XN000022-1979-11-28 — Page 3

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1979

THESE AMENDMENTS ARE:

* TO DELETE THE OFFENCES ON +NOT GIVING CORRECT NAME/

ADDRESS+ AND NOT IDENTIFYING DRIVER+ FROM THE SCHEDULE IN PURSUANCE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S ADVICE THAT A FIXED PENALTY IS NOT APPROPRIATE FOR THESE SERIOUS OFFENCES WHICH SHOULD BE DEALT WITH IN COURTS=

* TO DELETE TWO OFFENCES AND AMEND ANOTHER ONE ON PUBLIC CARS WHICH HAVE CEASED TO EXIST AS A SEPARATE CATEGORY OF VEHICLE-

* TO REPLACE THE OFFENCE +DRIVING AN UNLICENSED VEHICLE+

AS A NEW ITEM IN THE SCHEDULE- AND

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TO DELETE TWO TAXI-RELATED OFFENCES IN THE SCHEDULE BUT REPLACE WITH SEVEN RELATED OFFENCES IN THE SCHEDULE. THE PENALTY FOR CONTRAVENING THESE SEVEN OFFENCES, MAINLY FOR +NOT DRIVING TO DESTINATION REQUIRED BY HIRER AND +REFUSING PASSENGERS+ IS $200.

SPEAKING IN THE DEBATE ON THE MOTIONS, UNOFFICIAL MEMBER THE HON. ANDREW SO SAID INCREASING FIXED PENALTY FINES TO DETER ILLEGAL PARKING IS ONLY A SUPERFICIAL REMEDY AND CANNOT REMOVE THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM.

HE POINTED OUT THAT IN HONG KONG THERE ARE LESS THAN 16 000 ON-STREET PARKING SPACES, 6 103 SPACES IN GOVERNMENT CAR PARKS AND ONLY SOME 9 000 SPACES IN PRIVATELY-RUN PUBLIC CAR PARKS.

HOWEVER,

THE NUMBER OF REGISTERED VEHICLES TOTALLED 233 150 AT THE END OF LAST YEAR AND THIS FIGURE WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THIS YEAR.

+AS LONG AS THE SHORTAGE OF PARKING SPACES CONTINUES, THE PROBLEM CANNOT BE THOROUGHLY SOLVED BY SIMPLY IMPOSING FINES AS A DETERRENT,+ HE SAID.

HE SAID THAT IF THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT LIMIT THE REGISTRATION OF VEHICLES, IT MUST TRY TO PROVIDE AND ENCOURAGE THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO PROVIDE MORE PARKING SPACES, WHEN PARKING SPACES ARE TEMPORARILY OR PERMANENTLY CANCELLED, IT SHOULD TRY TO PROVIDE OTHER SPACES NEARBY.

SPECIAL ATTENTION MUST ALSO BE PAID TO THE UNSATISFACTORY SITUATION OR PROLONGED OCCUPATION OF PARKING SPACES BY ABANDONED CARS AND CARS AWAITING REPAIRS, HE ADDED.

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