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SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 1988
BY
REGARDING THE UTILISATION RATE OF NT TAXIS, HE SAID SURVEYS THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SHOWED THAT THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN NT TAXI PATRONAGE AND A DECLINE IN THEIR AVAILABILITY IN RECENT YEAR.
"THE SUB-COMMITTEE THEREFORE RECOMMENDED THAT 100 NEW NT TAXI LICENCES SHOULD BE ISSUED EACH YEAR, HE SAID.
"AS FOR LANTAU TAXIS, THE SUB-COMMITTEE CONCLUDED THAT THERE WAS LIMITED SCOPE FOR ISSUING ADDITIONAL LICENCES BECAUSE OF THE LOW DEMAND ON WEEKDAYS. THE SUB-COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED THAT THE PRESENT MORATORIUM ON LANTAU TAXI LICENCES BE MAINTAINED FOR ANOTHER TWO YEARS, HE ADDED.
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ON OTHER ISSUES SUCH AS THE METHODS OF ISSUING NEW TAXI LICENCES, OPERATING BOUNDARIES OF NT TAXIS, FARE POLICY FOR TAXIS AND MEASURES TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF TAXI SERVICES, THE SUB-COMMITTEE ONLY PROPOSED PROCEDURAL ADJUSTMENTS AND THESE HAVE ALSO BEEN ACCEPTED BY THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE. THEY ARE BEING CONSIDERED BY THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT FOR IMPLEMENTATION, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
"TO MINIMISE SPECULATIVE TENDERS FOR NEW TAXI LICENCES, THE SUB-COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED THAT THE TRANSFER OF NEWLY-ISSUED LICENCES DURING THE 6-MONTH TAKE-UP PERIOD SHOULD BE PROHIBITED AND THAT THE TENDER DEPOSIT SHOULD BE INCREASED FROM $25,000 TO $50,000," HE SAID.
THE SUB-COMMITTEE ALSO RECOMMENDED THAT TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SHOULD REVIEW THE PRESENT TENDER PROCEDURE WITH A VIEW TO SIMPLIFYING IT AND MAKING IT MORE EASILY UNDERSTOOD TO FACILITATE GENUINE OPERATORS TO BID FOR THE LICENCES, HE ADDED.
THE SUB-COMMITTEE HAS REVIEWED THE PRESENT CLASSIFICATION DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF TAXIS.
OF
"TO ENSURE A BALANCED SUPPLY OF TAXI SERVICES FOR BOTH THE URBAN AREA AND NEW TERRITORIES, IT RECOMMENDED THAT THE PRESENT CLASSIFICATION OF NT TAXIS AS A SEPARATE CATEGORY SHOULD BE RETAINED, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
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OF
"NEVERTHELES9, IT RECOMMENDED THAT THE OPERATING BOUNDARIES TAXIS SHOULD BE REVIEWED FROM TIME TO TIME IN THE LIGHT OF NEW TOWN DEVELOPMENT," HE ADDED.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE SUB-COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED MAINTAINING THE EXISTING POLICY OF DETERMINING THE LEVEL OF FARE INCREASE BY THE RELATIVE CHANGES IN REVENUE AND OPERATING COSTS AFFECTING THE PROFITABILITY OF TAXI OPERATION, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT GENERAL INFLATION AND ACCEPTABILITY OF THE INCREASIS BY THE GENERAL PUBLIC
AND THE DIFFERENTIAL IN FARES BETWEEN TAXIS AND OTHER TRANSPORT MODES.
"IT ALSO SUPPORTED THE CURRENT POLICY OF OF LICENCE FROM THE ASSESSMENT OF PROFITABILITY HE SAID,
EXCLUDING THE VALUE OF TAXI OPERATION,"
/MEASURES RECOMMENDED
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