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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1980
DURING THE INTERIM PERIOD, CONVERSION TABLES SHOWING THE APPROPRIATE FARE TO BE PAID WHEN A PARTICULAR SUM IS REGISTERED ON EXISTING METERS WILL BE DISPLAYED IN ALL TAXIS. THE FARES IN THE TABLES ARE BASED ON DISTANCE TRAVELLED, AND ARE CALCULATED TO THE NEAREST 10 CENTS. WAITING TIME CHARGES ARE NOT INCLUDED.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE ISSUING OF CONVERSION TABLES, WHICH WOULD CARRY THE SEAL OF THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT. AND THE CONVERSION OF METERS WOULD BE STRICTLY SUPERVISED. VIGOROUS POLICE ACTION WOULD BE TAKEN AGAINST MALPRACTICES.
THE CONVERSION TABLES WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO TAXI OPERATORS FROM MONDAY (SEPTEMBER 29) AT THE MURRAY ROAD LICENCING OFFICE.
IN ORDER TO IMPROVE THE LEVEL OF SERVICE PROVIDED BY TAXIS THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC WILL BE INCREASED IN STAGES.
TENDERS WILL BE INVITED FOR 300 NEW URBAN TAXI LICENCES EACH THIS WEEK, IN DECEMBER AND MARCH, BRINGING THE SIZE OF THE FLEET TO 10 000.
THE SIZE OF THE TAXI FLEET IN THE NEW TERRITORIES HAS REMAINED STATIC SINCE 1977, WHEN A TOTAL OF 738 LICENCES WERE ISSUED. IN VIEW OF THE POPULATION GROWTH IN THE NEW TERRITORIES THE NUMBER OF LICENCES WILL BE INCREASED BY 100 AND TENDERS ARE EXPECTED TO BE CALLED IN NOVEMBER.
AN OVERALL REVIEW TO ASSESS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TAXI OPERATIONS AND THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL LICENCES WILL BE CARRIED OUT NEXT YEAR.
MID-YEAR SURVEY OF ECONOMIC PROSPECTS FOR 1980
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THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT TODAY (TUESDAY) ANNOUNCED THE RESULTS OF A MID-YEAR SURVEY OF ECONOMIC PROSPECTS, CONDUCTED IN JUNE AND JULY ON A SAMPLE OF ABOUT 550 LARGE ESTABLISHMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR AND 50 IN THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR.
THE SURVEY UPDATES THE FINDINGS OF A SIMILAR SURVEY CONDUCTED EARLIER IN THE YEAR TO OBTAIN THE OPINION OF MANAGEMENT REGARDING BUSINESS OUTLOOKS FOR THE NEAR FUTURE.
ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURERS SURVEYED, THE AGGREGATE VOLUME OF ORDERS WAS EXPECTED TO DECREASE BY ABOUT THREE PER CENT DURING THE SECOND HALF OF 1980 COMPARED WITH THE SAME PERIOD IN 1979, THE COMPARISON BEING DRAWN IN QUANTITY TERMS WITH PRICE EFFECTS DISCOUNTED. THIS EXPECTED DECREASE WAS THE RESULT OF A TWO PER CENT DECLINE IN ORDERS FROM ALL OVERSEAS MARKETS AND A SIX PER CENT DECLINE IN ORDERS MADE LOCALLY.
/COMMENTING C