XN000022-1973-02-28 — Page 10

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Wednesday, February 28, 1973

HIGHER COSTS FOR OBTAINING DRIVING LICENCES

Measures To Reduce Applications To Manageable Numbers

*

The Financial Secretary, the Hon. C.F. Haddon-Cave, today announced

proposals to increase the fees for obtaining a provisional driving licence in

an attempt to reduce the large number of applications,

Speaking at the Budget session, he also proposed that the fee for a

driving licence should be raised from 310 to "a more realistic figure of $50,"

He pointed out that there were now 417,000 holders of driving licences

with a waiting list of 75,000 applicants, and more coming forward at a rate

of 6,000 a month.

The Transport Department had tried to solve the backlog problem by

accelerating the testing programme. However, the efforts only succeeded in

making matters worse.

**So we must resort to fiscal measures and I propose that the fee for

the application form should be raised from $20 to $150, and for a provisional

licence from $40 to $100. These increases should reduce applications to

manageable numbers."

Many applicants would, no doubt, hope to purchase, in due course, a

vehicle and the first step in this process was to obtain a driving licence.

The proposed increase of the annual fee for a driving licence from $10

to 250 should assist in deterring them from the first step which would eventually

lead to increased road congestion.

"An increase ..

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