WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 1986
53
NO LIMIT SET FOR TAXI LICENCE OWNERSHIP
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THERE IS NO UPPER LIMIT ON THE NUMBER OF TAXI LICENCES WHICH MAY BE ACQUIRED BY AN INDIVIDUAL OR A COMPANY, THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, THE HON IAN MACPHERSON, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON S.L. CHEN, MR MACPHERSON SAID TAXI LICENCES DID CHANGE HANDS AND SPECULATION COULD NOT BE RULED OUT SO LONG AS THERE WAS A LIMIT ON THE TOTAL NUMBER OF TAXIS.
+ BUT THERE IS NO EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST THAT THIS EXISTS ON A SCALE THAT WOULD WARRANT INTERFERENCE WITH MARKET FORCES OR WHICH WOULD JUSTIFY THE EXTENSIVE ENFORCEMENT EFFORT THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED TO BACK UP AN EFFECTIVE LIMITATION ON THE NUMBERS OF LICENCES ALLOCATED BY TENDER, HE SAID.
MR MACPHERSON RECALLED THAT WHEN THE TENDERING SYSTEM WAS INTRODUCED IN 1964, THERE HAD BEEN A POLICY TO RESTRICT THE NUMBER OF LICENCES ALLOCATED TO ANY SINGLE INDIVIDUAL OR COMPANY TO ONE HUNDRED AT A TIME. THE IDEA WAS TO PREVENT THE DEVELOPMENT OF MONOPOLY.
+HOWEVER,+ HE SAID, THIS POLICY WAS ABANDONED IN 1966 WHEN IT BECAME CLEAR THAT NO SINGLE COMPANY OR INDIVIDUAL WAS IN ANY WAY DOMINATING OR SEEKING TO DOMINATE THE TRADE.+
+ THE POSITION HAS NOT CHANGED AS AT PRESENT SOME 95 PER CENT OF THE WHOLE TAXI FLEET IS OWNED BY INDIVIDUAL OWNER/DRIVERS, THE REMAINING FIVE PER CENT OR 740 LICENCES BEING DISTRIBUTED AMONG 46 COMPANIES. HE SAID.
PUBLIC UTILITY MONITORING COSTS
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THE COSTS INCURRED BY THE GOVERNMENT IN MONITORING PUBLIC UTILITY COMPANIES TAKE THE FORM OF STAFF COSTS AND CONSULTANCY STUDIES COMMISSIONED SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS PURPOSE, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, THE HON SIR JOHN BREMRIDGE, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON HELMUT SOHMEN, SIR JOHN SAID EXPENDITURE INCURRED BY THE TWO CONSULTANCIES COMMISSIONED DURING THE FIVE-YEAR PERIOD 1981-82 TO 1985-86 FOR THE MONITOR Fe OF THE TWO POWER COMPANIES WAS $6.29 MILLION.
/HE SAID