XN000022-1980-06-06 — Page 11

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 1980

MR JONES WAS ALSO CHAIRMAN OF THE STEERING GROUP ON THE COMPREHENSIVE TRANSPORT STUDY FROM 1973-76 AND HE REMAINS CHAIRMAN OF THE STEERING GROUP ON THE MODERNISATION AND ELECTRIFICATION OF THE KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY. HE WAS

RESPONSIBLE FOR DRAWING UP THE PUBLIC OMNIBUS SERVICES ORDINANCE AND FOR FRANCHISE NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE TWO MAJOR BUS COMPANIES.

MR JONES WILL NOW BE REPRESENTED ON THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE BY THE DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT IN CHARGE OF THE TRANSPORT DIVISION, DR RICHARD BUTLER.

COMMENTING ON HIS APPOINTMENT, MR LO SAID TODAY: THERE IS

A GREAT DEAL OF WORK INVOLVED AND THE TRANSPORT PROBLEMS WHICH NOW FACE HONG KONG ARE BOTH COMPLEX AND CONTENTIOUS.+

+BUT,+ HE ADDED, THE POST IS A CHALLENGE AND I LOOK FORWARD TO TACKLING IT.+

NT HAWKER LICENCE FEES REVISED

*****

HAWKER LICENCE AND PITCH FEES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, WHICH WERE LAST REVISED ON AUGUST 1, 1978, ARE TO BE INCREASED FROM JULY 1 THIS YEAR.

THE REVISION IS ANNOUNCED IN AN AMENDMENT TO THE HAWKER (NEW TERRITORIES) REGULATIONS PUBLISHED IN TODAY'S GOVERNMENT GAZETTE.

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THE REVISION WOULD HELP OFFSET IN PART THE HEAVY OPERATIONAL DEFICIT INCURRED IN HAWKER CONTROL IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

+STATISTICS SHOW THAT IN THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1979-80, THE TOTAL REVENUE FROM HAWKER LICENCE AND PITCH FEES IN THE NT WAS $1 006 860 WHILE THE TOTAL EXPENDITURE ON HAWKER CONTROL THERE AMOUNTED TO $22 687 870, HE SAID.

+WITH THE REVISED FEES, THE TOTAL REVENUE FROM HAWKER LICENCE AND PITCH FEES WILL BE INCREASED TO ABOUT $2.5 MILLION A YEAR.

+HENCE, THERE WILL STILL BE A SUBSTANTIAL DEFICIT EVEN AFTER THE NEW RATES ARE INTRODUCED, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

THE OTHER REASON FOR THE REVISED FEES, THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT, WAS TO BRING THE HAWKER LICENCE AND PITCH FEES IN THE NT CLOSER TO THOSE APPLICABLE IN THE URBAN AREAS WHERE SUCH FEES WERE LAST INCREASED ON MARCH 1 THIS YEAR.

+HOWEVER, EVEN WITH THE NEW INCREASES, THE NT FEES WILL IN MOST CASES BE SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER THAN THOSE APPLICABLE IN THE URBAN AREAS, THE SPOKESMAN ADDED.

/HAWKER LIGENCES