XN000022-1973-01-03 — Page 29

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Wednesday, January 3, 1973

An average of 40 per cent of candidates get through on their

first attempt.

The Financial Secretary said it had been intended, once the

backlog of applicants for licences to drive private cars had been dealt with,

to start testing applicants again for other categories of vehicle.

"But things have not turned out quite as we had hoped," he said.

The crash programme of tests had enabled most of those in the

original backlog to be cleared,

But it had also encouraged so many applicants. to come forward

for the written test that there was now a backlog of applicants for this

test of no less than 75,000 compared with 54,000 at the end of August.

Delay

"As a result, there is a delay of 10 months in Hong Kong and

14 months in Kowloon for the written test," the Financial Secretary said.

In view of the situation, Mr. Haddon-Cave said, plans were now

being put in hand to run down the emergency testing programme for licences

to drive private cars and, accordingly, to resume limited testing for the

categories of vehicle which had been halted since last October..

"It is hoped that tests for these types of vehicle can be started

again within the next four weeks," he added.

The Financial Secretary said since it had proved impossible to

meet the unhindered demand for driving tests, urgent consideration

was now being given to measures designed to reduce the numbers of applicants

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