XN000022-1983-02-24 — Page 2

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1903

PROPOSAL TO ABOLISH DRIVING LICENCES AS IDENTITY DOCUMENTS

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A RESOLUTION WILL BE INTRODUCED INTO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON MARCH 9 WITH A VIEW TO DELETING DRIVING LICENCES FROM THE LIST OF DOCUMENTS WHICH MAY BE USED AS PROOF OF IDENTITY UNDER THE IMMIGRATION ORDINANCE.

THE GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL DECIDED YESTERDAY THAT THE MOVE WAS NECESSARY IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MEASURES TO COMBAT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION.

IT WAS ALSO DECIDED THAT CONSIDERATION WOULD BE GIVEN TO WHETHER THE LEGAL REQUIREMENT FOR MOTORISTS TO CARRY THE IR DRIVING LICENCES WHILE DRIVING SHOULD BE ABOLISHED.

THE RESOLUTION WAS FORESHADOWED BY THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, MR DAVID JEAFFRESON, ON JANUARY 5 WHEN HE TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THAT AN ESTIMATED 30 300 DUPLICATE DRIVING LICENCES WERE ISSUED IN 1982 TO MOTORISTS WHO HAD LOST THEIR LICENCES.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE IMMIGRATION ORDINANCE WILL COME INTO EFFECT ON THE SAME DAY AS THE NEW LAWS WHICH PROVIDE FOR THE ISSUE OF A MORE SECURE IDENTITY CARD, DETAILS OF WHICH WILL BE ANNOUNCED SOON.

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN RECALLED THAT WHEN THE CARRYING OF PROOF OF IDENTITY BECAME A REQUIREMENT IN OCTOBER 1980, DRIVING LICENCES WERE INCLUDED AS ONE OF THE ACCEPTABLE IDENTITY DOCUMENTS FOR THE CONVENIENCE OF LEGAL RESIDENTS.

+THE RISKS INVOLVED IN ALLOWING DRIVING LICENCES AS AN IDENTIFICATION DOCUMENT WERE ACCEPTABLE SO LONG AS THE PRESENT TYPE OF IDENTITY CARD, WITH ITS OUTDATED SECURITY FEATURES, WAS BEING ISSUED,+ HE SAID.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID 37 FORGED OR COUNTERFEIT DRIVING LICENCES HAD BEEN DETECTED IN THE PAST THREE YEARS.

+HOWEVER, WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF THE MORE SECURE IDENTITY CARD, FORGERY SYNDICATES COULD WELL BE EXPECTED TO TURN THEIR ATTENTION TO DRIVING LICENCES, THEREBY UNDERMINING THE OBJECT OF THIS IMPORTANT ANTI-ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION EXERCISE,+ HE POINTED OUT.

+THEREFORE, TO CONTINUE TO ALLOW DRIVING LICENCES TO ENJOY THE SAME STATUS AS THE IDENTITY CARD WOULD PROVIDE GREATER SCOPE FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TO AVOID DETECTION, AS WELL AS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF PUBLIC SERVICES, SUCH AS MEDICAL CARE.+

CONSIDERATION WAS GIVEN TO UPGRADING THE SECURITY OF DRIVING LICENCES TO A LEVEL COMPARABLE WITH THAT OF THE NEW IDENTITY CARD BUT IT WAS FOUND THAT THIS OPTION WOULD BE BOTH TIME-CONSUMING AND EXPENSIVE.

+THE COST INVOLVED WOULD BE DISPROPORTIONATE TO THE LIMITED USE AND NUMBER OF DRIVING LICENCES, WHICH WERE NOT ORIGINALLY DESIGNED FOR GENERAL PURPOSES OF IDENTIFICATION, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

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