XN000022-1977-05-27 — Page 2

FRIDAY, MAY 27, 1977

ABOLITION OF PUBLIC HIRE CARS PROPOSED

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AMENDING LEGISLATION WILL BE INTRODUCED INTO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SHORTLY TO ABOLISH THE PUBLIC (HIRE) CAR AND TO ALLOW PUBLIC (HIRE) CAR OWNERS TO CONVERT THEIR VEHICLES TO TAXIS ON PAYMENT OF A FIXED PREMIUM OF $75,000.

PAYMENT OF THE PREMIUM WILL BE BY AN INITIAL INSTALMENT OF $50,000 AND A SUBSEQUENT INSTALMENT OF $25,000 NOT LATER THAN 12 MONTHS AFTER REGISTRATION OF THE VEHICLE AS A TAXI.

THE AMENDING LEGISLATION, KNOWN AS THE ROAD TRAFFIC AMENDMENT (NO. 2) BILL 1977, WAS PUBLISHED IN THE GOVERNMENT GAZETTE TODAY FOR THE INFORMATION OF THE PUBLIC.

THE BILL ALSO SEEKS TO GIVE AUTHORITY FOR THE MAKING OF REGULATIONS FOR THE ISSUE OF PERMITS BY THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT FOR THE USE OF PRIVATE CARS FOR THE CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS FOR HIRE OR REWARD.

THE ISSUE OF CONTRACT HIRE CAR PERMITS, APART FROM ENABLING EXISTING ILLEGAL CONTRACT HIRE PAK PAI+ OPERATORS TO LEGALISE THEIR OPERATIONS, WOULD ALSO PROVIDE AN ALTERNATIVE FOR PUBLIC CAR OPERATORS WHO DO NOT WISH TO CONVERT THEIR VEHICLES TO TAXIS.

THE PERMITS WOULD NOT ALLOW PRIVATE CAR DRIVERS TO TOUT OR TO USE A CAR AS A +PIRATE TAXI+,

THE PROPOSED FEE FOR A CONTRACT HIRE CAR PERMIT IS $500 PER ANNUM OR $175 FOR A PERIOD OF FOUR MONTHS DEPENDING ON THE PERIOD OF THE VEHICLE LICENCE.

IN ORDER TO PREVENT THE ILLEGAL USE OF VEHICLES, THE NEW BILL INCLUDES STRINGENT SANCTIONS AGAINST OWNERS WHO USE OR ALLOW THEIR VEHICLES TO BE USED ILLEGALLY TO PLY FOR HIRE, OR OPERATE OR ALLOW THEM TO BE OPERATED, AS HIRE CARS WITHOUT A PERMIT.

THE SANCTIONS PROPOSED WOULD INCLUDE IMPOUNDING THE VEHICLE AND THE SUSPENSION OF THE LICENCE.

A SIGNIFICANT FEATURE OF THE PROPOSED SANCTIONS IS THE CREATION OF A TRANSPORT TRIBUNAL TO HEAR ALL CASES RELATING TO THE

INTENDED SUSPENSION OF VEHICLE LICENCES.

A PANEL OF PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE WOULD BE APPOINTED BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY. TWO MEMBERS FROM THIS PANEL WOULD THEN BE APPOINTED BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY TO SERVE ON A TRANSPORT TRIBUNAL TO BE CHAIRED BY THE COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT. THE PROCEEDINGS WOULD BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SAID THAT IF THE BILL IS PASSED BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL NEW REGULATIONS WOULD BE INTRODUCED WITHOUT DELAY TO EFFECT THE CONVERSION OF PUBLIC CARS DURING THE SECOND HALF OF 1977. AT PRESENT THERE ARE 1,324 PUBLIC CARS.

HE ALSO ANNOUNCED THAT TENDERS FOR A LIMITED NUMBER OF NEW TAXI LICENCES WOULD BE CALLED FOR EARLY IN JUNE 1977.

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