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Wednesday, July 5, 1972

'LUCKY' CAR NUMBERS TO BE AUCTIONED FOR CHARITY

Kong

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Lucky or prestigious car number platea

much sought after in Hong

are to be put on sale to the highest bidders with the proceeds going

to the Lotteries Fund for charitable purposes.

Council,

This will be the eventual outcome of a bill now before the Legislative

The main purpose of the bill, known as the Road Traffic (Amendment)

Bill 1972, is to enable the Governor in Council to make regulations for the

sale of car registration numbers.

The Financial Secretary, the Hon. C.P. Haddon-Cave, told the Legislative

Council today that the scheme "is not meant to be a hidden weapon of transport

policy to make car ownership more expensive."

"The scheme which the bill before honourable members foreshadows, is

that certain lucky or prestigious car registration numbers should be set aside

and sold periodically at public auctions. The proceeds from these auctions

would be paid into the Lotteries Fund and used for charitable purposes," he said.

The Financial Secretary added that with this arrangement the Transport

Department would be rid of a continuing and considerable source of embarrassment,

and the substantial sums of money now paid by car owners, one way or another,

for 'good' numbers would be capable of being pooled together and used for the

benefit of the community.

Mr. Haddon-Cave said it was a well known fact in Hong Kong that certain

registration numbers were generally associated with good fortune or with prestige,

and car owners are known to have paid hundreds or even thousands of dollars to

obtain one of them.

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