TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 1984
9
ON THE LACK OF POSITIVE RESULTS FROM THE UNITED STATES,
MR CHEONG SAID THE AMERICAN AUTHORITIES WERE SO CONFUSED THAT THEY COULD NOT MAKE UP THEIR MINDS WHAT TO DO. HE ADDED THAT, ON THE OTHER HAND, HONG KONG'S POSITION WAS VERY CLEAR.
+ THE UNITED STATES' UNILATERAL ACTION IS AGAINST BOTH THE SPIRIT AND THE LETTER OF THE BILATERAL AND MULTILATERAL AGREEMENTS WHICH GOVERN NORMAL AND LEGAL TRADE BETWEEN THE TWO TERRITORIES.
+THERE ARE PROVISIONS WITHIN THESE AGREEMENTS THAT EITHER SIDE CAN REQUEST CONSULTATIONS IF THEY SEE ANY PROBLEMS ON ANY TRADE BETWEEN THE TWO TERRITORIES IN RESPECT OF TEXTILES. THERE IS NO ROOM FOR COMPROMISE AS FAR AS THAT IS CONCERNED, MR CHEONG STRESSED.
AS TO WHEN HE WOULD BE GOING BACK TO WASHINGTON FOR FURTHER TALKS, MR MACLEOD SAID: I DON'T HAVE ANY PARTICULAR DATE IN MIND BECAUSE IT VERY MUCH DEPENDS ON WHAT HAPPENS IN THE NEXT WEEK OF TWO.+
ASKED WHAT COULD THE GATT DO TO HELP OUT IN THE SITUATION, MR MACLEOD SAID, AT THIS STAGE THE GATT REALLY MEANS THE TEXTILES COMMITTEE. AND THE TEXTILES COMMITTEE BASICALLY IS A FORUM FOR BRINGING OUT THE STRONG VIEWS OF A LARGE NUMBER OF COUNTRIES, HOPEFULLY TO INFLUENCE THE U.S. POSITION AND AGAIN HOPEFULLY TO GET SOME SORT OF ASSURANCES OR STATEMENTS FROM THE U.S. WHICH WILL HELP TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM. +
TAC CONSIDERS ADVERTISING PROPOSAL
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THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE TODAY (TUESDAY) CONSIDERED
A PROPOSAL BY OPERATORS OF TAXIS, PLB'S AND MAXICABS FOR DISPLAYING ADVERTISEMENTS ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE IR VEHICLES.
SIMILAR PROPOSALS HAVE BEEN MADE ON VARIOUS OCCASIONS IN THE PAST BUT WERE NOT PURSUED FOR TRAFFIC SAFETY AND AESTHETIC REASO 3 AND LIKELY CONTROL PROBLEMS.
..> THE LATEST PROPOSAL BY THE OPERATORS WAS SCRUTINISED BY THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT AND ITS RECOMMENDATIONS SUBSEQUENTLY FOR PERMITTING A CONTROLLED FORM OF ADVERTISING ON THESE PUBLIC SERVICE VEHICLES WAS ENDORSED BY THE STANDING CONFERENCE ON ROAD USE LAST MONTH,
IN A PAPER PRESENTED TO THE TAC MEETING TODAY, THE DEPARTMENT EXPLAINED HOW THE VARIOUS PROBLEMS IDENTIFIED PREVIOUSLY COULD BE OVERCOME.
IT EXPLAINED THAT THERE WERE STILL GOOD REASONS FOR NOT ALLOWING ILLUMINATED ROOF-TOP AND BOOT-TOP SIGNS TO BE INSTALLED. HOWEVER, IT ACCEPTED THAT LIMITED DISPLAY OF ADVERTISEMENTS ON BOTH FRONT DOOR PANELS OF TAXIS AND ON THE TWO SIDES OF PLE'S AND MAXICABS BELOW THE WAIST BAND WOULD NOT CAUSE SUCH DISTRACTION ROAD USERS AS TO GIVE RISE TO TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS.
/FOR THE
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