XN000022-1979-11-28 — Page 2

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1979

LEGCO APPROVES PROPOSAL TO RAISE FIXED PENALTY RATE

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THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY) APPROVED THE PROPOSALS TO RAISE THE FIXED PENALTIES FOR PARKING AND MOVING TRAFFIC OFFENCES IN ORDER TO RESTORE THE ORIGINAL DETERRENT EFFECT OF THE PENALTIES WHICH HAS BEEN ERODED OVER THE YEARS BY THE GENERAL INCREASE OF PRICES AND INCOMES.

THE REVISION OF PENALTY WILL BE FROM $30 TO $70 FOR PARKING OFFENCES WHILE THAT FOR MOVING OFFENCES WILL BE DOUBLED SO THAT THE $50 PENALTY WOULD BE INCREASED TO $100 AND THE $100 PENALTY TO $200.

MOVING THE RELEVANT MOTIONS IN THE COUNCIL TODAY, THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, THE HON. DEREK JONES SAID THE MOTIONS PROVIDED FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW FIXED PENALTY RATE ON A DATE TO BE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR AND NOTIFIED IN THE GAZETTE AS THE REVISION OF THE PENALTY WOULD REQUIRE THE MODIFICATION OF COMPUTER PROGRAMMES AND THE PRINTING OF NEW FORMS AND THIS WOULD TAKE A FEW MONTHS.

MR. JONES SAID THE FIXED PENALTY OF $30 FOR PARKING OFFENCES HAS REMAINED UNCHANGED SINCE IT WAS INTRODUCED IN 1971 AND IN RECENT YEARS, THE NUMBER OF FIXED PENALTY TICKETS ISSUED HAS BEEN STEADILY INCREASING.

+WELL OVER 100 000 PARKING TICKETS ARE BEING ISSUED EACH MONTH THIS YEAR, + HE SAID. INDEED, MANY DRIVERS NO LONGER MAKE ANY SERIOUS EFFORT TO FIND LEGAL PARKING SPACES, PERHAPS BECAUSE THE PENALTY IS NOW LITTLE GREATER THAN LEGAL PARKING CHARGES.+

+VEHICLES WHICH ARE ILLEGALLY PARKED VERY OFTEN CONTRIBUTE TO TRAFFIC CONGESTION AND THUS HELP TO DELAY OTHER TRAFFIC, INCLUDING THE MAJORITY OF TRAVELLERS WHO USE PUBLIC TRANSPORT,+ HE STRESSED.

HE POINTED OUT THAT THE PROPOSED INCREASES ARE INTENDED TO DISCOURAGE ILLEGAL PARKING BY RESTORING THE DETERRENT EFFECT OF THE PENALTIES AS WELL AS TO PROVIDE AN INCENTIVE TO BETTER DRIVING HABITS ON HONG KONG'S CROWDED ROADS.

ON FIXED PENALTY FOR MOVING OFFENCES, HE SAID THE PRESENT LEVEL OF PENALTIES WAS INTRODUCED WHEN THE ORDINANCE CAME INTO FORCE IN NOVEMBER 1976 BUT THE AMOUNTS OF PENALTY WERE FIXED FOUR YEARS BEFORE THAT.

+THE LAPSE OF SEVEN YEARS IS CONSIDERED SUFFICIENTLY LONG TO MERIT A REVIEW IN THE INTEREST, AGAIN, OF MAINTAINING THEIR DETERRENT EFFECT IN THE FACE OF RISING PRICES AND INCOMES.

+MOREOVER IT IS NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN THE RELATIVITY BETWEEN THE PENALTIES FOR PARKING AND MOVING OFFENCES, ESPECIALLY AS THE LATTER ARE, IN GENERAL, MORE SERIOUS AND CAN AT TIMES BE POSITIVELY DANGEROUS.+

A NUMBER OF OTHER MINOR AMENDMENTS AND CORRECTIONS TO THE SCHEDULE TO THE FIXED PENALTY (CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS) ORDINANCE ARE ALSO PROPOSED, HE SAID.

THES AMENDMENAS