TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 1984
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IN THE CASE OF NT TAXIS, THE FIRST TWO KILOMETRES WILL COST $3.30 INSTEAD OF $3, AND INSTEAD OF 30 CENTS EVERY 0.2 KILOMETRE THEREAFTER, THE NEW CHARGE WILL BE 70 CENTS EVERY 0.4 KILOMETRE.
CHARGES FOR WAITING TIME WILL ALSO BE REVISED. IT WILL COST 70 CENTS INSTEAD OF 60 CENTS EVERY TWO MINUTES FOR URBAN TAXIS AND 70 CENTS EVERY TWO MINUTES INSTEAD OF 30 CENTS EVERY 1-1/2 MINUTE FOR NT TAXIS.
THE CHARGE FOR CARRYING EACH ARTICLE OF BAGGAGE, ANIMAL OR BIRD, WHICH HAS SINCE 1969 BEEN 50 CENTS, IS INCREASED TO $1.
A TABLE OF THE NEW FARES, SET AGAINST EXISTING FARES, WILL BE PLACED AS ADVERTISEMENTS ON FÉBRUARY 6 AND 7 IN TWO ENGLISH AND FOUR CHINESE NEWSPAPERS. THIS CONVERSION TABLE CAN BE DISPLAYED IN TAXIS AND USED BY PASSENGERS, BEFORE THE METERS ARE RECALIBRATED.
IN ADDITION, A LIMITED NUMBER OF CONVERSION TABLES WILL BE AVAILABLE TO TAXÍ OPERATORS AT TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT LICENSING OFFICES FROM MONDAY (FEBRUARY 6).
THE GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT THE CASE FOR A TAXI FARE INCREASE WAS REVIEWED AS A MATTER OF URGENCY IN THE LIGHT OF FURTHER INFORMATION PROVIDED ON CURRENT OPERATING COSTS AND TAKING
INTO ACCOUNT THE LENGTH OF TIME SINCE THE LAST INCREASE IN OCTOBER, 1982.
THIS REVIEW OF FARES WAS SEPARATE FROM THE PACKAGE OF PROPOSALS WHICH SOUGHT TO RATIONALISE THE ROLE OF TAXIS IN THE
OVERALL TRANSPORT SYSTEM.
THE PACKAGE OF PROPOSALS WILL BE RE-EXAMINED AND EXTENSIVE CONSULTATION WITH DISTRICT BOARDS AND THE TAXI ASSOCIATIONS WILL BE CARRIED OUT BY THE TRANSPORT BRANCH AND THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT IN CONSULTATION WITH THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE BEFORE REVISED PROPOSALS ARE SUBMITTED BY THE TAC FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AND THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
THE DECISION ON FARES IS TAKEN IN THE CONTEXT OF PRESENT POLICY ON THE REGULATION OF TAXIS. NO CHANGE IN ANY FEATURE OF THESE POLICIES IS PROPOSED BEFORE THE WHOLE QUESTION IS EXAMINED AFRESH. IN THE MEANTIME, THEREFORE, DURING THE RE-EXAMINATION OF THE POLICY PROPOSALS, THERE WILL BE TWO FURTHER ISSUES OF URBAN TAXI LICENCES IN MARCH AND JULY, 300 LICENCES BEING OFFERED ON EACH OCCASION, AND TWO FURTHER ISSUES OF NT TAXI LICENCES, 150 OF THESE LICENCES BEING OFFERED EACH TIME. ONE MATTER TO BE CONSIDERED IN EXAMINING FURTHER PROPOSALS WILL BE WHETHER FURTHER LICENCES SHOULD BE ISSUED AFTER JULY.
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