XN000022-1975-07-17 — Page 3

THURSDAY, JULY 17, 1975

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VEHICLE LICENCES TO BE COMPUTERISED

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NEW VEHICLE LICENCE APPLICATION FORMS WILL BE INTRODUCED FROM NEXT MONDAY (JULY 21) IN PREPARATION FOR FUTURE COMPUTERISATION OF ALL VEHICLE LICENSING RECORDS, THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCED TODAY.

THE REVISED FORMS, SPECIALLY DESIGNED TO SUIT COMPUTER PURPOSES, WILL BE FOR INITIAL REGISTRATION AND LICENSING OF VEHICLES AND FOR RENEWAL OF VEHICLE LICENCES, A DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID.

ANY APPLICATIONS PRESENTED ON THE OLD FORMS AFTER SUNDAY (JULY 20) WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT ALL FUTURE LICENSING INFORMATION CAN BE IMMEDIATELY TRANSFERRED TO THE COMPUTER DATA PROCESSING SYSTEM, HE SAID.

BY THE END OF THIS YEAR, HE SAID, TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT IS EXPECTED TO IMPLEMENT THE SECOND STAGE OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM WHEREBY VEHICLE AND DRIVER LICENSING WILL BE PROCESSED ON-LINE+ BY COMPUTER AT THE COUNTERS.

COPIES OF THE NEW FORMS ARE AVAILABLE FROM CITY DISTRICT OFFICES, THE DEPARTMENT'S HONG KONG OR KOWLOON LICENSING OFFICES, AND MAJOR POST OFFICES.

TO ASSIST APPLICANTS, GUIDANCE NOTES ARE PRINTED ON THE REVERSE SIDE OF THE RENEWAL FORMS EXPLAINING HOW THEY ARE TO BE COMPLETED, AND SPECIMENS OF COMPLETED FORMS WILL ALSO BE POSTED IN BOTH LICENSING OFFICES.

+ IN ADDITION, APPLICANTS MAY MAKE USE OF THE FORM FILLING SERVICE PROVIDED FREE BY THE. DEPARTMENT AT THE LICENSING OFFICES,+ THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

HE POINTED OUT THAT AT THE TIME OF APPLICATION FOR INITIAL REGISTRATION OR RENEWAL OF A VEHICLE LICENCE, THE APPLICANT MUST PRODUCE HIS HONG KONG IDENTITY CARD OR AN ACCEPTABLE ALTERNATIVE IDENTITY DOCUMENT IF HE IS A PRIVATE OWNER, OR A COPY OF THE CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION IF THE VEHICLE OWNER IS A LIMITED COMPANY.

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RENEWAL APPLICATION FORMS MUST ALSO BE ACCOMPANIED BY THE VEHICLE REGISTRATION BOOK AND A THIRD PARTY INSURANCE CERTIFICATE OR COVER NOTE VALID ON THE DATE WHEN THE NEW LICENCE IS TO BECOME EFFECTIVE, HE ADDED.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID VEHICLE LICENCES COULD BE RENEWED WITHIN FOUR MONTHS PRIOR TO THE DATE OF EXPIRY, WITH RENEWAL EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE EXPIRY DATE.

HE REMINDED VEHICLE OWNERS THAT IF A VEHICLE LICENCE HAS EXPIRED FOR A CERTAIN PERIOD, ARREARS ARE PAYABLE FOR THAT UNLICENSED PERIOD ON APPLICATION FOR RENEWAL. THE ARREARS WOULD BE AT A RATE OF 10 PER CENT OF THE APPROPRIATE ANNUAL LICENCE FEE FOR EACH MONTH OF THE UNLICENSED PERIOD, HE ADDED.

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