WEDNESD-1.
ON THE PROPOSED MEASURES, MRS CHOW BELIEVED THEY WERE +NOT CKLY SOCIALLY DISCRIMINATING AND ECONOMICALLY INFLATIONARY BUT
SG ARSISSTU AND STOP-GAP+.
1
BUT PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL, SHE ADDED, WAS THE UNCERTAINTY THAT SURROUNDED THESE MEASURES AND THE LACK OF ASSURANCE THAT THEY WOULD BE EFFECTIVE.
IN HER VIEW, IT WAS BY FAR SAFER WITH THE MORE DIRECT AND EFFECTIVE MEASURES OF LIMITATION ON THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES.
+IN FACT I FAIL TO SEE WHY A BALLOT SYSTEM CANNOT BE ADOPTED, SHE SAID.
+SOCIALLY SPEAKING, IT IS INFINITELY FAIRER THAN THE FISCAL MEASURES, FOR THE CHANCE IS EQUAL FOR EVERY APPLICANT.+
MRS CHOW ALSO SUGGESTED THAT THE ONE METHOD THAT SEEMS EXTREMELY SENSIBLE AND SUITABLE FOR HONG KONG IS THE +ODD-EVEN-DAY RESTRICTED USAGE+ FOR CERTAIN SERIOUSLY CONGESTED ZONES SUCH AS CENTRAL, KING'S ROAD AND WATERLOO ROAD.
THE MOST PRACTICABLE WAY TO ENFORCE THIS IS TO USE THE LAST DIGIT ON THE CAR REGISTRATION NUMBER TO CORRESPOND TO THE ODD AND EVEN DAYS OF THE WEEK, LEAVING SUNDAYS AND HOLIDAYS OPEN FOR ALL VEHICLES.
AREAS.
+SUCH A METHOD WILL NOT INCONVENIENCE USERS OF NON-CONGESTED
+AS FOR IT BEING A POSSIBLE ENCOURAGEMENT TOWARDS PURCHASE OF MORE VEHICLES, THIS CAN BE EASILY DETERRED BY THE MEASURE OF LIMITED GROWTH, SHE ADDED.
CAR RESTRAINTS NOT AIMED AT RAISING REVENUE
***
THE MEASURES TO RESTRAIN VEHICLE OWNERSHIP AND USAGE. ALTHOUGH FISCAL IN NATURE, ARE NOT BEING INTRODUCED FOR THE SPECIFIC PURPOSE OF RAISING REVENUE, THE ACTING FINANCIAL SECRETARY, THE HON HENRY CHING SAID IN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
SPEAKING IN RESPONSE TO POINTS RAISED BY UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS, MR CHING SAID NO ARGUMENTS HAD BEEN ADVANCED TO JUSTIFY THE PROPOSALS ON REVENUE-RAISING GROUNDS.
+THE GOVERNMENT'S POSITION IS THAT THE PROPOSALS MUST STAND OR FALL ON THE ARGUMENTS WHICH HAVE BEEN ADVANCED ON OTHER GROUNDS BY THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, HE SAID.
MR CHING SAID AT LEAST ONE MEMBER THOUGHT HE DETECTED AN INCONSISTENCY IN THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY'S APPROACH, AND REFERRED TO AN ABANDONMENT OF PRINCIPLE.