XN000022-1974-05-18 — Page 2

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SATURDAY, MAY 18, 1974

NEW PARKING HETERS FOR CENTRAL

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THE FIRST OF THE NEW RATE PARKING METERS WILL BE INSTALLED IN A NUMBER OF STREETS AND OFF-STREET METERED PARKING AREAS IN CENT DISTRICT BEGINNING ON MONDAY CMAY 20).

..LMOST 60O METERS WILL REPLACE THE EXISTING OLD RATE ONES IN A PROCRAMLE SPREAD OVER FIVE DAYS.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY THAT

THE FINANCIAL THE HIGHER RATES WERE NOT SOMETHING NEU. SECRETARY FIRST ANNOUNCED BACK IN FEBRUARY 1972 THAT PARKING METER CHARGES WOULD BE INCREASED, AND THE NEW RATES WERE SUBSEQUENTLY APPROVED BY THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL IN JUNE 1972.

+Th✰ NEW METERS SHOULD HAVE BEEN INSTALLED MUCH EARLIER, BUT DUE TO DELAYS IN DELIVERY IT HAS NOT BEEN POSSIBLE UNTIL NOW TU GET THEM ONTO THE STREETS,+ THE SPOKESMAN ADDED.

+CENTRAL DISTRICT IS THE FIRST AREA IN HONG KONG TO HAVE THE NEW RATE METERS INSTALLED. ONCE THIS INITIAL PROGRAMME HAS BEEN COMPLETED, NEW METERS WILL BE INSTALLED IN THE TS IM SHA TSUI AREA.+

THE NEW METERS WILL BE CAPABLE OF ACCEPTING ONLY 50 CENT

THEY WILL OR ONE DOLLAR COINS DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF METER NOT TAKE 10 CENT COINS.

UNDER THE NEW SYSTEM, THERE WILL BE TWO TYPES OF TWO-HOUR METER ONE WHICH WILL ACCEPT 50 CENT COINS FOR 30 MINUTES AND THE SECOND WHICH WILL ACCEPT 50 CENT COINS FOR ONE HOUR. AT THE NEW RATE HALF-HOUR METERS, THE CHARGE WILL BE A FLAT $1.

IN THE REPLACEMENT PROGRAMME ALL FOUR-HOUR AND 10-HOUR METERS WILL DISAPPEAR, WITH THE MAXIMUM TIME BEING A TWO-HOUR METER.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE REPLACEMENT PROGRAMME ON MONDAY WILL BEGIN WITH THE CHANGING OVER OF THE METERS OUTSIDE THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT OFFICES IN MURRAY ROAD AND THOSE ADJACENT TO THE HARCOURT ROAD HELIPAD. AS THE PROGRAMME PROGRESSES DURING THE WEEK, ALL METERED PARKING SPACES IN CENTRAL WILL BE CHANGED TO THE NEW RATE METERS.

+DURING AND AFTER THE CHANGEOVER,+ THE SPOKESMAN SAID, +MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO READ CAREFULLY THE REGULATIONS PRINTED ON THE METAL PLATE ATTACHED TO THE PARKING METER TO ENSURE THAT THE CORRECT COINS ARE INSERTED.+

CARS ALREADY PARKED AT THE OLD RATE METERS WHICH ARE SUBSEQUENTLY CHANGED TO THE NEW METERS WHILST THE CAR IS STILL PARKED, WILL BE GIVEN THE FULL TIME PERIOD ALLOWED BY THE METER AFTER IT HAS BEEN REPLACED.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT ARRANGEMENTS HAD ALSO BEEN MADE TO CANCEL ANY PARKING TICKETS ISSUED TO A CAR OWNER WHO MAY HAVE BEEN PARKED AT A 10-HOUR OR FOUR-HOUR NETER WHEN IT WAS REPLACED BY A TWO-HOUR METER.

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