XN000022-1986-02-19 — Page 3

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1986

INCREASE IN NT TAXI FARES APPROVED *****

A FARE INCREASE FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES AND LANTAU TAXIS HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.

EFFECTIVE FROM MARCH 1, FARES FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES TAXIS AND LANTAU TAXIS WILL BE INCREASED FROM THE PRESENT $3.30 TO $4 FOR THE FIRST TWO KILOMETRES AND FROM 70 CENTS TO 80 CENTS FOR EVERY SUBSEQUENT 0.4 KILOMETRE.

THE REVISED FARE SCALE WILL CAUSE A 19 PER CENT FARE INCREASE FOR AN AVERAGE TAXI TRIP OF 2.8 KILOMETRES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES AND A 16 PER CENT FARE INCREASE FOR AN AVERAGE TAXI TRIP OF 10 KILOMETRES ON LANTAU,

CHARGES FOR WAITING TIME WILL ALSO BE REVISED. 80 CENTS INSTEAD OF 70 CENTS FOR EVERY TWO MINUTES.

IT WILL COST

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY) THAT THE FARE RISE WAS APPROVED FOLLOWING A CAREFUL STUDY OF THE OVERALL OPERATING ECONOMICS OF THE NEW TERRITORIES AND LANTAU TAXI TRADES.

AGAINST A BACKGROUND OF DECLINE IN BUSINESS AND RISING OPERATING COSTS, THE FINANCIAL POSITION OF TAXI OPERATORS IN BOTH PLACES HAS DETERIORATED OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

+SURVEYS CARRIED OUT BY THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT INDICATE THAT DUE TO THE DROP IN UTILISATION RATE THE MONTHLY INCOME OF BOTH NEW TERRITORIES AND LANTAU TAXIS IN 1985 WAS LESS THAN THAT IN 1983. THE TOTAL MONTHLY EXPENDITURE FOR BOTH TYPES OF TAXI, ON THE OTHER HAND, HAS INCREASED CONSIDERABLY OVER THE SAME PERIOD, HE SAID.

HE STRESSED THAT THE FARE INCREASE WAS INTENDED THEREFORE TO ENABLE TAXI OPERATORS TO MAKE A REASONABLE RETURN ON THEIR OPERATIONS BY OFFSETTING THE LOSS CAUSED BY HIGHER OPERATING COSTS AND THE REDUCTION IN UTILISATION RATE OF TAXIS.

THE ROAD TRAFFIC (PUBLIC SERVICE VEHICLES) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS 1986 WHICH GIVE EFFECT TO THE REVISED FARES WILL BE GAZETTED ON FEBRUARY 28.

A TABLE OF THE NEW FARES, SET AGAINST EXISTING FARES, WILL BE DISPLAYED IN TAXIS FOR USE BY PASSENGERS BEFORE THE METERS ARE RECALIBRATED.

THE COVERSION TABLES WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR COLLECTION BY TAXI OPERATORS FROM FEBRUARY 26 AT ALL TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT LICENSING OFFICES AND PUBLIC ENQUIRIES COUNTERS OF THE TAI PO, NORTH, TUEN MUN, YUEN LONG, SAI KUNG DISTRICT OFFICES AND THE MUI WO SUB-OFFICE OF THE ISLANDS DISTRICT OFFICE.

TAXI OPERATORS ARE REMINDED TO BRING ALONG THEIR TAXI REGISTRATION DOCUMENTS WHEN COLLECTING THEIR CONVERSION TABLES.

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