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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1983
THE AVERAGE PRICE IS ABOUT $20 300 FOR A SCHEDULED NUMBER AND ABOUT $3 900 FOR A NON-SCHEDULED NUMBER.
OF THE NUMBERS SOLD THROUGH AUCTIONS SO FAR, THE EARLIEST REGISTRATION MARK IS +3+ AND THE LATEST +DA 7879+.
MR WARREN CHENG, SENIOR EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF LICENSING, TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT, SAID THE PURPOSE OF AUCTIONING SPECIAL CAR REGISTRATION MARKS WAS TO PREVENT PEOPLE FROM PROFITEERING THROUGH SELLING THE NUMBERS THEY HAD ACQUIRED.
MR CHENG RECALLED THAT SPECULATION ON CAR NUMBERS HAD BEEN COMMON BEFORE AUCTIONS WERE INTRODUCED.
HE EMPHASISED THAT ALL PROCEEDS FROM THE AUCTIONS ARE GIVEN TO THE GOVERNMENT LOTTERIES FUND, WHICH IS USED FOR CHARITY.
MR CHENG CAUTIONED THE PUBLIC AGAINST UNSCRUPULOUS PEOPLE WHO OFFER TO SELL THEM CARS TOGETHER WITH SPECIAL REGISTRATION MARKS.
+SCHEDULED REGISTRATION MARKS CAN ONLY BE ACQUIRED THROUGH AUCTIONS AND ARE NON-TRANSFERABLE.
+ON THE DEATH OF THE OWNER, THE NUMBER WILL BE TAKEN BACK BY THE COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT FOR POSSIBLE RE-ALLOCATION THROUGH ANOTHER AUCTION, HE EXPLAINED.
AUCTIONS OF CAR REGISTRATION MARKS DATE BACK TO 1973 WHEN THE COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT WAS EMPOWERED BY LAW TO SELL SCHEDULED REGISTRATION MARKS.
THE FIRST AUCTION WAS HELD ON MAY 9, 1973, AT THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT OFFICES CANTEEN. FORTY-NINE NUMBERS WERE SOLD FOR $343 800. THE HIGHEST PRICE $30 000 — WAS FETCHED BY AR333.
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FROM THE FOURTH AUCTION ONWARD, THE CITY HALL HAS BEEN THE VENUE WHENEVER IT IS AVAILABLE -- BECAUSE OF ITS CENTRAL LOCATION, MR CHENG SAID.
THE INTERVAL BETWEEN AUCTIONS, MR CHENG SAID, DEPENDS ON THE DEMAND FOR SPECIAL NUMBERS, WHICH, IN TURN, IS AFFECTED BY THE ECONOMIC SITUATION,
AT PRESENT, THERE ARE ABOUT 206 000 PRIVATE CARS REGISTERED IN HONG KONG.
REGISTRATION OF VEHICLES IN HONG KONG BEGAN IN 1887 WHEN THE LICENSING CONSOLIDATION ORDINANCE (NO, 21 OF 1887) WAS INTRODUCED.
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