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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1974
SPECIAL CONVERSION PROGRAMME INTRODUCED
TO SPEED UP ISSUE OF LAMINATED DRIVING LICENCES
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TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT HAS STARTED A SPECIAL CONVERSION PROGRAMME TO SPEED UP THE PROCESS OF REPLACING BOOKLET DRIVING LICENCES BY THE NEW LAMINATED CARD TYPE.
UNDER THE PROGRAMME, NOTIFICATIONS ARE BEING SENT TO LICENCE-HOLDERS OFFERING THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONVERT THEIR DRIVING LICENCES BEFORE THEY ARE DUE FOR RENEVAL.
IT IS INTENDED TO SEND THESE NOTIFICATIONS IN BATCHES OF: ABOUT 50,000 PER MONTH, AND THE PROGRAMME IS EXPECTED TO TAKE ABOUT SIX MONTHS TO COMPLETE.
A TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN TODAY ADVISED MOTORISTS WHO HAD YET TO RECEIVE A NOTIFICATION, TO REFRAIN FROM ENQUIRING ABOUT THE MATTER AT THIS STAGE,
DRIVERS WHOSE LICENCES ARE DUE FOR RENEWAL WITHIN THE NEXT FOUR MONTHS OR WHO APPLY FOR INCLUSION OF ADDITIONAL CLASSES IN THEIR LICENCE, WILL BE ISSUED WITH A NEW LAMINATED CARD LICENCE ON RENEWAL.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT MOTORISTS WHO RECEIVE A NOTIFICATION SHOULD SEND OR POST THE RETURN SLIP TO THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT, TOGETHER WITH THEIR BOOKLET LICENCE, TWO IDENTIFICATION PHOTOGRAPHS AND THEIR HONG KONG IDENTITY CARD.
THE DEPARTMENT WILL SUBSEQUENTLY RETURN THE NEW LAMINATED LICENCE, THE INVALIDATED OLD BOOKLET LICENCE AND THE IDENTITY CARD TO THE LICENCE HOLDER, HE SAID.
HE STRESSED THAT ONLY IN THOSE CASES WHERE AN IDENTITY CARD HAD NOT BEEN ISSUED WOULD A PASSPORT OR SOME OTHER ACCEPTABLE IDENTIFICATION DOCUMENT BE CONSIDERED AS A SUBSTITUTE.
THE SIZE OF THE IDENTIFICATION PHOTOGRAPHS MUST BE RESTRICTED TO 1-1/4" X 1'' BECAUSE THE LAMINATED LICENCE IS SIMILAR IN SIZE TO A HONG KONG IDENTITY CARD. PHOTOGRAPHS OF THIS SIZE, IF NOT READILY AVAILABLE ELSEWHERE, CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THE PHOTO- VENDING MACHINES INSTALLED IN THE DEPARTMENT'S LICENSING OFFICES.
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