THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 1983
+OVER A THREE-YEAR ACCUMULATION PERIOD, IT IS ESTIMATED THAT ABOUT 20 PER CENT OF THE DRIVERS MAY COLLECT SOME POINTS, BUT LESS THAN TWO PER CENT OF THE MOTORISTS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH THE 15 POINT LEVEL AT WHICH THEY WOULD BE LIABLE FOR DISQUALIFICATION.
+THIS UNDERLINES THE TWIN OBJECTIVES OF TACKLING THE PERSISTENT OFFENDERS WHO CREATE PROBLEMS FOR THE MAJORITY OF RESPONSIBLE MOTORISTS, AND OF ENCOURAGING IMPROVEMENTS IN DRIVING STANDARDS MORE GENERALLY, HE SAID.
FOR PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS, SUCH AS THOSE OF TAXIS, BUSES AND PUBLIC LIGHT BUSES, THE IR SKILL AND EXPERIENCE SHOULD ENSURE THAT THEY ARE NÓ MORE PRONE TO COLLECTING PENALTY POINTS THAN PRIVATE MOTORISTS, THE SPOKESMAN ADDED.
A WIDE RANGE OF POSSIBLE OFFENCES HAS BEEN CAREFULLY CONSIDERED, BUT ONLY 16 TRAFFIC OFFENCES HAVE BEEN SELECTED FOR THE BILL ON THE BASIS OF THEIR DIRECT BEARING ON ROAD SAFETY. + THE BILL DOES NOT INTRODUCE ANY NEW OFFENCES, AND ALL THE OFFENCES HAVE BEEN DRAWN FROM THE ROAD TRAFFIC ORDINANCE 1982, THE SPOKESMAN STRESSED.
+MOTOR ISTS ARE FAMILIAR WITH MOST OF THESE SINCE IN A SIMILAR FORMAT THEY HAVE BEEN IN THE STATUTE BOOK FOR YEARS.
+IN ADDITION, A MAGISTRATE ALREADY HAS DISCRETIONARY POWER TO SUSPEND THE DRİVER'S LICENCE ON CONVICTION FOR A NUMBER OF THESE OFFENCES, HE POINTED OUT.
THE BILL REQUIRES THE COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT TO ISSUE A WARNING NOTICE TO DRIVERS WHO HAVE INCURRED 10 OR MORE, BUT LESS THAN 15 POINTS, INFORMING THEM OF THE NUMBER OF POINTS INVOLVED AND WARNING THAT THEY ARE GETTING CLOSE TO THE DISQUALIFICATION LEVEL.
+THE EMPHASIS IS ON PROMOTING SAFE DRIVING RATHER THAN ACHIEVING WIDESPREAD DISQUALIFICATIONS, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
WHEN A DRIVER HAS INCURRED 15 OR MORE POINTS, THE COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT WILL APPLY TO A MAGISTRATE FOR THE ISSUE OF A SUMMONS.
ON HEARING THE SUMMONS, A MAGISTRATE IS OBLIGED TO DISQUALIFY THE DRIVER, ON THE FIRST OCCASION, FOR THREE MONTHS AND, ON ANY SUBSEQUENT OCCASION WHEN 15 POINTS OR MORE HAVE BEEN ACCUMULATED, FOR SIX MONTHS UNLESS THERE ARE EXCEPTIONAL GROUNDS FOR ORDER ING A SHORTER PERIOD OR NO DISQUALIFICATION.
THE SPOKESMAN EMPHASISED THAT ON DISQUALIFICATION EITHER UNDER THE ROAD TRAFFIC ORDINANCE OR UNDER THE BILL, THE MOTORIST'S +POINTS SLATE+ WOULD BE WIPED CLEAN.
ANY DISQUALIFIED DRIVER WHO APPLIES FOR OR OBTAINS A DRIVING LICENCE OR DRIVES A MOTOR VEHICLE WILL BE COMMITTING AN OFFENCE AND BE LIABLE TO A FINE OF $10 000 AND IMPRISONMENT FOR 12 MONTHS.
FOLLOWING IS