FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1982
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NEW TAXI FARES
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THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT TODAY REMINDED THE PUBLIC THAT THE NEW TAXI FARES WILL COME INTO EFFECT ON SUNDAY (OCTOBER 31).
THE NEW FARES, REPRESENTING AN INCREASE OF 12.5 PER CENT FOR URBAN TAXI CHARGES AND 25 PER CENT FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES TAXIS, WILL APPLY TO ALL JOURNEYS BEGINNING AFTER 12.01 AM THAT MORNING.
AT THE SAME TIME, WHEN MAKING TRIPS THROUGH THE LION ROCK AND ABERDEEN TUNNELS TAXI DRIVERS MAY NOW CHARGE THE PASSENGER THE APPROPRIATE TUNNEL TOLL ONLY ONCE AND NOT TWICE AS LAID DOWN
PREVIOUSLY.
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW FARE SCALE WILL INVOLVE THE RECALIBRATION OR REPLACEMENT OF ALL EXISTING TAXI METERS AND THIS
IS EXPECTED TO TAKE AT LEAST SIX MONTHS TO COMPLETE.
DURING THE INTERIM PERIOD, CONVERSION TABLES SHOWING THE APPROPRIATE FARES WILL BE DISPLAYED IN ALL TAXIS,
IN THE URBAN AREA, THE NEW FLAGFALL WILL BE $4.50 FOR THE FIRST TWO KILOMETRES (AT PRESENT $4), AND THE SUBSEQUENT RATE WILL BE 90 CENTS FOR EVERY 0.4 KILOMÉTRE, COMPARED WITH THE EXISTING FARE OF 50 CENTS FOR EVERY 0.25 KILOMETRE.
AS FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES TAXIS, THE FLAGFALL FARE WILL BE INCREASED FROM $2.40 TO $3, FOR THE FIRST TWO KILOMETRES. SUBSEQUENT CHARGES WILL BE 30 CENTS FOR EVERY 0.2 KILOMETRE INSTEAD OF 0.25 KILOMETRE.
HOWEVER, THE ADDITIONAL FARES FOR BAGGAGES, ANIMALS AND BIRDS WILL REMAIN UNCHANGED.
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