XN000022-1984-08-20 — Page 12

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MONDAY, USA A TE

THERE IS NO DIRECT CORRELATION BETWEEN THE UNLADEN WEIGHT OF A VEHICLE AND THE PERMITTED GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT OF THAT VEHICLE. VEHICLES OF IDENTICAL UNLADEN WEIGHT CAN HAVE VERY DIFFERENT GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHTS AND VEHICLES WITH THE SAME GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT CAN HAVE VERY DIFFERENT UNLADEN WEIGHTS. AS EXAMPLES, TWO TRAILERS LICENSED IN HONG KONG HAVE THE SAME UNLADEN WEIGHT OF 5.25 CWT BUT THE GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT OF ONE IS 24 029 KG WHILE THAT OF THE OTHER IS 26 981. SIMILARLY TWO TRAILERS LICENSED IN HONG KONG HAVE THE SAME GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT OF 32 581 KG BUT THEIR UNLADEN WEIGHTS ARE 73.8 CWT AND 144.8 CWT. THE DIFFERENCES ARISE FROM THE FACT THAT THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE TWO TRAILERS IN EACH CASE ARE NOT THE SAME.

IT FOLLOWS THEREFORE THAT THE FIRST-MENTIONED TWO TRAILERS OF IDENTICAL WEIGHT PAY THE SAME LICENCE FEE UNDER THE CURRENT REGULATIONS, AS THE IR FEES ARE ASSESSED ON THE BASIS OF THE IR UNLADEN WEIGHT. THOSE SAME TWO TRAILERS WOULD, HOWEVER, PAY DIFFERENT LICENCE FEES UNDER THE NEW REGULATIONS AS THE GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT OF THE ONE TRAILER IS MORE THAN 250 KG HIGHER THAN THE GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT OF THE OTHER. IN CONVERTING THE BASIS OF THE FEE PAYMENT FROM UNLADEN WEIGHT TO GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT, WHATEVER THE LEVEL OF THE LICENCE FEE IT WILL EITHER INCREASE OR REDUCE THE FEE PAYABLE BY VARIOUS VEHICLES TO A DIFFERENT EXTENT.

IN SETTING THE NEW TRAILER LICENCE FEE AT $20 FOR EACH 250 KG OR PART THEREOF THE GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE THE OPPORTUNITY WAS TAKEN TO INCORPORATE INTO THE LEVEL OF THE FEE A RECOMMENDED INCREASED OF 150 PER CENT SEE ING THAT THERE HAD BEEN NO INCREASE IN THE FEE SINCE 1956. THE FEE OF $20 ACTUALLY REPRESENTS AN AVERAGE INCREASE OF 168 PER CENT. AS JUST EXPLAINED THE INCREASE CAN ONLY BE AN AVERAGE BECAUSE THE CHANGED BASIS OF PAYMENT TO PAYMENT ON GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT WILL AFFECT DIFFERENT TRAILERS TO A DIFFERING EXTENT, FIGURES SHOW THAT THE RESULTANT INCREASE IN THE FEE WOULD RANGE FROM FIVE PER CENT TO 332.7 PER CENT DEPENDING UPON THE TYPE OF TRAILER IN QUESTION.

SOME CONTAINER VEHICLE OWNERS AND OWNER/DRIVERS CONSIDERE THIS PROPOSED FEE LEVEL TO BE TOO HIGH AND SEVEN OF THEIR REPRESENTATIVES MET WITH OFFICIALS OF THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT ON 7TH AUGUST, 1984 TO NEGOTIATE A LOWER FEE. THEIR FINAL POSITION AT THE MEETING WAS THAT THE FEE SHOULD NOT RESULT IN AN INCREASE FOR ANY TRAILER OF MORE THAN ABOUT $400 IN THE FIRST INSTANCE BUT THAT PHASED INCREASES LATER ON MIGHT BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE TRADE DEPENDENT UPON THE PREVAIL ING ECONOMIC SITUATION. THEY CONSIDERED THAT THE $20 FEE WAS UNREASONABLE AND THEY COULD NOT ABSORB THE FINANCIAL BURDEN. THE GOVERNMENT SIDE WAS ASKED TO REPLY WITHIN SEVEN DAYS. THE GOVERNMENT SIDE UNDERTOOK TO GIVE SERIOUS CONSIDERATION TO THE PROPOSAL.

/Pakk

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