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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25, 1980
HE POINTED OUT THAT AT THE CONCERT EARLIER THIS MONTH, MINOR DISORDER INVOLVING NO CASUALTIES BUT INCLUDING DAMAGE TO THREE VEHICLES OCCURRED.
THE ORGANISERS ESTIMATED AN AUDIENCE OF BETWEEN SIX AND SEVEN THOUSAND AND PLANS WERE MADE ON THIS BASIS. IN THE EVENT THE ACTUAL TURN-OUT WAS THREE OR FOUR TIMES THAT NUMBER AND MAY HAVE BEEN INFLUENCED BY AN ILL-FOUNDED RUMOUR THAT A PARTICULARLY POPULAR LOCAL +POP+ STAR WOULD PERFORM AT THE CONCERT, HE SAID.
WEIGHTIER PENALTIES FOR TRAFFIC OFFENCES
******
COME SUNDAY WEEK (JULY 6) MOTORISTS WHO PARK ILLEGALLY WITHOUT WORRYING TOO MUCH ABOUT THE RELATIVELY CHEAP FIXED PENALTY FINE COULD FIND A LITTLE SOMETHING EXTRA ON THE IR WINDSCREENS,
THAT IS THE DAY THE NEW +INFLATED+ PENALTY COMES INTO EFFECT. AFTER THAT MOTORISTS WHO PARK ILLEGALLY WILL BE FACED WITH A FINE OF $70 INSTEAD OF THE PRESENT $30.
STRESSED A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN THE PRESENT $30 PENALTY IS NO LONGER EFFECTIVE AS A DETERRENT TO ILLEGAL PARKING.
+AN INCREASE IS NEEDED TO MAKE IT SO.
HE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT SEVERE TRAFFIC CONGESTION AND DANGER TO PEDESTRIANS WAS OFTEN CAUSED BY ILLEGALLY PARKED VEHICLES, AND IT WAS HOPED THE INCREASED PENALTY WOULD +GO SOME WAY+ TO RELIEVING THE PROBLEM.
THE SPOKESMAN ALSO EXPLAINED THAT THE $30 FIXED PENALTY WAS INTRODUCED WHEN THE FIXED PENALTY (TRAFFIC CONTRAVENTIONS) ORDINANCE CAME INTO EFFECT IN 1971, AND HAS REMAINED UNCHANGED SINCE.
ALSO FROM SUNDAY WEEK, FIXED PENALTIES FOR MOVING TRAFFIC OFFENCES WILL BE INCREASED.
THERE ARE AT PRESENT 74 OFFENCES WHICH ATTRACT FIXED PENALTIES RANGING FROM $50 TO $200.
WHILE THESE CAME INTO EFFECT WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF THE FIXED PENALTY (CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS) ORDINANCE IN 1976 THEY WERE, IN FACT, SET FOUR YEARS EARLIER.
+A LAPSE OF EIGHT YEARS IS CONSIDERED SUFFICIENTLY LONG ENOUGH TO MERIT A REVISION, SAID THE SPOKESMAN. +THERE IS ALSO THE NEED TO MAINTAIN THE RELATIVITY BETWEEN THE PENALTIES FOR PARKING AND MOVING OFFENCES WHICH ARE GENERALLY MORE SERIOUS.+
/THE RESTLA