WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 1986
7.
ANNUAL CHECK OF GOODS VEHICLES PLANNED
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IT IS GOVERNMENT'S POLICY OBJECTIVE THAT ALL GOODS VEHICLES SHOULD BE EXAMINED ANNUALLY. THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT. THE HON IAN MACPHERSON, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON RITA FAN, MR MACPHERSON SAID THE GOVERNMENT DID NOT CONSIDER IT SATISFACTORY THAT GOODS VEHICLES LESS THAN NINE YEARS OLD WERE NOT EXAMINED ANNUALLY.
+HOWEVER, THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT DOES NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT VEHICLE EXAMINATION FACILITIES AT PRESENT TO ACHIEVE THIS. SO. IN THE INTEREST OF PUBLIC SAFETY, PRIORITY HAS BEEN GIVEN TO THE EXAMINATION OF PASSENGER CARRYING PUBLIC SERVICE VEHICLES,+ HE SAID.
MR MACPHERSON SAID THE ANNUAL INSPECTION OF ALL GOODS VEHICLES WOULD BE POSSIBLE WITHIN ABOUT FOUR YEARS WHEN A NEW VEHICLE EXAMINATION CENTRE WAS COMPLETED.
IT WAS CURRENTLY IN CATEGORY AB OF THE PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME, HE ADDED.
MEANWHILE, IN ADDITION TO ANNUAL INSPECTION OF NINE-YEAR-OLD GOODS VEHICLES, THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT INSPECTED ANY VEHICLES WHICH APPEARED TO BE DEFECTIVE OR WERE IN A STATE OF POOR REPAIR, HE SAID.
TUNNEL TAX DETERRENT WEARING OFF+
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THE DETERRENT EFFECT OF THE CROSS-HARBOUR TUNNEL PASSAGE TAX WAS WEAR ING OFF, AND THE SITUATION MIGHT BE BACK TO PRE-PASSAGE TAX LEVELS BEFORE LONG, THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, THE HON IAN MACPHERSON, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON NGAI SHIU-KIT, HE EXPLAINED THAT THE AIM OF INTRODUCING THE CROSS-HARBOUR TUNNEL PASSAGE TAX IN JUNE 1984 WAS TO REDUCE THE VOLUME OF TUNNEL TRAFFIC BY 10 PER CENT, AND IN THE THREE MONTHS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE INTRODUCTION OF THE TAX, THERE WAS AN AVERAGE DROP IN TRAFFIC OF 13 PER CENT.
DAY.
IN 1983, AN AVERAGE OF 110 194 VEHICLES USED THE TUNNEL EACH
/IN JUNE,