6
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1989
BARNES SAID CASES IN WHICH AS POSING PERSONS
SAY WHETHER SUCH
REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON PEGGY LAM, MR NO SEPARATE STATISTICS WERE KEPT OF SERIOUS CRIMINAL
OR THE CULPRITS WERE REPORTED TO BE TAXI DRIVERS TAXI DRIVERS, AND IT WAS THEREFORE NOT POSSIBLE TO CRIMES WERE INCREASING OR NOT.
HE SAID THE SPECIAL REVIEW SO FAR HAD SHOWN THAT THIS
RAPE AND THREE CASES CASES OF ROBBERY, FOUR CASES OF
FOR 1988 FIGURES ASSAULT WERE IN THIS CATEGORY. THE AVAILABLE.
OF WERE
NOT
YEAR 27 INDECENT YET
OPERATING ON OUR "HOWEVER, SINCE THERE ARE SOME 16,000 TAXIS
EVERY DAY, THESE то 1.2
PASSENGERS MILLION STREETS. CARRYING UP
MILLION FIGURES WOULD INDICATE A RATIO OF ONE VICTIM AMONGST EVERY 11 PASSENGERS.
SITUATION, ALTHOUGH
IDEALLY
11
HE SAID.
"THIS DOES NOT SUGGEST A SERIOUS EVEN ONE CRIME IS ONE TOO MANY,
WITH HOW BEST
MR BARNES SAID CLOSE LIAISON WAS MAINTAINED BY THE POLICE THE TAXI OWNERS ASSOCIATION, AND THEIR ADVICE WAS SOUGHT ON TO COMBAT TAXI-RELATED CRIMES.
"IN
CONNECTION
THE ASSOCIATION THIS SUGGESTIONS AND GIVEN HELPFUL ADVICE TO MEMBERS
HAS MADE USEFUL OF THE
HE PUBLIC,
H
SAID.
DETERMINED IN THE
MR BARNES SAID POLICE ACTION GENERALLY WAS LIGHT OF PREVAILING CRIME TRENDS AND OTHER POLICE PRIORITIES.
AGAINST ACTION
FOLLOWING-UP
INVOLVED CRIMES TAXI SPECIFIC REPORTS ON THE ONE HAND AND PREVENTIVE ACTION ON THE OTHER.
IN THE LATTER CONTEXT. ROUTINE ROAD BLOCKS AND SERVED BOTH AS A DETERRENT AND ALSO AS A MEANS OF DETECTING OFFENDERS.
VEHICLE CHECKS
THE
FOR
WHICH
WILL
BY PREPARED IS BEING NEW LEGISLATION "SEPARATELY, SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT WHICH WILL PROVIDE. AMONGST OTHER THINGS,
TAXIS INSIDE THE DISPLAY OF TAXI DRIVER IDENTITY PLATES MAKE IT EASIER FOR PASSENGERS TO IDENTIFY TAXI DRIVERS.
то ARE
ENCOURAGE MALPRACTICES SUCH CURB
LEGISLATION WHEREAS THE MAIN AIMS OF THIS
DISCOURAGE DRIVERS AND TO SELF-DISCIPLINE IN TAXI AS OVERCHARGING. THE DISPLAY OF IDENTITY PLATES SHOULD ALSO HELP TAXI CRIME, HE ADDED.
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