TUESDAY, AUGUST 12, 1980
PERMITS FOR SCHOOL COACHES
*****
IN A MOVE TO REGULARISE THE USE OF PRIVATE CARS AND VANS FOR TAKING CHILDREN TO SCHOOL, THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT, FOLLOWING ADVICE FROM THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE, IS SOON TO ISSUE PERMITS WHICH WILL ALLOW VEHICLES TO BE USED ON A HIRE-CAR BASIS.
REVISION OF THE LAW IS EXPECTED TO BE MADE LATER THIS YEAR BUT, IN THE MEANTIME, THE DEPARTMENT WILL MAKE AN EARLY ISSUE OF 2 000 PERMITS FOR VEHICLES USED FOR SCHOOL SERVICES. THE EARLY ISSUE IS BEING MADE SPECIFICALLY TO ALLOW PERMITS TO BE AVAILABLE BEFORE THE SCHOOLS' AUTUMN TERM BEGINS.
EACH APPLICANT, WHO SHOULD BE THE REGISTERED OWNER OF A PRIVATE CAR LICENSED TO CARRY SEVEN PASSENGERS, WILL HAVE TO SHOW THAT HE OR THE PERSON DRIVING THE VEHICLE HAS HELD A DRIVING LICENCE FOR NOT LESS THAN THREE YEARS, AND MUST ALSO PROVE LINKS WITH SCHOOLS, CERTIFIED BY THE SCHOOLS CONCERNED. THE APPLICATIONS MUST BE RETURNED TO THE DEPARTMENT'S HONG KONG ISLAND LICENSING OFFICE BEFORE SATURDAY, AUGUST 23.
THE 2 000 PERMITS WILL BE ALLOCATED ON A GEOGRAPHIC BASIS, PROPORTIONAL TO THE NUMBER OF PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN IN EACH DISTRICT. WHERE A DISTRICT HAS MORE APPLICATIONS THAN THE PERMIT ALLOCATIONS, THE APPLICATIONS WILL BE DETERMINED BY BALLOT. IT IS EXPECTED THAT SUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS WILL BE NOTIFIED BY AUGUST 29.
SUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS WILL HAVE TO PRODUCE A VALID THIRD PARTY INSURANCE CERTIFICATE, AND THE PERMIT NUMBER AND THE WORDS +SCHOOL SERVICE+ MUST BE PAINTED ON THE NEAR-SIDE DOOR OF THE VEHICLE.
THE FEE, WHICH RUNS CONCURRENTLY WITH THE VEHICLE LICENCE, IS $500 A YEAR AND WILL BE CALCULATED ON A PRO-RATA BASIS TO THE EXPIRY DATE OF CURRENT LICENCES.
VEHICLES WILL NOT BE INSPECTED WHEN THE PERMIT IS ISSUED, BUT THEY MAY BE SUBJECT TO EXAMINATION WHEN IT IS RENEWED. PERMITS ARE NOT TRANSFERABLE, BUT IF AN APPLICANT BUYS A NEW VEHICLE A NEW PERMIT MAY BE ISSUED.
COMMENTING ON THE OVERLOADING OF VEHICLES, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID IT IS AN OFFENCE FOR A PRIVATE CAR TO CARRY MORE THAN ONE PASSENGER IN EXCESS OF ITS SEATING CAPACITY.
+ IN OTHER WORDS, HE SAID, THIS MEANS THAT THE SEVEN-SEATER VANS USED FOR SCHOOL SERVICES CAN CARRY 12 CHILDREN NOT EXCEEDING THREE FEET IN HEIGHT OR EIGHT ADULT PASSENGERS (EXCLUDING THE DRIVER).
+ IN TERMS OF SAFETY AND COMFORT THIS IS CONSIDERED A REASONABLE NUMBER.
+HOWEVER, THERE ARE SOME LARGER VEHICLES WHICH HAVE BEEN REGISTERED FOR SEVEN SEATS IN ORDER TO REMAIN IN THE PRIVATE CAR CATEGORY, THOUGH THEY ARE BASICALLY DESIGNED TO CARRY MORE PASSENGERS.
/+THE DEPARTMENT