WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 1982
17
GENERAL AGREEMENT ON NEED TO CURB VEHICLE GROWTH
******
THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, THE HON ALAN SCOTT, IN CONCLUDING THE DEBATE ON THE THREE BILLS AIMED AT REDUCING THE GROWTH OF PRIVATE CARS, NOTED THAT THERE WAS ALMOST COMPLETE AGREEMENT BY THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON THE NEED TO ACT TO RESTRAIN THE GROWTH RATE.
+THERE HAS BEEN STRONG SUPPORT FROM SEVERAL MEMBERS FOR THE PROPOSALS AS PUT FORWARD, AS WELL AS STRONG DISAGREEMENT FROM CTHERS. THERE IS ALSO A RANGE OF QUALIFIED SUPPORT, HE SAID.
AFTER A DEBATE WHICH HAS REVEALED SUCH STRONG OPINIONS, THE PASSAGE OF THE BILLS WILL BE REGARDED AS A SOBER REALISATION THAT THESE UNPALATABLE MEASURES ARE NECESSARY TO PREVENT FURTHER DETERIORATION OF THE TRAFFIC SITUATION WHILE WE PRESS FORWARD WITH LONGER TERM PROGRAMMES, HE SAID.
MR SCOTT REPLIED AT LENGTH TO THE VARIOUS POINTS RAISED BY THE UNOFFICIALS.
DISCRIMINATORY EFFECT
SEVERAL UNOFFICIALS HAVE SPOKEN WITH CONSIDERABLE FEELING OF THE EFFECT ON THE ASPIRATIONS OF WOULD-BE CAR OWNERS DESCRIBING THE PROPOSALS AS DISCRIMINATORY, AND FAVOURING THE RICH. SOME
SUGGESTED DIRECT RESTRAINT ON OWNERSHIP AS A MORE EQUITABLE SYSTEM,
IN REPLY, MR SCOTT SAID THE ADMINISTRATION BELIEVED THAT IT WAS IN PRINCIPLE UNDESIRABLE TO MOVE NOW TO DENY ASPIRATIONS OF OWNERSHIP COMPLETELY AND THAT OTHER MEASURES SHOULD BE TESTED BEFORE DIRECT RESTRAINT ON OWNERSHIP WAS RESORTED TO.
+NO SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO THINK OF, OR THAT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED, CAN BE PERFECTLY FAIR EACH HAS INEQUITIES AND DISADVANTAGES, EITHER FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF THE INDIVIDUALS AFFECTED OR OF THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.
+BUT THE SITUATION REQUIRED ACTION, AND IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT AS A FIRST STEP, THE PROPOSALS ARE THE LEAST INEQUITABLE, AND BROADLY SPEAKING LEAVE INDIVIDUALS TO DECIDE ON THE DISPOSITION OF THE IR BUDGETS WHETHER TO CONTINUE TO RUN A MOTOR VEHICLE, OR WHETHER TO ACQUIRE ONE. IT IS INDEED UNDESIRABLE, BUT IT IS UNAVOIDABLE, REGRETTABLY, THAT ASPIRING OWNERS WILL HAVE TO REVIEW THE IR POSITION, AND SOME WILL AS A RESULT DEFER THE IR ASPIRATIONS, + MR SCOTT SAID.
HOWEVER, HE ACKNOWLEDGED THE SUPPORT OF THOSE UNOFFICIALS WHO HAVE SUGGESTED DIRECT LIMITATION OF THE GROWTH OF VEHICLES AND LOOKED FORWARD TO THE IR ADVICE ON HOW TO RUN SUCH A SYSTEM IF IT HAD TO BE INTRODUCED.
LATIONARY
דיני
–