XN000022-1975-11-24 — Page 4

3

MONDAY, NOVINDER 24, 1975

NEW CHARGING SYSTEM FOR GOVERNMENT CAR PARKS

****

THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT TODAY ANNOUNCED CHANGES IN THE CAR FEE STRUCTURE WHICH WOULD EFFECT AN OVERALL LOWERING OF CHES AT ALL GOVERNMENT MULTI-STOREY CAR PARKS.

17

SA

THEY WILL COME INTO EFFECT ON NOVEMBER 30 (SUNDAY) TO COINCIDE OPENING OF THE EIGHTH GOVERNMENT MULTI-STOREY CAR PARK „UNG HOM RAILWAY TERMINUS COMPLEX, A DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN

VE OF THE CHANGES, HE SAID, IS THE INTRODUCTION OF A NEW WHEREBY THE CAR PARKS ARE CLASSIFIED INTO THREE GROUPS ..ING DIFFERENTIAL RATES ACCORDING TO THE DEMAND AT THEIR LOCATIONS.

THE OTHERS INCLUDE RE-INTRODUCING A FLAT HOURLY RATE THROUGH- OUT THE NORMAL-RATE PERIOD, REDUCING THE MONTHLY TICKET FEE, AND ADVANCING THE START OF THE CHEAP-RATE PERIOD, HE SAID.

THE SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED THAT THE CHANGES WERE BEING INTRODUCED TO ENSURE GREATER UTILISATION OF THE CAR PARKS WITHOUT LOSS IN TOTAL REVENUE WHILE AVOIDING TOO MUCH ENCOURAGEMENT TO USE PRIVATE CARS DURING PEAK PERIODS.

HE SAID THE LAST REVISION IN PARKING CHARGES INTRODUCED IN OCTOBER 1974 HAD ACHIEVED THE OBJECTIVE OF ENSURING SPACES FOR SHORT-TIME PARKERS BY DETERRING DAY-LONG PARKING AT THE CAR PARKS.

UNDER THE GROUPING SYSTEM, HE SAID, THE STAR FERRY, GARDEN ROAD AND MIDDLE ROAD CAR PARKS WILL BE CLASSIFIED INTO GROUP A= THE MURRAY ROAD, RUMSEY STREET, CITY HALL AND YAU MA TEI CAR PARKS INTO GROUP B- AND THE NEW HUNG HOM CAR PARK INTO GROUP C.

A FLAT HOURLY RATE, WHICH VARIES WITH EACH GROUP, WILL BE RE-INTRODUCED FOR THE NORMAL-RATE PERIOD, TO REPLACE THE EXISTING SLIDING SCALE WHEREBY THE CHARGES INCREASE IN RATE THE LONGER THE CAR IS PARKED.

IN GROUP A CAR PARKS, THE NEW CHARGE WILL BE A FLAT $2 PER HOUR IN GROUP B CAR PARKS, A FLAT $1.50 PER HOUR- AND IN GROUP C CAR PARK A FLAT $1 PER HOUR, DURING THE NORMAL-RATE PERIOD WHICH IS FROM 8 A.M. TO 6 P.M. ON WEEKDAYS AND FROM 8 A.M. TO 12 NOON ON SATURDAYS.

AT PRESENT, THE SPOKESMAN SAID, THE HOURLY CHARGES IN THE NORMAL-RATE PERIOD IN AL GOVERNMENT MULTI-STOREY CAR PARKS ARE $2 FOR THE FIRST FIVE HOURS, $3 FOR THE SIXTH TO EIGHTH HOURS, AND $4 THEREAFTER.

THE MONTHLY

•