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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1979
INSPECTION ON UNROADWORTHY VEHICLES EFFECTIVE
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THE GOVERNMENT BELIEVES THAT THE PRESENT POLICY OF CONDUCTING A REGULAR ON-GOING PROGRAMME OF INSPECTION OF VEHICLES PRIOR TO RELICENSING IS THE BEST WAY TO REMOVE UNROADWORTHY VEHICLES FROM THE ROADS, THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, THE HON. DEREK JONES, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
+THE GOVERNMENT IS AS ANXIOUS AS ANYONE TO ENSURE THAT ALL VEHICLES USING THE ROADS ARE MECHANICALLY SAFE AND FOR UNROADWORTHY VEHICLES TO BE REMOVED UNTIL THEY CAN BE BROUGHT UP TO STANDARD,+ HE ADDED.
MR. JONES WAS REPLYING TO A QUESTION RAISED BY DR. THE HON. RAYSON HUANG ON WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT WOULD CONSIDER MOUNTING A CRASH PROGRAMME TO IDENTIFY AND TAKE OFF THE ROADS UNROADWORTHY BUSES AND LORRIES.
HE SAID THAT FROM THE BEGINNING OF NEXT YEAR IT WOULD BE COMPULSORY FOR EVERY FRANCHISED PUBLIC BUS TO BE EXAMINED AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR BEFORE LICENSING OR RELICENSING, AND A SIMILAR PROGRAMME HAD ALSO BEEN STARTED FOR AN ANNUAL EXAMINATION OF GOODS VEHICLES.
REGARDING BUSES, MR. JONES SAID, IN THE FIRST NINE MONTHS OF THIS YEAR TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT VEHICLE EXAMINERS HAD CARRIED OUT 2 167 THOROUGH INSPECTIONS OF FRANCHISED PUBLIC BUSES BEFORE THE ISSUE OR RENEWAL OF CERTIFICATES OF ROADWORTHINESS OR FITNESS FOR EACH BUS.
+SPOT SAFETY CHECKS HAVE ALSO BEEN CARRIED OUT ON A REGULAR BASIS AT THE MAIN BUS DEPOTS, HE ADDED.
AS FOR GOODS VEHICLES, MR. JONES SAID, FROM THE BEGINNING OF THIS MONTH ALL GOODS VEHICLES FIRST REGISTERED IN 1970 OR BEFORE MUST BE EXAMINED AT THE NEW KOWLOON BAY VEHICLE EXAMINATION CENTRE BEFORE THEY WERE RELICENSED.
TO DATE ABOUT A HALF OF THOSE EXAMINED HAD BEEN REJECTED AS UNROADWORTHY, HE ADDED.
+THE INTENTION IS TO WORK UP AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE TO AN ANNUAL EXAMINATION OF ALL GOODS VEHICLES BEFORE THEY CAN BE RELICENSED,+ MR. JONES SAID.
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