WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1984
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TRAFFIC AT CROSS-HARBOUR ENTRIES GETS BETTER
*****
CONGESTION AROUND THE ENTRIES TO THE CROSS-HARBOUR TUNNEL HAD DISTINCTLY IMPROVED, THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, THE HON ALAN SCOTT, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
HE CONCEDED THAT IN CASE OF BREAKDOWNS, RAIN AND RECREATION- RELATED TRAFFIC, CONGESTION THERE WAS STILL SEVERE.
REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON CHAN KAM-CHUEN, MR SCOTT SAID THE PASSAGE TAX HAD BEEN INTRODUCED ON JUNE 1 AND THE INITIAL IMPACT HAD BEEN TO REDUCE OVERALL TRAFFIC BY 15 PER CENT AT THE END OF JUNE.
VEHICLES USING THE CROSS-HARBOUR TUNNEL BETWEEN NOVEMBER 1983 AND MAY 1984 AVERAGED 110 729 PER DAY.
+AT THE END OF OCTOBER, THE OVERALL REDUCTION OF TRAFFIC HAD SETTLED TO 8.5 PER CENT,+ MR SCOTT SAID.
+WITHIN THIS OVERALL REDUCTION, THE FIGURE FOR PRIVATE CARS AND TAXIS IS 10.9 PER CENT.+
HE POINTED OUT THAT THESE FIGURES, WITH ALLOWANCE FOR INFLATION, WERE +REASONABLY CLOSE+ TO THE PREDICTIONS MADE BY A 1980 STUDY OF THE POTENTIAL EFFECT OF A $10 TOTAL PASSAGE CHARGE FOR PRIVATE VEHICLES AND TAXIS.
RULES FOR CAR TESTS DRAFTED ******
DRAFT LEGISLATION ON THE CONTRACTING OUT OF THE ANNUAL EXAMINATIONS OF PRIVATE CARS OVER SIX YEARS WAS EXPECTED TO BE SUBMITTED TO THE GOVERNOR-IN-COUNCIL AT THE END OF THIS YEAR, THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, THE HON ALAN SCOTT, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
WORK HAD PROCEEDED TO PRODUCE A SPECIMEN CONTRACT BETWEEN APPROVED GARAGES AND THE GOVERNMENT, MR SCOTT REPORTED.
HE WAS REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON CHEN SHOU-LUM ON THE PROGRESS OF THE CONTRACTING-OUT SCHEME PROPOSED BY A WORKING GROUP REPRESENTING THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT, ICAC AND THE MOTOR TRADERS ASSOCIATION.
HE SAID THE GROUP'S DETAILED SCHEME WAS ENDORSED BY THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON MARCH 12.
+THE SCHEME WILL BE A FURTHER STEP TOWARDS IMPROVING ROAD SAFETY. IT OFFERS MOTORISTS FAIR VEHICLE EXAMINATIONS AT A REASONABLE CHOICE OF GARAGES AND AT A REASONABLE COST, HE SAID.
SAFEGUARDS AGAINST POSSIBLE CORRUPTION WOULD BE PROVIDED,
HE ADDED.
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