WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 1984
12
GOODS VEHICLES WOULD PAY THE SAME TAX AS PRIVATE CARS AND TAXIS. THIS WAS NOT EXPECTED TO ADD SIGNIFICANTLY TO TRANSPORT COST, AS OVER 90 PER CENT OF THE DAILY GOODS VEHICLE TRIPS DID NOT INVOLVE CROSSING THE HARBOUR.
MOTOR-CYCLES, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE LIGHT BUSES, WOULD BE SUBJECT TO A $2 TAX, MR YUE SAID.
CONSULAR CORPS STAFF WERE EXEMPTED FROM THE TAX, WHILE GOVERNMENT VEHICLES WERE NOT EXEMPTED, EXCEPT IN THE SPECIAL CIRSUMSTANCES OF OFFICIALS CARRYING OUT DUTIES IN THE TUNNEL
AREA.
THE TAX WOULD APPLY THROUGHOUT THE TWENTY-FOUR HOURS OF EACH DAY, HE SAID.
THE BILL WAS INTENDED TO TAKE EFFECT ON JUNE 1 THIS YEAR, AND EXPECTED TO BRING $140 MILLION A YEAR OF REVENUE.
DEBATE ON THE BILL WAS ADJOURNED TO MAY 2.
CROSS-HARBOUR TUNNEL CONGESTION INTOLERABLE'
*****
-
YUE
THE PRESENT LEVEL OF CONGESTION AT THE CROSS HARBOUR TUNNEL WAS INTOLERABLE, THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, THE HON JUSTIN YUE, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
HE SAID THAT THE 1983 DECLINE OF 0.47 PER CENT IN CROSS HARBOUR TUNNEL TRAFFIC COMPARED WITH THE 1982 FIGURE REFERRED TO BY REV THE HON FR PATRICK MCGOVERN WAS NOT GOOD ENOUGH, AND WAS ONLY A TEMPORARY PHENOMENON.
MR YUE SAID THE VOLUME OF TRAFFIC FOR 1982 WAS 39.78 MILLION
A DROP OF 0.47 VEHICLES AND FOR 1983, IT WAS 39.59 MILLION -- PER CENT. BUT FOR THE LATEST 12-MONTH PERIOD ENDING MARCH 1984, IT WAS 39.79 MILLION.
+SO ALREADY WE ARE BACK TO WHERE WE WERE, HE SAID.
MR YUE SAID THAT THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT WAS CONSIDERING MEANS TO ENSURE THAT SUFFICIENT PUBLIC TRANSPORT WOULD BE PROVIDED
WHICH SO AS NOT TO DEFEAT THE PURPOSE OF THE PROPOSED TAX
HE HAD EARLIER EXPLAINED, IN MOVING THE CROSS-HARBOUR (PASSAGE TAX) BILL 1984 WAS TO IMPOSE A TAX ON CERTAIN CLASSES OF VEHICLES TO REDUCE CONGESTION IN THE TUNNEL.
HE SAID THAT A SUGGESTION THAT THE PROPOSED CROSS-HARBOUR TUNNEL TAX SHOULD NOT APPLY DURING NON-PEAK HOURS HAD BEEN EXAMINED.
BUT AS I HAVE +AS A CONCEPT, IT HAS CONSIDERABLE MERITS. SAID. THERE ARE ALSO CONSIDERABLE ADMINISTRATIVE AND OPERATIONAL PROBLEMS THE MAIN ONE OF WHICH IS THAT THE CROSS-HARBOUR TUNNEL COMPANY'S EXISTING COMPUTER CANNOT COPE WITH SUCH A REQUIREMENT.
/+IF AND