THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 1975
5.
SURCHARGE ON PEAK-HOUR MOVEMENTS AT KAI TAK
AIRLINES GET CONCESSION ***#*#
AIRLINES WERE TODAY GRANTED A SMALL CONCESSION FROM THE PROPOSED $500 SURCHARGE ON PEAK-HOUR MOVEMENTS AT HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHEN THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY REDEFINED THE PEAK PERIOD FROM 12 NOON-6 PM TO 1 PM - 6 PM.
THE ONE-HOUR DIFFERENCE WILL MEAN A LOSS OF $1.2 MILLION FROM ESTIMATED REVENUE IN 1975/76.
WINDING UP THE BUDGET DEBATE, THE HON. PHILIP HADDON- CAVE SAID HE HAD NOT PROPOSED THE SURCHARGE AS A MEANS OF DISCOURAGING AIRLINES FROM USING THE PEAK PERIOD, AS HAD DEEN IMPLIED BY THE HON, J.H. DREMRIDGE.
~MY POINT WAS THAT PEAK MOVEMENTS ARE DICTATING THE SIZE OF THE GOVERNMENT'S INVESTMENT AT THE AIRPORT, MR. HADDON-CAVE SAID.
THE FACT IS, HE ADDED, IF MOVEMENTS WERE SPREAD OUT EVENLY OVER THE DAY THE PRESENT FACILITIES AT THE AIRPORT WOULD DE ADEQUATE AND THE SUBSTANTIAL CAPITAL EXPENDITURE WE ARE NOW UNDERTAKING WOULD BE UNNECESSARY, AT LEAST FOR THE TIME BEING.+
HE SAID HE WAS AWARE THAT THE CONCENTRATION OF MOVEMENTS IN THE PEAK PERIOD WAS PARTIALLY THE RESULT OF 11ONG KONG'S GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION. BUT IF, AS A RESULT OF THE SURCHARGE, SOME AIRLINES DID ADJUST THEIR SCHEDULES. GIVEN THAT THE RUNWAY WAS REACHING SATURATION POINT IN THE PEAK PERIOD, SO MUCH THE BETTER.
THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY ALSO DENIED THAT THE SURCHARGE WAS, AS DESCRIBED BY MR. BREMRIDGE, A SIGNAL EXAMPLE OF RANDOM TAXATION."
MOVEMENTS PER HOUR BETWEEN THE PEAK PERIOD MID-DAY AND 6 P.M., HE SAID, EXCEEDED THE AVERAGE MOVEMENTS PER HOUR RETWEEŃ 8 A.M. AND MIDNIGHT AND MORE THAN HALF THE NUMBER OF DAILY MOVEMENTS FELL WITHIN THIS DRACKET.
6 HOWEVER, WE CHANGED THE PEAK HOUR PERIOD TO 1 P.M. P.M. AS THE NUMBER OF MOVEMENTS DETWEEN MID-DAY AND 1 P.M. ONLY SLIGHTLY EXCEEDED THE AVERAGE DURING THE 16 HOURS BETWEEN O A.M. AND MIDNIGHT.
IN HIS BUDGET SPEEGII ON FEBRUARY 26, MR. HADDON-CAVE SAID THE SURCHARGE WOULD DE INTRODUCED ON JULY 1. THIS YEAR.
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