MONDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1983
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SOMETHING FOR CAR LICENCE BUFFS
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VEHICLE REGISTRATION NUMBERS 1997 AND HK 1997 WERE BEING CONSIDERED FOR AUCTION, MR PETER LEEDS, COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT SAID TODAY (MONDAY).
SPEAKING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE DEPARTMENT'S NEW LICENSING OFFICE AT SHA TIN, MR LEEDS SAID THE TWO REGISTRATION NUMBERS WERE NOT ALLOCATED AT THE MOMENT AND HE WAS CONSIDERING PUTTING THEM UP FOR AUCTION IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
+ONE ASPECT OF VEHICLE LICENSING IN HONG KONG WHICH NEVER FAILS TO INTRIGUE NEW-COMERS OR VISITORS IS THE POLICY OF AUCTIONING LUCKY NUMBERS, WITH THE PROCEEDS GOING TO THE LOTTERIES FUND. DURING THE LAST FINANCIAL YEAR A TOTAL OF $3 225 400 WAS HANDED OVER FROM THIS SOURCE, HE SAID.
HE ADDED THAT THE HIGHEST AMOUNT PAID SO FAR FOR ANY NUMBER WAS $1.03 MILLION. THAT NUMBER WAS NO. 3.
REFERRING TO THE NEW SHA TIN OFFICE, MR LEEDS SAID THAT IT WAS THE DEPARTMENT'S FOURTH LICENSING OFFICE AND THE FIRST IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.
+AT PRESENT THE DUNDAS STREET OFFICE BEARS THE BRUNT OF THE DEMAND FOR LICENSING SERVICES FROM THE NEW TERRITORIES AND IT IS HOPED THAT THE OPENING OF THE OFFICE WILL ALLEVIATE THE PRESSURE THERE, HE SAID.
THE NEW OFFICE WILL CATER FOR THE FULL RANGE OF DRIVER AND VEHICLE LICENSING TRANSACTIONS.
+HERE WE HAVE FOUR COMPUTER TERMINALS GIVING ACCESS TO THE VALID (VEHICLE AND DRIVER LICENSING INTEGRATED DATA SYSTEM), SAID MR LEEDS, ADDING THAT WHEN STAFF RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE, WRITTEN TESTS AND DRIVING TEST APPOINTMENTS WILL BE PROCESSED THERE.
HE RECALLED THAT WHEN THE FIRST TRANSPORT OFFICE WAS SET UP IN 1966/1967, THE NUMBER OF REGISTERED VEHICLES WAS ABOUT 90 000 AND THE NUMBER OF LICENSED DRIVERS ABOUT 200 000. BUT BY THE END OF NOVEMBER THIS YEAR, THERE WERE 328 987 VEHICLES AND 804 425 LICENSED DRIVERS.
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