WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28, 1976
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REGISTERED VEHICLES SHOW SEVEN PER CENT DROP
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THE COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT, MR. IAN MACPHERSON, REPORTED TODAY (WEDNESDAY) THAT THERE WERE 188,000 VEHICLES OF ALL CATEGORIES ON THE REGISTER OF VEHICLES AT THE END OF DECEMBER 1975. THIS REPRESENTS A DROP OF 7 PER CENT WHEN COMPARED TO THE END OF 1974 WHEN THE FIGURE WAS 193,000,
THE NUMBER OF PRIVATE CARS WAS JUST OVER 114,000, A DROP OF JUST OVER 4 PER CENT WHEN COMPARED TO THE 1974 TOTAL OF 119,000. ALTHOUGH MONTHLY FIGURES INDICATE AN UPTURN IN NEW REGISTRATIONS, THESE ARE STILL BEING OUTNUMBERED BY CANCELLATIONS.
MR. MACPHERSON POINTED OUT THAT THE NUMBER OF GOODS VEHICLES HAD INCREASED FROM 31,231 AT THE END OF 1974 TO 31,660 AT THE END OF LAST YEAR, BUT THE CATEGORY OF VEHICLE WHICH HAS SHOWN THE MOST CONSISTENT INCREASE HAS BEEN BUS FLEETS OF KMB AND CMB, WHICH NOW STAND AT 1,560 AND 629 RESPECTIVELY.
OTHER CATEGORIES HAVE REMAINED STATIC, ALTHOUGH THE NUMBER OF MOTORCYCLES HAS DROPPED BY ABOUT 1,000 DURING THE YEAR.
THE COMMISSIONER SAID THAT THE STATISTICS REFLECTED MAINLY THE HIGHER COST OF PRIVATE MOTORING, AS THERE WERE SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES IN THE PRICES OF CARS, PETROL AND INSURANCE PREMIUMS DURING 1975. +ALSO THE EFFECTS OF SUCH INCREASES HAD BEEN ALLEVIATED ONLY MARGINALLY BY THE INTRODUCTION OF CHEAPER PARKING RATES AT GOVERNMENT CAR PARKS,+ HE SAID.
MR. MACPHERSON SAID THAT IT WAS TOO EARLY TO ESTIMATE WHAT. THE OVERALL POSITION ON REGISTRATIONS WAS LIKELY TO BE IN 1976 BECAUSE OF THE ABOLITION OF COMMONWEALTH PREFERENCE TAX AND THE REVISED SCALE OF FIRST REGISTRATION TAX INTRODUCED TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR AFFECTING MOTOR VEHICLES IMPORTED FROM COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES.
DEATH SENTENCES COMMUTED
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HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR, AFTER TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE ADVICE OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, HAS DECIDED THAT THE DEATH SENTENCES PASSED ON MARCH 13, 1975 ON TSOI CHOR-LUK AND LEUNG YIU-KEUNG SHOULD BE COMMUTED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT IN EACH CASE.
BOTH WERE FOUND GUILTY OF THE MURDER OF CHAN KWOK-HUNG.