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TUESDAY,
NOVEMBER 29, 1994
EXCO APPROVES TAXI FARE INCREASES
THE GOVERNOR-IN-COUNCIL HAS APPROVED FARE INCREASES FOR URBAN AND NEW TERRITORIES TAXIS.
THE FARE INCREASES, BY A WEIGHTED AVERAGE OF 11.27 PER CENT FOR URBAN TAXIS AND 10.47 PER CENT FOR TAXIS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, WILL BECOME EFFECTIVE ON JANUARY 15 NEXT YEAR.
UNDER THE NEW FARE STRUCTURE, FLAGFALL CHARGES FOR THE FIRST TWO KILOMETRES FOR AN URBAN TAXI WILL INCREASE FROM $11.50 TO $13, AND FOR A NEW TERRITORIES TAXI FROM $10 TO $11.
FOR EVERY SUBSEQUENT 0.2 KILOMETRE, THE FARES FOR BOTH URBAN AND NEW TERRITORIES TAXIS WILL GO UP BY 10 CENTS то $1.1 AND $1 RESPECTIVELY.
THE WAITING TIME CHARGE WILL RISE BY 10 CENTS PER MINUTE TO $1.1 FOR URBAN TAXI AND $1 FOR A NEW TERRITORIES TAXI.
A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID IN CONSIDERING THE FARE INCREASE APPLICATIONS, THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL HAD TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT THE INCREASE IN OPERATING COSTS, THE LEVEL AND QUALITY OF TAXI SERVICES, THE FARE DIFFERENTIAL BETWEEN TAXIS AND OTHER MODES OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT, AND PUBLIC ACCEPTABILITY.
THE EXCO ALSO NOTED THAT IN RECENT MONTHS THERE HAD BEEN A SLIGHT DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS AGAINST TAXI MALPRACTICES SUCH AS "REFUSING HIRE" AND THAT THE ISSUE OF 400 NEW TAXI LICENCES WAS EXPECTED FURTHER TO IMPROVE TAXI AVAILABILITY AND REDUCE PASSENGER WAITING TIME.
AT THE SAME TIME EXCO HAS APPROVED A NEW REGULATION TO INCREASE THE MAXIMUM PENALTIES FOR FIVE TAXI OFFENCES FROM $5,000 TO $10,000 IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN AN ADEQUATE DETERRENT EFFECT. IT IS EXPECTED THAT THE NEW REGULATION WILL COME INTO EFFECT ON DECEMBER 9 THIS YEAR.
THE FIVE TAXI OFFENCES WHICH WILL CARRY HIGHER FINES ARE REFUSING HIRE, SOLICITING PASSENGERS, OVERCHARGING, REFUSING TO DRIVE TO A SPECIFIC DESTINATION, AND FAILURE TO TAKE THE MOST DIRECT PRACTICABLE ROUTE.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE INCREASE IN PENALTIES WAS ENDORSED BY THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE AS A MEASURE TO DETER TAXI MALPRACTICES. THIS WAS SUPPORTED BY THE TRANSPORT PANEL OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
THE SPOKESMAN ADDED THAT THE POLICE HAD STEPPED UP ACTION AGAINST TAXI MALPRACTICES. IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS, ABOUT 2,500 TAXI DE (VERS WERE PROSECUTED FOR TAXI MALPRACTICES AND 39 HAD DISQUALIFIED FROM DRIVING TAXIS FOR ABOUT THREE MONTHS.
BEEN
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