XN000022-1982-02-05 — Page 3

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1982

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CAR CHECKS BY COMPUTER

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COMPULSORY INSPECTION OF PRIVATE CARS WAS RECENTLY INTRO- DUCED IN SINGAPORE AND THE AUTOMATED COMPUTER BASED SYSTEM THERE FACILITATES A MUCH GREATER THROUGHPUT OF VEHICLES THAN THE MORE TRADITIONAL METHOD.

AND THE ASSISTANT TRANSPORT COMMISSIONER, MR GARY MULLOY, FEELS THAT SUCH A SYSTEM WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO HONG KONG.

SPEAKING ON HIS RETURN FROM SINGAPORE WHICH HE VISITED WITH THREE OTHER SENIOR TRANSPORT OFFICIALS, MR MULLOY SAID THE MAIN ADVANTAGES WERE THAT A GREATER THROUGHPUT OF VEHICLES COULD BE ACHIEVED WITH REDUCED MANPOWER.

+A MORE THOROUGH ANALYSIS OF THE INFORMATION OBTAINED IN SINGAPORE WOULD NOW BE PUT IN HAND AND IF IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT SUCH A SYSTEM SHOULD BE INTRODUCED, AMENDMENTS WOULD BE MADE TO THE PLANNING CURRENTLY IN HAND FOR NEW MOTOR VEHICLE INSPECTION CENTRES,+ HE ADDED.

IN SINGAPORE MR MULLOY AND HIS TEAM HAD WIDE RANGING DISCUSSIONS WITH THE REGISTRAR OF VEHCILES, MR LEE YEW KIM.

IT WAS ASCERTAINED THAT THE POLICY ON ISSUE OF TAXI LICENCES IN SINGAPORE IS RADICALLY DIFFERENT FROM THAT OF HONG KONG, NO LICENCE CAN BE TRANSFERRED AND NO LICENCE IS ISSUED TO AN INDIVIDUAL OWNER/DRIVER.

TAXIS ARE OWNED BY A FORM OF CO-OPERATIVE, AND INDIVIDUAL DRIVERS PAY A SORT OF RENTAL TO THAT CO-OPERATIVE FOR THE USE OF THE TAXI. THEY THEN RETAIN ALL TAKINGS BUT ARE ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR WORK FOR THE VEHICLE.

WHEN NEW LICENCES ARE TO BE ISSUED AND THERE ARE MORE APPLICATIONS THAN LICENCES A BALLOT IS HELD.

+THUS THE SINGAPORE SYSTEM REFLECTS A RADICALLY DIFFERENT SYSTEM DEPENDENT ON AN ORGANISATION OF MANPOWER WHICH HAS NO PARALLEL IN HONG KONG,+

+THEREFORE THE POSSIBILITY OF EMULATING THIS ASPECT OF THE SINGAPORE TRANSPORT SYSTEM SEEMS HIGHLY UNLIKELY, + MR MULLOY STRESSED.

ON SEAT BELTS, THE TEAM WAS TOLD THAT WEARING OF SEAT BELTS IN ALL PRIVATE CARS MANUFACTURED AFTER 1973 FOR THE DRIVER AND FRONT SEAT PASSENGERS WAS COMPULSORY IN SINGAPORE. ANYONE NOT WEARING A SEAT BELT WAS LIABLE TO A FIXED PENALTY OF S$50 (APPROXIMATELY HK$140).

THE TEAM OBSERVED THAT THE COMPLIANCE RATE WAS EXTREMELY HIGH AND HARDLY ANY CARS WERE SEEN WHERE THE DRIVER OR HIS FRONT SEAT PASSENGER WAS NOT WEARING A BELT. AS THIS LEGISLATION HAD BEEN IN EFFECT FOR ONLY ABOUT FOUR MONTHS IT WAS TOO EARLY TO ASSESS ITS EFFECT ON REDUCING ACCIDENTS.

/THE SINGAPORE

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