XN000022-1984-05-20 — Page 2

SUNDAY, MAY 20, 1984

NEW REGULATIONS ON VEHICLE CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE

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EXTENSIVE CHANGES IN THE REGULATIONS CONCERNING CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE OF VEHICLES WILL COME INTO EFFECT IN LATE AUGUST THIS YEAR, A TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN ANNOUNCED TODAY (SUNDAY).

THE CHANGES ARE INCORPORATED IN THE NEW ROAD TRAFFIC (CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE OF VEHICLES) REGULATIONS, PROVIDING A MORE ENFORCEABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR ROADWORTHY AND LESS POLLUTING VEHICLES, HE EXPLAINED.

THE NEW REGULATIONS, BASED ON THE LATEST UK LEGISLATION ADAPTED TO SUIT HONG KONG CONDITIONS, WILL REPLACE THE EXISTING OUTDATED CONSTRUCTION AND USE REGULATIONS WHICH HAVE BEEN IN FORCE SINCE 1956, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

THE NEW REGULATIONS REQUIRE, AMONG OTHER THINGS:

* PROPER INFLATION OF TYRES AND A MINIMUM TREAD DEPTH OF 1 MILLIMETRE IN A CONTINUOUS BAND OVER AT LEAST THREE-QUARTERS OF THE TYRE'S WIDTH AND AROUND THE COMPLETE CIRCUMFERENCE

* A BAN ON THE MIXING OF RADIAL AND CROSS-PLY

TYRES ON THE SAME AXLE

* THAT RADIAL TYRES MUST NOT BE FITTED TO THE

FRONT AXLE WHEN THE REAR AXLE IS FITTED WITH CROSS-PLY TYRES

* THAT WINDSCREEN WIPERS MUST HAVE WAS HERS

* THE INSTALLATION OF AT LEAST TWO REAR-VIEW MIRRORS, ONE OF WHICH MUST BE A RIGHT WING MIRROR, IN EVERY PRIVATE CAR, TAXI, LIGHT BUS BUS, GOODS VEHICLE AND SPECIAL-PURPOSE VEHICLE.

AS ALL MEASUREMENTS ARE IN METRIC TERMS, ONE OF THE MOST NOTICEABLE CHANGES IS SPEED MEASUREMENT,

OWNERS OF VEHICLES WITH SPEEDOMETERS IN IMPERIAL UNITS ONLY ARE ADVISED TO HAVE THESE METERS CLEARLY MARKED WITH AN IDENTIFIABLE METRIC INDICATOR.

THIS MEANS THAT SPEEDOMETERS SHOULD SHOW 50 KM/H, INSTEAD OF 30 MPH, AND 70 KM/H, INSTEAD OF 40 MPH, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

THE NEW MAXIMUM WEIGHTS AND DIMENSIONS OF VEHICLES ARE GENERALLY GREATER THAN THOSE PERMITTED UNDER THE OLD REGULATIONS.

AS AN EXAMPLE. HE SAID THE MAXIMUM HEIGHT FOR MEDIUM AND HEAVY GOODS VEHICLES IS 4.6 METRES, OR THE HEIGHT OF A DOUBLE-DECKER BUS.

SHOPKEEPERS THE