XN000022-1976-07-22 — Page 3

THURSDAY, JULY 22, 1976

PUBLIC HIRE CAR OPERATORS COULD OF COURSE CONTINUE THEIR TRADE IN THIS WAY, HE SAID, BUT CONTRACT HIRE CARS WOULD REMAIN IN THE PRIVATE CAR CATEGORY AND WOULD NOT BE IDENTIFIABLE FROM THEIR LICENCE PLATES OR THE COLOUR OF THEIR BODY WORK AS HIRE CARS.

IT IS PROPOSED THAT ANY CAR OWNER WHO WISHES TO HIRE OUT HIS PASSENGER CAR SHOULD BE ISSUED WITH A PERMIT TO DO SO, AT A CHARGE OF $500 ANNUALLY, PROVIDED THAT HE CAN SHOW THAT HE HAS ADEQUATE INSURANCE COVER FOR SUCH USE AND THAT THE VEHICLE IS MECHANICALLY SOUND.

HE SAID THAT AS IN THE CASE OF ALL PRIVATE CARS, PROOF OF THE IR USE AS ILLEGAL TAXIS WOULD LEAD TO SEVERE SANCTIONS.

REFERRING TO SANCTIONS, THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT SAID THAT SANCTIONS AGAINST ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES TO ENSURE THAT THE NEW PROPOSALS WHICH HE MENTIONED EARLIER WOULD NOT BE UNDERMINED BY ILLEGAL PRACTICES WOULD REQUIRE NEW LEGISLATION, WHICH WOULD BE DRAFTED FOR SUBMISSION TO THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.

HE SAID IT WAS INTENDED THAT THIS LEGISLATION WOULD PROVIDE FOR SOME SORT OF PROCEDURE FOR THE SUSPENSION OF LICENCES OF UNLAWFULLY USED VEHICLES AND FOR THE IMPOUNDING OF THE VEHICLES.

MR. ARMSTRONG-WRIGHT ALSO RECALLED HIS EARLIER ANNOUNCEMENT THAT THERE WOULD BE A NEW CLASS OF TAXIS FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, FOR WHICH IN THE FIRST INSTANCE, 750 LICENCES WILL BE ISSUED, TO PROVIDE A LEGAL TAXI SERVICE TO REPLACE RURAL +PAK PAIS+ WHICH GENERALLY OPERATE BETWEEN REMOTE AREAS AND LOCAL MARKET TOWNS.

REGULATIONS WOULD BE INTRODUCED, HE SAID, TO RESTRICT THESE TAX IS TO THE MORE RURAL AREAS OF THE NEW TERRITORIES AND THEY WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO DRIVE OUTSIDE THEIR PERMITTED BOUNDARIES. ORDINARY TAXIS, HOWEVER, WILL CONTINUE TO BE ALLOWED TO OPERATE IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

THE COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT, MR. 1.F.C. MACPHERSON, SAID THE TENTATIVE TIME-TABLE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROPOSALS IS :

(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)

(E)

START INVITING APPLICATIONS FOR THE FIRST BATCH OF 250 NEW TERRITORIES TAXI LICENCES IN EARLY AUGUST 1976 WITH A VIEW TO ISSUING ALL THE 750 NEW TERRITORIES TAXI LICENCES BY THE END OF MARCH 1977-

START CALLING FOR TENDERS FOR ORDINARY TAXIS AT THE RATE OF 100 LICENCES PER MONTH IN ABOUT FEBRUARY 1977-

INTRODUCING STIFFER SANCTIONS AGAINST ILLEGAL USE OF VEHICLES IN EARLY 1977-

START ISSUING CONTRACT HIRE PERMITS IN ABOUT MAY 1977-

HAVING GIVEN PUBLIC CAR LICENCE HOLDERS AMPLE TIME TO BID FOR ORDINARY TAXI LICENCES OR TO ACQUIRE CONTRACT HIRE PERMITS, TO START PHASING OUT THE EXISTING CATEGORY OF PUBLIC CAR BY NOT RENEWING LICENCES IN JUNE 1977- IT WOULD THEREFORE BE BY ABOUT MID-1978 BEFORE THE LAST PUBLIC CAR WAS DELICENSED.

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