILITY. MAINTENANCE OR REPAIR WORKS. FRANCHISED BUSES MAY ALSO STOP IF THEY ARE WAITING TO ENTER A BUS STOP SITUATED OUTSIDE THE ZEBRA CONTROLLED AREA.