WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1982
6
IT WAS HIGH TIME HONG KONG WOKE UP TO THE FACT THAT THERE WERE GOOD MINDS RIGHT HERE, READY, WILLING AND ABLE TO COPE WITH LOCAL PROBLEMS LIKE DEVISING A NEW SYSTEM OF ROAD SIGNS, THE HON CHEUNG YAN-LUNG TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
MR CHEUNG SAID WHAT HONG KONG NEEDED WERE SIGNS OF THE TIMES, DESIGNED AND TESTED BY HONG KONG PEOPLE, AND NOT SIGNS DERIVED FROM OTHER COUNTRIES' SYSTEMS, ONTO WHICH THE CHINESE LANGUAGE IS GRAFTED.+
HONG KONG HAS NOT ONE BUT TWO OFFICIAL LANGUAGES AND, AS IF THESE WERE NOT ENOUGH, THE NEW SIGN SYSTEM INCORPORATES SYMBOLS AND COLOURS WHICH MOTORISTS ARE EXPECTED TO DECIPHER, HE SAID.
AND MR CHEUNG ASKED MUST WE CREATE A THIRD LANGUAGE' IN A CODE OF SYMBOLS AND COLOURS? WHY NOT SIMPLY SAY WHAT WE MEAN IN PLAIN CHINESE AND ENGLSIH TERMS? DO WE REALLY NEED TO RESORT TO GUESSING GAMES ON HONG KONG ROADS?+
POINTING OUT THAT THOUGH COLOURS AND SYMBOLS WERE SANCTIONED BY THE UNITED NATIONS AND ACCEPTED INTERNATIONALLY, HE SAID THE FACT WAS THAT CHINESE CHARACTERS DERIVED IN PART FROM GRAPHIC SYMBOLS.
+SO TO THE CHINESE MIND, THERE IS NO MORE POSITIVE PICTURE' THAN A CHINESE CHARACTER, HE SAID.
MR CHEUNG, WHO SUPPORTED THE MOTION, ADDED: +AS I HAVE SAID BEFORE, THIS IS HONG KONG, NOT ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD, AND WE ARE PERFECTLY CAPABLE OF DECIDING ON WHAT FORMAT OF ROAD SIGNS TO SUIT OUR OWN ROAD USERS.+
SOME CONCERN AND RESERVATION OVER THE TERM RECKLESS DRIVING+ STILL EXIST BECAUSE OF UNCLEAR DEFINITION AND THE ABSENCE OF AN AGREED CRITERION, THE HON SELINA CHOW SAID.
UNLIKE THE COURT AND THE LAWYER, THOSE WHO STAND ACCUSED OF THE OFFENCE MIGHT NOT BE FULLY AWARE OF THE LEGAL CONCEPTS INVOLVED, MRS CHOW SAID.
WITHOUT AN AGREED CRITERION, THE ACCUSED MIGHT BE TOO MUCH AT THE MERCY OF THE POLICE, AND PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS WERE PARTICULARLY CONCERNED AS THEIR LIVELIHOOD MIGHT BE AFFECTED, SHE SAID.
BUT MRS CHOW POINTED OUT THAT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL HAD GIVEN ASSURANCE THAT INITIALLY ALL RECKLESS DRIVING' CASES WOULD BE REFERRED TO HIS OFFICE FOR DECISION ON WHETHER OR NOT TO "ROSECUTE.
SHE SAID THE CHINESE TRANSLATION OF RECKLESS DRIVING+ DID NOT FULLY REFLECT THE LAW DRAFTSMAN'S EXPLANATION OF THE TERM WHICH CONTAINS TWO ELEMENTS.
* DRIVING IN SUCH A MANNER AS TO CREATE AN OBVIOUS AND
SERIOUS RISK OF CAUSING PHYSICAL INJURY TO SOME OTHER PERSON WHO MIGHT BE USING THE ROAD OR OF DOING SOME SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO PROPERTY, AND
/*DRIVING IN