WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 1984
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+THIS IS A COMMUNICATION GAP WHICH I AM CONVINCED MUST BE CLOSED - BEFORE THIS PACKAGE CAN BE BROUGHT INTO BALANCE, HE SAID.
FORMULATION OF TRANSPORT POLICY WAS NOT AN EASY TASK AND REQUIRED VERY CAREFUL BALANCING AMONG VARIOUS CONFLICTING INTERESTS OF THE COMMUNITY, HE SAID.
MANY A TIME, PAINFUL DECISIONS HAD TO BE MADE WHICH SEEMED UNREASONABLE TO ONE PARTICULAR SECTOR OF THE COMMUNITY, WHEN IN FACT THOSE DECISIONS WERE MADE IN THE INTEREST OF THE COMMON GOOD, HE SAID.
RECONSIDERATION OF POLICY URGED ****
THE HON CHEUNG YAN-LUNG URGED THE AUTHORITIES +TO RECONSIDER THE TAXI POLICY IN THE LIGHT OF RECENT EVENTS.+
+HISTORY HAS A WAY OF REPEATING ITSELF, SO I CALL HERE AND NOW FOR A VERY CAREFUL REVIEW OF THE CONSULTATION PROCESS TAKEN BEFORE FORMULATING THIS POLICY AND THE PUBLIC RELATIONS MEASURES TAKEN IN THE EVENT LEADING UP TO THE TAXI STRIKE,+ HE SAID.
+THERE IS A LESSON TO BE LEARNED HERE AND WE SHOULD PREVENT SIMILAR INCIDENTS FROM OCCURRING IN FUTURE.+
+IN A STRIKE, THERE ARE NO WINNERS BUT ONLY LOSERS, THE DRIVERS LOSING THE IR WAGES, THE OPERATORS LOSING THEIR EARNINGS, AND THE PUBLIC BEING INCONVENIENCED BY LOSING ITS MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION AND THE GOVERNMENT LOSING ITS CREDIBILITY.
TAXIS HAD AN IMPORTANT JOB OF KEEPING HONG KONG MOVING, AND HE DISAGREED WITH THE POLICY OF TREATING TAXIS AS PERSONALISED TRANSPORT, HE SAID.
THEY WERE NOT FOR PERSONAL PLEASURE, HE SAID.
+THEREFORE THE ARGUMENT TO INCREASE THE FIRST REGISTRATION TAX AND LICENCE FEES FOR TAXIS BECAUSE THEY ARE PERSONALISED TRANSPORT DOES NOT HOLD, AND THE POLICY SHOULD BE GIVEN FURTHER CONSIDERATION, HE SAID.
HE PROPOSED THAT THE BILLS BE DEFERRED +UNTIL AFTER THE ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS HAVE BEEN CAREFULLY ASSESSED.+
MR CHEUNG STRESSED THAT HIS OPPOSITION TO THE BILLS WAS
NOT DUE TO PRESSURE OR INTIMIDATION.
+I CONDEMN THE STRIKE ACTION TAKEN BY THE TAXI TRADE, NOT ONLY BECAUSE IT SHOWED COMPLETE DISREGARD FOR THE PUBLIC, BUT ALSO BECAUSE IT INDIRECTLY PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY WHICH BAD ELEMENTS EXPLOITED, HE ADDED.
+THE RECENT EVENTS WERE WIDELY REPORTED ALL OVER THE WORLD AND IN SUCH A SENSITIVE TIME, THIS SORT OF PUBLICITY CAN ONLY DO HONG KONG HARM, HE STRESSED.
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