MONDAY, JUNE 16, 1980
CAR DOCUMENTATION COMPUTERISED
******
THE COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT, MR ALAN ARMSTRONG-WRIGHT WAS AT THE HONG KONG LICENSING OFFICE OF THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT THIS MORNING TO SEE THE NEW COMPUTER SYSTEM FOR HANDLING VEHICLE DOCUMENT TRANSACTIONS ON ITS FIRST DAY OF OPERATION.
THE SYSTEM, WHICH ALSO SERVES THE LICENSING OFFICE IN KOWLOON, IS THE SECOND STAGE OF THE SWITCH-OVER FROM MANUAL TO COMPUTER PROCESSING OF BUSINESS. THE FIRST STAGE, INVOLVING THE PROCESSING OF DRIVING LICENCES, HAS BEEN IN OPERATION FOR FOUR YEARS.
THE SYSTEM PROVIDES INSTANT PROCESSING OF VEHICLE TRANSACTIONS AND DIRECT PRODUCTION OF VEHICLE LICENCE CERTIFICATES BY PRINTERS ATTACHED TO THE COMPUTER TERMINALS ON THE COUNTERS.
THIS CERTIFICATE REPLACES THE OLD-TYPE LICENCE DISC AND MUST BE DISPLAYED IN A CONSPICUOUS PLACE ON THE FRONT WINDSCREEN OF VEHICLES.
ANY PERSON APPLYING TO REGISTER AND LICENSE HIS VEHICLE RENEW A VEHICLE LICENCE, TRANSFER ITS OWNERSHIP, OR TO PROCESS OTHER VEHICLE TRANSACTIONS, WILL HAVE DETAILS CHECKED IMMEDIATELY AGAINST RECORDS SHOWN ON THE SCREEN OF THE COMPUTER TERMINAL'S VISUAL-DISPLAY UNIT,
THE COMPUTER WILL BE ABLE TO DEAL EFFICIENTLY WITH THE STORAGE OF HUGE NUMBERS OF RECORDS WHICH CURRENTLY COVER OVER 300 000 VEHICLES AND 900 000 DRIVING LICENCES, TO CONTINUE HANDLING THESE MANUALLY WOULD BE EXTREMELY COSTLY.
IN THE SECOND STAGE OF THE SYSTEM, 15 TERMINALS ARE INSTALLED IN THE HONG KONG OFFICE AND NINE IN THE KOWLOON OFFICE. THESE AND OTHER SUPPLEMENTARY EQUIPMENT COST ABOUT $1.3 MILLION.
13
2