XN000022-1983-06-29 — Page 9

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 1983

MEASURES AGAINST ABANDONED VEHICLES

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THE REDUCTION IN THE STATUTORY PERIOD FROM ONE MONTH TO TWO WEEKS FOR KEEPING ABANDONED VEHICLES AT A POLICE POUND BEFORE DISPOSAL COULD HELP EXPEDITE THE CLEARANCE OF THESE VEHICLES, THE SECRETARY FOR DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, MR DAVID AKERS-JONES, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

HE SAID THAT ABOUT 3 661 ABANDONED VEHICLES, OR AN AVERAGE OF 730 A MONTH, WERE SEIZED AND CRUSHED IN THE FIRST FIVE MONTHS OF THIS YEAR, COMPARED WITH 350 A MONTH AT THE BEGINNING OF LAST YEAR.

LAST YEAR, 6 159 ABANDONED VEHICLES WERE CRUSHED, COMPARED WITH 4 380 IN 1980 AND 4 145 IN 1981.

+THE SPEED WITH WHICH ABANDONED AND IMPOUNDED VEHICLES CAN BE DEALT WITH WILL BE FURTHER INCREASED WHEN THE STATUTORY PERIOD FOR KEEPING AN ABANDONED VEHICLE AT A POLICE POUND BEFORE DISPOSAL IS REDUCED FROM ONE MONTH TO TWO WEEKS, HE SAID.

MR AKERS-JONES WAS REPLYING TO THE HON PETER C. WONG WHO ASKED WHAT GOVERNMENT ACTION HAD BEEN TAKEN OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS AGAINST PEOPLE WHO ABANDONED THEIR VEHICLES ON CROWN LAND AND, IN PARTICULAR, ON STREETS AND PAVEMENTS.

MR AKERS-JONES SAID WHILE OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES WOULD BE CHARGED WITH OFFENCES OF ILLEGAL PARKING, OBSTRUCTION AND POSSESSION OF UNLICENSED AND UNINSURED VEHICLES, PROSECUTIONS WERE NOT VERY FREQUENT AND THE IR DETERRENT EFFECT WAS DOUBTFUL.

*THE DIFFICULTY LIES IN DETERMINING THE IDENTIFICATION AND WHEREABOUTS OF THE TRUE OWNER AS THE LICENCE DISCS AND NUMBER PLATES HAVE USUALLY BEEN REMOVED FROM THE VEHICLES, AND TRACING THE MOST RECENT OWNER THROUGH THE CHASSIS NUMBER INVOLVES A VERY SUBSTANTIAL AND OFTEN NOT VERY REWARDING SEARCH THROUGH MANY RECORDS.

+EVEN IN CASES WHERE AN OWNER HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED, AFTER A LOT OF RESEARCH, PROSECUTION MAY BE PREVENTED BY COMPLICATIONS ARISING FROM TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP AND POSSIBLY HIRE-PURCHASE ARRANGEMENTS.

→THE GOVERNMENT THEREFORE BELIEVES THAT THE IMPORTANT TASK IS TO EXPEDITE THE CLEARANCE OF ABANDONED VEHICLES,+ HE SAID.

HE ASSURED THE COUNCIL THAT MUCH HAD BEEN DONE AND WOULD CONTINUE TO BE DONE TO BRING THE MATTER UNDER EFFECTIVE CONTROL.

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