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Tampering of taximeters
Following is a question by the Hon Choy Kan-pui and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport, Mr Gordon Siu, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):
Question:
In regard to cases involving the tampering of taximeters, will the Government inform this Council:
(a)
whether there is an upward trend in the number of such cases in the past three years;
(b)
of the maximum and minimum penalties imposed by the court for such an offence in the same period; and
(c)
Mr President,
what measures are in place to ensure that taxi passengers would not be cheated?
The number of taxi drivers prosecuted by the Police for tampering with taximeters was 11 in 1994, four in 1995, and 15 in the first nine months of 1996.
In the four most serious cases, three have already been heard by the courts. One offender was prosecuted for false accounting, one for attempting to obtain property by deception, and one for going equipped for stealing. Each of these offenders was fined $10,000. The fourth case is still under investigation by the Police.
In the other cases, offenders were prosecuted for using a taximeter with a broken seal. Of the cases already heard by the courts, the fines imposed ranged from $500 to $2,000.
The Police have given high priority to combating offences involving tampering with the taximeter and other general taximeter offences. From January to September 1996, the Police have mounted 510 operations and made 1 273 arrests. This compares with 626 operations and 1 268 arrests for the whole of 1995.
Taximeters are required by law to be submitted to the Transport Department every six months to be tested, stamped and sealed. Since October 1992, all new taxis have been required by Transport Department to install a new type of taximeter which has anti-tampering devices to protect the electronic circuit. So far, half of the taxi fleet are already fitted with the new taximeter. We will continue to discuss with the taxi trade and encourage taxi operators to speed up the pace of conversion.