XN000022-1986-01-22 — Page 9

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 1986

CODE DRAWN UP FOR CAR TESTING CENTRES

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TO ENSURE AN EVEN STANDARD OF INSPECTION OF PRIVATE CARS AT DESIGNATED CAR TESTING CENTRES, THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT HAS DRAWN UP A CODE OF PRACTICE WHICH BY LAW THE OPERATORS ARE REQUIRED TO FOLLOW THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, THE HON IAN MACPHERSON, SAID TODAY WEDNESDAY).

REPLYING A QUESTION BY THE HON POON CHI-FAI IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR MACPHERSON SAID EACH CENTRE HAD TO NOMINATE A RESPONSIBLE PERSON, TO BE APPROVED BY THE COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT, TO SUPERVISE ALL VEHICLE INSPECTIONS, WHICH COULD ONLY BE DONE BY SIMILAR APPROVED TESTERS.

+ THE INSPECTIONS MUST FOLLOW PRECISELY THE PROCEDURES LAID DOWN IN A TESTER'S MANUAL ISSUED BY THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT,+ HE SAID.

IN ADDITION, THE COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT HAD ESTABLISHED A MONITORING UNIT TO MAKE RANDOM VISITS TO THE CENTRES TO CHECK COMPLIANCE WITH THE CODE OF PRACTICE AND THE TESTER'S MANUAL.

+ IT IS NOT ANTICIPATED THAT INCONVENIENCE WILL BE CAUSED BY THESE RANDOM CHECKS TO CAR OWNERS, AS RE-TESTS WILL BE DONE ON THE SPOT, + HE SAID.

MR MACPHERSON SAID CAR OWNERS WHO MIGHT BE AGGRIEVED BY THE WORK OF ANY DESIGNATED CENTRE MIGHT APPEAL TO THE UNIT, WHICH ACTED AS A FURTHER CHECK AGAINST ABUSES BY THE CENTRES.

AS REGARDS THE PREVENTION OF CORRUPTION, MR MACPHERSON STRESSED THAT THE INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION HAD BEEN CONSULTED ON ALL ASPECTS OF THE SCHEME AND, WHEREVER PRACTICABLE, PREVENTIVE MEASURES HAD BEEN ADOPTED.

HE SAID ALL DESIGNATED CAR TESTING CENTRES WERE REQUIRED TO DISPLAY A NOTICE WARNING THEIR STAFF AGAINST THE COMMISSION OF OFFENCES UNDER THE PREVENTION OF BRIBERY ORDINANCE, THE ICAC ORDINANCE AND THE CORRUPT AND ILLEGAL PRACTICE ORDINANCE.

PROPRIETORS OF THE CENTRES WERE ALSO REQUIRED TO SIGN AN UNEQUIVOCAL STATEMENT THAT THEIR EMPLOYEES WERE NOT ALLOWED TO SOLICIT OR ACCEPT ANY ADVANTAGE IN CONNECTION WITH THEIR WORK, MR MACPHERSON SAID.

+ IF SERIOUS ABUSES OR MALPRACTICES ARE PROVED, THE COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT MAY EXERCISE HIS POWERS UNDER SECTION 88D OF THE ROAD TRAFFIC ORDINANCE AND REVOKE THE DESIGNATION GRANTED.

+FURTHERMORE, SHOULD ANY STAFF OF ANY DESIGNATED CAR TESTING CENTRE BE FOUND TO HAVE ACTED IN A CORRUPT MANNER, IT IS FOR THE COMMISSIONER AGAINST CORRUPTION TO INVESTIGATE AND THEN AS APPROPRIATE FOR THE COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT TO CONSIDER REVOKING THE DESIGNATION GRANTED TO THE CENTRE, HE SAID.

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