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TUESDAY, MAY 26, 1992
THIS HAD RESULTED IN THE OPENING OF THE EASTERN HARBOUR CROSSING IN 1989, THE DECISION TO BUILD THE WESTERN HARBOUR CROSSING AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A NUMBER OF TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT MEASURES EASE THE CONGESTION AT CHT.
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THE MEETING IN GENERAL AGREED THAT THE CONGESTION IS INCURRING A SOCIAL COST TO THE COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF MAN-HOUR LOSS TO MOTORISTS AND PASSENGERS QUEUING UP TO GET THROUGH THE CROSS HARBOUR TUNNEL.
MEMBERS FELT THAT GIVEN THE FACT THAT THE EASTERN HARBOUR CROSSING NOW PROVIDES AN ALTERNATIVE ROUTE, A PASSAGE TAX INCREASE SHOULD BE SUPPORTED IF OTHER TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT MEASURES FAILED TO TACKLE THE CONGESTION PROBLEM EFFECTIVELY.
SOME MEMBERS WISHED TO SEE THAT REVENUE GENERATED FROM ANY INCREASE SHOULD BE PLOUGHED BACK TO TRAFFIC IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
TAX
AT THE MEETING, MEMBERS WERE INFORMED THAT THE EXISTING CAPACITY OF CROSS HARBOUR BUSES AND PUBLIC LIGHT BUSES WOULD BE ABLE TO ABSORB PASSENGERS WHO WOULD WISH TO MAKE USE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT AS A RESULT OF A RISE IN TUNNEL PASSAGE TAX.
THEY ALSO DISCUSSED WHETHER PASSAGE TAX INCREASE SHOULD BE LIMITED TO CONGESTION HOURS OF A DAY OR ON A 24-HOUR BASIS.
IN THEIR FURTHER DELIBERATION OF THE ISSUE, MEMBERS TOOK INTO ACCOUNT VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE OMELCO TRANSPORT PANEL AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
AS THERE WERE STILL SOME POINTS TO BE CLARIFIED, THE COMMITTEE AGREED TO HAVE ANOTHER MEETING ON THE MATTER IN MID-JUNE.
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ON THE OVERLOADING OF GOODS VEHICLES, MEMBERS NOTED THAT THERE HAD BEEN CONSULTATION WITH TWO MORE TRADE GROUPS THE MOTOR TRANSPORT WORKERS GENERAL UNION AND HK AND KOWLOON TAXI AND LORRY OWNERS ASSOCIATION.
THEIR
THE TWO BODIES POINTED OUT THAT MANY DRIVERS OVERLOADED VEHICLES TO AVOID ADDITIONAL TRIPS, AND IN THE ABSENCE OF ON-VEHICLE WEIGHT INDICATORS, SOME DRIVERS COULD NOT TELL WHETHER THEIR VEHICLES HAD BEEN LOADED EXCESSIVELY.
THEY WERE ALSO WORRIED ABOUT THE PROPOSAL TO MAKE OVERLOADING INDIVIDUAL AXLES AN OFFENCE BECAUSE FOR OPERATIONAL REASONS, DRIVERS NORMALLY STORED GOODS AT THE FRONT OF THEIR VEHICLES.
THE TAC ENDORSED THE PROPOSAL OF INCREASING THE FIXED PENALTY FOR OVERLOADING, MAKING VEHICLE OWNERS LIABLE FOR OVERLOADING OFFENCES AND INTRODUCING INTEGRATED ON-VEHICLE WEIGHT INDICATORS WHICH ARE ALREADY USED IN SOME COUNTRIES INCLUDING THE UNITED KINGDOM.
THE FARE INCREASE APPLICATION FROM HYF WAS ALSO CONSIDERED THE MEETING.
AT
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MEMBERS NOTED THAT THE PROPOSED FARE RISE WAS DUE PRIMARILY RISING OPERATING COSTS AND THE KEEN COMPETITION FACING HYF'S CROSS- HARBOUR SERVICES.
/HYF'S FARES