WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 1982
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EVALUATION OF TRUCKING INDUSTRY PLANNED
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THE CONTINUED RATE OF INCREASE OF GOODS VEHICLES AT MORE THAN 11 PER CENT ANNUALLY COULD NOT BE UNCRITICALLY ACCEPTED, THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, THE HON ALAN SCOTT, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
→THE TIME HAS COME FOR AN EVALUATION OF THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY TO ENSURE OPTIMUM EFFICIENCY BOTH AS REGARDS THE IR USE OF ROADS AND THE NEEDS OF INDUSTRY, HE ADDED.
MR SCOTT WAS SPEAKING IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN REPLY TO THE HON STEPHEN CHEONG WHO ASKED HOW THE NEEDS OF INDUSTRY WOULD BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION IN THE CONTEXT OF DEVELOPING AN OVERALL TRANSPORT POLICY ESPECIALLY WITH REGARD TO MOVEMENT OF FREIGHT BY ROAD.
MR SCOTT SAID GOVERNMENT'S OVERALL TRANSPORT POLICY WAS BASED ON THE 1979 WHITE PAPER — +KEEPING HONG KONG MOVING+ — WHICH RECOGNISED THAT GOODS VEHICLES PLAYED A CRUCIAL ECONOMIC ROLE, BUT WHICH ALSO FORESAW THE PROBABILITY THAT THEIR RATE OF GROWTH WOULD HAVE TO BE REDUCED BECAUSE OF THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO ROAD CONGESTION.
THERE WERE NOW ABOUT 65 000 GOODS VEHICLES IN HONG KONG, ONE-FIFTH OF ALL VEHICLES ON THE ROADS.
THIS IS A VERY HIGH PROPORTION BY INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS, BUT THERE ARE GOOD REASONS WHY HONG KONG SHOULD BE UNUSUAL IN THIS RESPECT, HE SAID,
→THE RATE OF INCREASE HAS EXCEEDED 11 PER CENT ANNUALLY DURING THE LAST FIVE YEARS, COMPARED WITH OVER 13 PER CENT FOR PRIVATE VEHICLES. THIS CAN, I THINK, BE TAKEN TO MEAN THAT THE INDUSTRY IS THRIVING,+
MR SCOTT SAID THERE WERE SEVERAL WAYS IN WHICH THE NEEDS OF INDUSTRY WERE ASCERTAINED OR MADE KNOWN TO GOVERNMENT. FOR EXAMPLE, THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT HAD REGULAR MEETINGS WITH THE GOODS VEHICLE FLEET OWNERS ASSOCIATION, AND THE FEDERATION OF HONG KONG
INDUSTRIES.
THERE WERE ALSO THE CONTAINER PORT EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, AND THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
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