XN000022-1981-06-30 — Page 6

TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 1981

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PARKING METER CHARGES GO UP FROM JULY

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MOTORISTS ARE REMINDED THAT THEY WILL HAVE TO PAY MORE TO PARK AT ON-STREET METERS IN SOME PARTS OF HONG KONG ISLAND AND KOWLOON FROM TOMORROW (JULY 1).

THE INCREASED METER CHARGES - SINCE 1973 - ARE AIMED AT ACHIEVING A GREATER TURNOVER OF ON-STREET

THE FIRST TO BE INTRODUCED PARKING SPACES.

BUT PEOPLE PARKING ELSEWHERE WILL, FOR THE TIME BEING AT LEAST, NOT HAVE TO PAY THE HIGHER CHARGES IMPOSED UNDER THE ROAD TRAFFIC (PARKING AND WAITING) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS 1981.

+THE REASON IS THAT IT WILL TAKE SIX MONTHS TO REPLACE THE EXISTING 9 000 METERS WITH MORE SECURE AND RELIABLE METERS CALIBRATED TO ACCEPT THE REVISED CHARGES, A TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID.

+INITIALLY, THE REVISED CHARGES, WHICH RANGE FROM $1 TO $2 AN HOUR, WILL ONLY APPLY TO METERS INSTALLED ON THE PEAK, AND IN LOCKHART ROAD, OI KWAN ROAD AND TSIM SHA TSUI,

+BUT AS THE METER REPLACEMENT PROGRAMME GAINS MOMENTUM, THE NEW RATES WILL BE APPLIED TO MANY MORE DISTRICTS OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, HE SAID.

THE SPOKESMAN WARNED THAT, BECAUSE METERS CHARGING DIFFERENT RATES WILL BE IN USE DURING THE CHANGE-OVER PERIOD, MOTORISTS SHOULD READ VERY CAREFULLY THE INSTRUCTIONS DISPLAYED ON EACH METER.

NO PARKING TIME WOULD BE GIVEN IF THE WRONG COINS WERE INSERTED, HE SAID.

TO USE THE NEW METERS, MOTORISTS MUST INSERT THE CORRECT COIN AND THEN TURN A KNOB AS FAR TO THE RIGHT AS POSSIBLE TO ACTIVATE THE TIMING MECHANISM,

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