TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 1978
TRANSPORT WHITE PAPER WILL BE ISSUED
LATER THIS YEAR
***
THE ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT, MR. PETER LEEDS, SAID TODAY A WHITE PAPER ON TRANSPORT POLICY WILL BE PUBLISHED LATER THIS YEAR AND IT IS EXPECTED THE POLICY ON THE ISSUE OF TAXI LICENCES WILL BE REVIEWED ABOUT THE SAME TIME.
SPEAKING AT THE MEETING OF THE WORKING PARTY FOR TAXI CPERATIONS HELD AT THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT HEADQUARTERS, HE SAID THE LAST APPLICATION FOR A TAXI FARE INCREASE WAS CONSIDERED BY THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE LAST DECEMBER
AND JANUARY ALONG WITH A REPORT PREPARED BY THE TRANSPORT
DEPARTMENT.
HE SAID: +ON THE INFORMATION PRESENT TO THEM, THE COMMITTEE WAS UNABLE TO RECOMMEND A FARE INCREASE.+
MR. LEEDS SAID THAT THERE WERE TWO PARTICULAR ASPECTS WHICH THE COMMITTEE WAS WORRIED ABOUT.
+ONE WAS THE FACT THAT THE PREMIA OFFERED FOR TAXI LICENCES IN 1977 WAS EXTREMELY HIGH AND, IF PRESS REPORTS ARE CORRECT, THE VALUE OF TAXI LICENCE ON TRANSFER WAS ALSO VERY HIGH. THIS APPEARS TO MEAN THAT THE PROFITABILITY OF TAXIS WAS SOMEWHAT HIGHER THAN THE RESULTS OF THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT'S STUDY SUGGESTED.+
HE SAID THAT COMMITTEE MEMBERS WERE ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT THE CONTINUING COMPLAINTS ABOUT TAXI DRIVERS REFUSING TO TAKE PASSENGERS TO THEIR DESTINATION AND COMPLAINTS OF OVERCHARG ING.
SINCE THEN, HE ADDED, DISCUSSIONS HAD BEEN HELD BETWEEN THE COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT AND THE SOLICITORS REPRESENTING THE TAXI ASSOCIATIONS AND IT WAS EXPECTED THAT A FURTHER REPORT WOULD BE MADE TO THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE NEXT MONTH.
MR. LEEDS POINTED OUT THAT THE TOTAL TAXI FLEET WOULD BE 6,669 TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE PRESENT TENDERS FOR 300 TAXIS AS WELL AS THE PUBLIC CAR LICENCES WHICH HAVE BEEN EXCHANGED FOR TAXI LICENCES.
ON THE SUBJECT OF HIRE CAR PERMITS, THE ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER STRESSED THAT THE NEED FOR CAREFUL CONTROL IN ORDER TO PREVENT THESE VEHICLES COMPETING WITH TAXIS BY TOUTING ON THE STREETS WAS FULLY APPRECIATED AND THAT DISCUSSIONS WERE BEING CARRIED · OUT WITH THE ROYAL HONG KONG POLICE TO ENSURE THAT THESE MEASURES WERE EFFECTIVE.
HE SAID: IF THERE IS ANY INDICATION THAT THE ENFORCEMENT MEASURES ARE LACKING IN EFFECTIVENESS THEN GOVERNMENT WILL REVIEW THE POSITION+,
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