TUESDAY, MAY 25, 1982
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TAC SUPPORTS TAXIS FOR LANTAU
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LANTAU ISLAND RESIDENTS AND VISITORS MAY BE SERVED BY TAXIS IF A PROPOSAL ENDORSED BY THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE TODAY RECEIVES LEGISLATIVE APPROVAL.
THE PROPOSAL IS TO PERMIT 20 TAXIS ON THE ROADS INITIALLY. THEY WILL CHARGE THE SAME FARES AS NT TAXIS, THAT IS $2.4 FOR THE FIRST TWO KILOMETRES AND 30 CENTS FOR EACH SUBSEQUENT 1/4 KM. LICENCES WILL BE ALLOCATED BY OPEN TENDER.
AT PRESENT, PEOPLE WHO DO NOT HAVE A CAR AND WHO PREFER SOME FORM OF PERSONALISED TRANSPORT HAVE TO RELY ON THE 14 PRIVATE HIRE CARS WHICH HAVE PERMITS TO CARRY PASSENGERS.
IN ITS MONTHLY MEETING, THE TAC ALSO CONSIDERED A PROPOSAL TO REVISE THE FIXED PENALTY FINE FOR PARKING OFFENCES.
THE COMMITTEE NOTED THAT THE NUMBER OF PARKING TICKETS ISSUED LAST YEAR. AT 1 622 000 WAS 27 PER CENT UP ON 1980 WHEN 1 280 725 TICKETS WERE ISSUED. BY WAY OF COMPARISON, WHEN THE FINE WAS LAST INCREASED IN 1980 FROM $30 TO $70, THE PERCENTAGE INCREASE OVER 1979 WAS 9 PER CENT.
THE COMMITTEE AGREED THAT IT WAS ADVISABLE TO RESTORE THE DETERRENT EFFECT OF THE FIXED PENALTY FINE, WHICH HAS BEEN ERODED BY INFLATION. OTHER PAPERS DISCUSSED TODAY RELATED TO THE PARKING STANDARDS FOR RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS AND THE REVISION OF PEAK TRAMWAY FARES.
RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE COMMITTEE WILL BE SUBMITTED TO THE GOVERNOR-IN-COUNCIL.
THE COMMITTEE ALSO ENDORSED A GOVERNMENT PROPOSAL TO CONDUCT A THOROUGH STUDY OF THE GOODS VEHICLES INDUSTRY IN THE CONTEXT OF THE ECONOMY AND TRANSPORT.
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