XN000022-1984-08-20 — Page 11

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MONDAY, AU

1:04

THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF THE LETTER SENT TO THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CONTAINER TRACTOR OWNERS' ASSOCIATION:

DEAR SIR,

FOLLOWING OUR RECENT TELEPHONE CONVERSATION

ON 16TH AUGUST, 1984, I SET OUT BELOW FOR CLARIFICATION THE VARIOUS PROBLEMS WHICH HAVE BEEN RAISED BY THE CONTAINER VEHICLE OWNERS AND DRIVERS AND THE WAY IN WHICH IT IS CONSIDERED THEY CAN BEST EE SOLVED.

THE PROBLEMS

LICENCE FEES FOR TRAILERS

THE CURRENT ROAD TRAFFIC (REGISTRATION AND LICENSING OF VEHICLES) REGULATIONS WERE MADE UNDER THE ROAD TRAFFIC ORDINANCE (CHAPTER 220) IN 1956 AND THE THIRD SCHEDULE TO THOSE REGULATIONS SETS OUT THE LICENCE FEE FOR A TRAILER AS $50 FOR EACH 5 HUNDRED WEIGHT (CWT) OR PART THEREOF OF THE UNLADEN WEIGHT OF THE TRAILER.

WHEN LICENCE FEES WERE REVIEWED IN 1974 THE TRAILER LICENCE FEE WAS NOT INCREASED, AND THE SAME FEE OF $50 STILL APPLIES TODAY, 28 YEARS AFTER ITS INTRODUCTION.

BY WAY OF COMPARISON THE LICENCE FEE FOR A TRACTOR HAS MUCH MORE THAN DOUBLED SINCE CONTAINER TRAILERS WERE INTRODUCED INTO HONG KONG IN 1969.

IN 1982 A NEW ROAD TRAFFIC ORDINANCE (CHAPTER 374) WAS ENACTED AND IT IS DUE TO BE BROUGHT INTO FORCE ON 25TH AUGUST THIS YEAR. UNLIKE THE CURRENT ROAD TRAFFIC (CONSTRUCTION AND USE) REGULATIONS WHICH EXPRESS THE MAXIMUM WEIGHT OF VEHICLES IN TERMS OF THEIR UNLADEN WEIGHT, THE NEW ROAD TRAFFIC (CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE OF VEHICLES) REGULATIONS MADE UNDER THE NEW ORDINANCE IN 1983, AND DUE TO TAKE EFFECT ON THE SAME DATE, SPECIFY THE MAXIMUM WEIGHT OF VEHICLES ACCORDING TO PERMITTED GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT. CONSEQUENTLY, THE LICENCE FEES FOR GOODS VEHICLES AS WELL AS FOR TRAILERS ARE BASED, IN THE NEW LEGISLATION, ON THE GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHTS OF THOSE CLASSES OF VEHICLE.

THIS PERMITTED GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT IS IN EFFECT THE TOTAL WEIGHT TO WHICH THE VEHICLE MAY OPERATE INCLUDING ITS UNLADEN WEIGHT AND THE WEIGHT OF ANY LOAD IT MAY LEGALLY CARRY.

AFTER THE NEW ROAD TRAFFIC (REGISTRATION AND LICENSING OF VEHICLES) REGULATIONS WERE GAZETTED ON 9TH SEPTEMBER LAST YEAR THE CONTAINER VEHICLE OWNERS COMPLAINED THAT THE NEW TRAILER LICENCE FEE OF $50 FOR EACH 250 KG OR PART THEREOF OF A TRAILER'S PERMITTED GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT WOULD INVOLVE EXTREMELY LARGE INCREASES IN LICENCE FEES FOR SOME TRAILERS. THE LEVEL OF THE FEE WAS THEN REVIEWED AND REVISED DOWNWARDS TO A PROPOSED LEVEL CF $20 FOR EACH 250 KG OR PART THEREOF OF THE PERMITTED GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT OF THE TRAILER, AND THE REGULATIONS HAVE BEEN AMENDES ACCORDINGLY.