WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 1984
INCREASED TAXI CHARGES ANNOUNCED
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TAXI FARES ARE TO INCREASE BY 17 PER CENT AND THE ISSUE OF NEW LICENCES FOR URBAN TAXIS IS TO BE FROZEN, THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL HEARD TODAY.
THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, MR ALAN SCOTT, MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT AS PART OF A WIDE RANGING REVIEW OF THE ROLE OF TAXIS IN THE TRANSPORT PATTERN OF HONG KONG.
HE MOVED THE SECOND READING OF TWO BILLS PUBLISHED IN AN EXTRAORD INARY GAZETTE EARLIER TODAY - THE FIRST INCREASING FIRST REGISTRATION TAX FOR TAXIS AND THE SECOND INCREASING THEIR ANNUAL LICENSING FEES. THESE BILLS ARE THE MOTOR VEHICLES (FIRST REGISTRATION TAX) (AMENDMENT) BILL 1984 AND THE ROAD TRAFFIC (REGISTRATION AND LICENSING OF VEHICLES) REGULATIONS (AMENDMENT) BILL 1984.
ON THE FARE INCREASE, MR SCOTT SAID THAT THE GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL HAD CONCLUDED THAT AN INCREASE OF ABOUT 10 PER CENT IS JUSTIFIED FOR BOTH URBAN AND NEW TERRITORIES TAXIS, BASED ON INCREASES IN THEIR EXPENDITURE SINCE THE LAST RISE IN OCTOBER 1982. THE INCREASE IN OPERATING EXPENDITURE ARISING FROM THE NEW TAXATION HAD ALSO TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT AND THEREFORE FARES WERE TO INCREASE BY A TOTAL OF 17 PER CENT FROM FEBRUARY 1.
THE
URBAN TAXI FARES WILL GO UP FROM THE PRESENT FLAGFALL OF $4.50 FOR THE FIRST TWO KILOMETRES TO A FLAGFALL OF $5.30. ADDITIONAL DISTANCE CHARGE WILL INCREASE FROM 60 CENTS TO 70 CENTS FOR EACH 266.6 METRES.
FOR NT TAXIS, THE FLAGFALL WILL INCREASE FROM $3 TO $3.50. THE ADDITIONAL DISTANCE CHARGE WILL INCREASE FROM 30 CENTS FOR EVERY 0.2 OF A KILOMETRE TO 70 CENTS FOR EVERY 0.4 OF A KILOMETRE.
WAITING TIME FOR BOTH URBAN AND NT TAXIS WILL BE SET AT
THE ADDITIONAL FARE FOR EACH 70 CENTS FOR EVERY TWO MINUTES. ARTICLE OF BAGGAGE, ANIMAL OR BIRD, WHICH HAS BEEN UNCHANGED SINCE 1969, WILL BE RAISED FROM 50 CENTS TO $1.
THE
MR SCOTT SAID HE WISHED TO SET THE MOVES IN CONTEXT. NUMBER OF TAXIS HAD INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY IN RECENT YEARS, HE SAID, AND IT WAS EXPECTED THAT DURING 1984 THE NUMBER OF REGISTERED URBAN TAXIS WOULD REACH 13 000 AND THAT OF REGISTERED NEW TERRITORIES TAXIS TO REACH 2 330.
AS RECOGNISED IN MAY 1982 WHEN PRIVATE VEHICLE RESTRAINTS WERE INTRODUCED, TAXIS WERE NEEDED IN A SUPPORTING ROLE WHILE MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS CONTINUED IN PUBLIC TRANSPORT, HE SAID. THESE INCLUDED THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY, THE MODERNISED KOWLOON CANTON RAILWAY AND A WIDE RANGE OF ROAD PROJECTS AND ASSOCIATED IMPROVEMENTS. ADDITIONALLY, BUS SERVICES HAD IMPROVED ENORMOUSLY AND NOW THE TWO PRINCIPAL COMPANIES CARRY 3.5 MILLION PASSENGERS A DAY, COMPARED WITH 2.5 MILLION IN 1976.
+THE NEED FOR THE TAXI AS AN ADJUNCT TO PUBLIC TRANSPORT HAS THEREFORE DIMINISHED SIGNIFICANTLY,+ SAID MR SCOTT.
/A VERY