XN000022-1977-05-06 — Page 7

FRIDAY, MAY 6, 1977

HEAVIER PENALTIES FOR TOUTING AT AIRPORT

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PENALTIES FOR TOUTING AT KAI TAK AIRPORT HAS BEEN INCREASED.

ACCORDING TO THE HONG KONG AIRPORT (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS PUBLISHED IN TODAY'S GAZETTE, THE FINE HAS BEEN RAISED FROM $500 TO $1,000 FOR A FIRST OFFENCE. FOR A SECOND OR SUBSEQUENT OFFENCE THE PENALTY WILL BE A FINE OF $2,000 AND SIX MONTHS'

IMPRISONMENT.

COMMENTING ON THE AMENDED REGULATIONS, THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF CIVIL AVIATION, MR. BRIAN KEEP, SAID THAT ALTHOUGH THE INCIDENTS OF TOUTING AT THE AIRPORT DIMINISHED CONSIDERABLY, THERE WERE STILL SEVERAL CASES EACH MONTH.

+THESE ARE, OF COURSE, DAMAGING TO THE TOURIST INDUSTRY AND THE IMAGE OF HONG KONG GENERALLY AS SEEN BY VISITORS. THE PENALTY FOR THIS OFFENCE HAS BEEN AT THE LEVEL OF $500 FOR MANY YEARS PAST AND IT HAS NOT BEEN AN EFFECTIVE DETERRENT TO THIS NUISANCE.+

THE NEW LEGISLATION WOULD ALLOW THE COURTS TO IMPOSE HEAVIER PENALTIES AS APPROPRIATE, HE SAID.

MR. KEEP ALSO POINTED OUT THAT A WORKING PARTY, COMPRISING GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE TOURISM FIELD INCLUDING THE HONG KONG TOURIST ASSOCIATION, THE HONG KONG HOTELS ASSOCIATION, AND THE HONG KONG ASSOCIATION OF TRAVEL AGENTS, HAD STUDIED THE PROBLEM OF TOUTING.

THE WORK ING PARTY STRONGLY FELT THAT IT WAS ESSENTIAL TO INCREASE THE PENALTY IN ORDER TO MINIMISE TOUTING, PARTICULARLY FOR HABITUAL OFFENDERS.

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