XN000022-1984-08-30 — Page 6

THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 1984

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CROSS-HARBOUR LORRY FARES TO CHANGE

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CHARGES FOR GOODS VEHICLES USING THE CROSS-HARBOUR TUNNEL AND THE VEHICULAR FERRY WILL BE ADJUSTED FROM SATURDAY (SEPTEMBER 1) FOLLOWING THE ENACTMENT OF THE NEW ROAD TRAFFIC ORDINANCE.

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED THAT THE ADJUSTMENT IN CHARGES WAS BROUGHT ABOUT BY A RECLASSIFICATION OF GOODS VEHICLES UNDER NEW ROAD TRAFFIC (CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE OF VEHICLES) REGULATIONS.

AT PRESENT, GOODS VEHICLES ARE CLASSIFIED BY THE IR UNLADEN WEIGHT. THEY ARE CHARGED IN THREE STEPS FOR USING VEHICULAR FERRIES: UNDER 40 CWT ($7), BETWEEN 40 AND 100 CWT ($11), AND ABOVE 100 CWT ($16 IF NOT EXCEEDING 10.976 METRES IN LENGTH, OTHERWISE $75). FOR THE CROSS-HARBOUR TUNNEL, THE RESPECTIVE CHARGES FOR THESE THREE STEPS ARE $15, $20 AND $25 (INCLUDING TAX).

UNDER THE NEW REGULATIONS, GOODS VEHICLES WILL BE CLASSIFIED BY THE IR PERMITTED GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT, WHICH MUST BE PAINTED OR MARKED CONSPICUOUSLY ON THE IR SIDES.

+ IT IS NOT PRACTICAL, HOWEVER, TO DEVISE WEIGHT STEPS WHICH WILL CONTINUE TO APPLY THE EXISTING LEVEL OF CHARGES TO THE SAME GROUPS OF VEHICLES, SINCE THERE IS NO DIRECT CORRELATION BETWEEN UNLADEN WEIGHT AND PERMITTED GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT, THE SPOKESMAN SA ID.

INSTEAD, A CLOSE APPROXIMATION WILL BE ADOPTED AND GOODS VEHICLES WILL BE CHARGED UNDER THE THREE CORRESPONDING CATEGORIES: NOT EXCEEDING 5.31 TONNES, NOT EXCEEDING 12.73 TONNES, AND EXCEED ING 12,73 TONNES.

AS A RESULT OF THIS CONVERSION, ABOUT 3 700 OUT OF NEARLY 20 700 VEHICLES AT PRESENT IN THE MEDIUM GROUP WILL MOVE TO THE LIGHTER GROUP AND ONLY 12 WILL MOVE TO THE HEAVIER GROUP, HE SAID.

THE ADJUSTMENT IN CHARGES FOR GOODS VEHICLES USING THE CROSS-HARBOUR TUNNEL WILL BE PUBLISHED TOMORROW IN THE GOVERNMENT GAZETTE UNDER THE VARIATION OF CROSS HARBOUR TUNNEL TOLLS NOTICE 1984 AND, IN RESPECT OF VEHICULAR FERRIES, UNDER THE FERRY SERVICES (HONG KONG AND YAUMATI FERRY CO., LTD.) (DETERMINATION OF FARES) (AMENDMENT) ORDER 1984.

THE FERRY SERVICES ORDER ALSO DETERMINES THE EXISTING MAXIMUM FARES FOR THE REMAINING YAUMATI FRANCHISED FERRY SERVICES, PUBLISHED PREVIOUSLY WHEN THE HONG KONG AND YAUMATI FERRY COMPANY WAS OPERATING UNDER A TEMPORARY LICENCE PENDING THE NEW FRANCHISE WHICH HAS NOW TAKEN EFFECT.