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The second control places a limit on the duration of noise generated by alarms. The limit suggested is five minutes, which is sufficient for necessary crime prevention action to be taken. This requirement can easily be complied with by adjusting the functioning of the system.
The third control, which will be applied to newly registered vehicles only, concerns the reactivation of alarms. Many current alarm systems are reactivated automatically after being triggered and their continuous reactivation causes great noise disturbance to nearby residents. The Bill will prohibit such automatic re-arming of the alarm after an initial activation. However, the alarm can still be reactivated automatically if the doors, bonnet, boot or tailgate of the vehicles are opened. This guards against unauthorised entry.
The Bill places the onus of complying with the controls on the registered owner of a vehicle, who should be responsible for the performance of the alarm system and its regular maintenance. After enactment of the Bill, three months' lead time will be given to existing vehicle owners to comply with the controls and nine months will be allowed for new vehicles to be installed with alarm systems which meet the requirement on reactivation. The Police will be the enforcement agent of the controls.
To consolidate the noise control provisions of all intruder alarm systems, we have also taken the opportunity to transfer the existing provision to control noise from alarm systems installed in buildings from the Summary Offences Ordinance to the Noise Control Ordinance.
Mr President, false alarms is a persistent source of neighbourhood noise nuisance. The proposed controls seek to eliminate this nuisance without affecting the security of the vehicles. With a reduction in false alarms, we would rather expect that when alarms do sound, they will be taken more seriously and the security value of the vehicle alarm systems more enhanced.
Thank you, Mr President.
End