WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2. 13-
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MR SCOTT ADDED THAT THE SECRETARY FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE
AND HE WOULD CONSIDER THE ASPECTS RAISED BY MR LO AND ENSURE THAT THEY WERE DRAAN TO THE ATTENTION OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON DIRECTORATE SALARIES AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE WHICH ADVISES THE GOVERNOR-IN-COUNCIL ON SUCH MATTERS.
MR SCOTT ALSO REPLIED TO SEVERAL SPECIFIC POINTS RAISED BY THE UNOFFICIALS.
COMMENTING ON THE REV MCGOVERN'S CRITICISMS OF THE RESTRAINT MEASURES AND THE GOVERNMENT'S HANDLING OF THE CONGESTION PROBLEM, MR SCOTT SAID IT WAS HARD TO BELIEVE, IN THE LIGHT OF HIS PREVIOUS PRONOUNCEMENTS ON SOCIAL MATTERS, THAT FR MCGOVERN REALLY THOUGHT THAT GOVERNMENT SHOULD HAVE IN THE PAST, OR SHOULD IN THE FUTURE, SO ORDER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES AND THE ALLOCATION OF PRIORITIES THAT PRIVATE MOTOR CARS SHOULD BE ABLE TO TRAVEL IN UNRESTRICTED NUMBERS WHEREVER THEY WISH, REGARDLESS.
HE SAID HE HAD TOUCHED ON THE EFFECTS OF THIS IN HIS SPEECH ON MAY 5. + IT WOULD AMOUNT TO SOCIAL INJUSTICE ON A VERY LARGE SCALE INDEED, HE SAID.
MRS SELINA CHOW HAD FAVOURED THE INTRODUCTION OF ODD-AND- EVEN-DAY RESTRICTED USAGE FOR PRIVATE CARS IN CONGESTED AREAS.
+THIS IS CONCEPTUALLY A SIMPLE AND FAIR IDEA, BUT IN PRACTICE TWO-CAR OWNERS ARE AT AN IMMEDIATE ADVANTAGE OVER ONE-CAR OWNERS, AND THE DIFFICULTY IN POLICING THE USE OF FALSE PLATES MAKES IT A NON-STARTER IN THE CONDITIONS OF HONG KONG, MR SCOTT SAID
HE ALSO EXPLAINED TO MRS CHOW THAT THE FIGURES HE HAD GIVEN AS EXAMPLES OF THE EFFECTS OF CONGESTION ON BUS AND TRAM SERVICES HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH MAINTENANCE STANDARDS, IN THE CASE OF BUSES, AND WITH COMMUTERS TAKING OTHER MODES OF TRANSPORT, IN THE CASE OF TRAMS.
HE TOOK UP THE EXAMPLE OF FISCAL RESTRAINTS ADOPTED IN SINGAPORE AS QUOTED BY MR ALEX WU AND POINTED OUT THAT OVER THE PERIOD MR WU QUOTED, SIX YEARS FROM 1976 TO 1981 INCLUSIVE, THE GROWTH RATE APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN 13.8 PER CENT WHICH APPEARED REASONABLY SUCCESSFUL.
+BUT THERE COMES A POINT WHEN THE OVERALL ADVERSE EFFECTS OF INCREASINGLY SEVERE INCREASES ARE WORSE THAN THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON VEHICLE NUMBERS. THEY SHOULD NOT BE REGARDED AS A FINAL SOLUTION. THE FINAL SOLUTION MUST BE MORE EQUITABLE, AS WELL AS PREFERABLY NOT REMOVING THE OPPORTUNITY OF OWNERSHIP OF A VEHICLE, + MR SCOTT SAID.
HE SAID NO ONE, INCLUDING THE ADMINISTRATION, COULD PREDICT WITH CERTAINTY WHAT DEGREE OF EFFECT THE PRESENT PROPOSALS WOULD HAVE.
HE WAS GRATEFUL TO MR WONG LAM FOR ENDORSING THE ADMINISTRATION'S THINKING WHEN HE SAID: IN VIEW OF THE URGENCY OF THE PROBLEM, AND THE DIFFICULTY IN DESIGNING SIMPLE AND FEASIBLE MEASURES WHICH ARE BOTH REASONABLE AND FAIR, I AGREE THAT GOVERNMENT SHOULD FIRST ADOPT THESE PROPOSALS AS EXPEDIENT MEASURES BUT CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR FAIRER AND MORE EFFECTIVE MEANS WHICH ARE DIRECTED AT CURBING USAGE RATHER THAN OWNERSHIP.+
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