XN000022-1977-03-16 — Page 6

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 1977

WAITING TIME FOR DRIVING TESTS

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THE WAITING TIME FOR DRIVING TESTS FLUCTUATES MARGINALLY FROM TIME TO TIME BUT IT IS NOT PROGRESSIVELY LENGTHENING, THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, THE HON. DEREK JONES TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

IN REPLY TO QUESTIONS FROM THE HON. OSWALD CHEUNG, MR. JONES EXPLAINED THAT THE WAITING TIME FOR ROAD DRIVING TESTS VARIED ACCORDING TO THE CLASS OF VEHICLE ON WHICH CANDIDATES WERE BEING TESTED.

+THE LONGEST WAIT IS FOR PRIVATE CARS, BEING EIGHT MONTHS IN HONG KONG AND TEN MONTHS IN KOWLOON, HE SAID.

HE POINTED OUT THAT IN AN EFFORT TO SHORTEN THE WAITING TIME, SEVEN NEW DRIVING EXAMINERS WERE RECRUITED LAST YEAR BUT THREE MORE VACANCIES HAD STILL TO BE FILLED.

HOWEVER, MR. JONES ADDED THAT SUCH WAS THE DEMAND FOR TESTS THAT THE WAITING TIME HAD NOT BEEN SHORTENED.

+THIS IS PARTLY BECAUSE THE PASS RATE FOR PRIVATE CAR ROAD TESTS IS AS LOW AS 28 PER CENT, HE SAID. +AND THIS MEANS THAT SOME 52 PER CENT OF ALL CANDIDATES TESTED ARE REPEATERS.+

HE FURTHER POINTED OUT THAT EVEN WHEN THE FACILITIES FOR TESTING WERE EXPANDED AND IMPROVED, THIS WOULD ONLY SERVE AS AN INCENTIVE FOR MORE CANDIDATES TO COME FORWARD AND THAT MANY OF THEM WERE NOT ADEQUATELY PREPARED FOR THE TEST.

+ALTHOUGH, THEREFORE, EVERY EFFORT WILL BE MADE TO FILL THE EXISTING VACANCIES FOR DRIVING TEST EXAMINERS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, I CANNOT HOLD OUT MUCH HOPE OF A GREAT DEAL OF IMPROVEMENT IN THE WAITING TIME FOR PRIVATE CAR TESTS,+ HE CONCLUDED.

MR. JONES ALSO TOLD THE COUNCIL THAT AT PRESENT THERE WERE SOME 95,000 CANDIDATES WAITING FOR TESTS, OF WHOM 72,500 WERE FOR PRIVATE CARS AND AS MANY AS 206,000 TESTS WERE CONDUCTED LAST YEAR.

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