XN000022-1986-07-15 — Page 11

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ON

TUESDAY, JULY 15, 1986

HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAS AGREED TO SET UP AN INTER- DEPARTMENTAL DEPOT RELOCATION WORKING GROUP TO ENSURE THAT ANY ENVIRONMENTAL NUISANCE WHICH MAY BE CAUSED BY THE NEW DEPOTS WILL BE KEPT TO THE MINIMUM. THE WORKING GROUP WILL REPORT REGULARLY TO DISTRICT BOARDS AS WELL AS THE TOWN PLANNING BOARD.

THE DEPOT RELOCATION PLAN IS UNLIKELY TO GENERATE ANY SERIOUS TRAFFIC PROBLEMS, NOR WILL IT TAKE AWAY POTENTIAL OPEN SPACE FOR RESIDENTS IN SAI YING PUN AND SAI WAN HO. MODIFICATIONS TO TRAFFIC ARRANGEMENTS HAVE BEEN WORKED OUT TO FORESTALL ANY ADVERSE EFFECT ON GENERAL TRAFFIC CONDITIONS IN THE AREA OF THE NEW DEPOTS.

THE SAI YING PUN DEPOT SITE, SITUATED ON THE WESTERN RECLAMATION NEAR THE WHITTY STREET TRAM TERMINUS, OCCUPIES AN AREA OF 1.28 HECTARES WHILE THE 0.7 HECTARE SAI WAN HO SITE IS LOCATED BENEATH THE ISLAND EASTERN CORRIDOR VIADUCT CLOSE TO THE JUNCTION OF SHAU KE! WAN ROAD AND HOI FOO STREET,

THE TWO DEPOT SITES WILL BE GRANTED TO HKT INITIALLY ON SHORT-TERM TENANCIES OF NO MORE THAN FIVE YEARS, THUS ALLOWING THE GOVERNMENT TO MODIFY THE LEASE CONDITIONS, IF NEEDED, BEFORE RENEWING THE LEASES.

THE TRAM DEPOT RELOCATION PLAN WAS DISCUSSED AND ENDORSED EARLIER BY THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE AS WELL AS THE WAN CHAI, EASTERN AND CENTRAL AND WESTERN DISTRICT BOARDS.

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TAC TO REVIEW TAXI LICENSING SYSTEM

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THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE (TAC) IS TO SET UP A SUB-COMMITTEE TO REVIEW THE EXISTING TAXI LICENSING SYSTEM AND ADVISE ON A LONG-TERM POLICY ON TAXIS.

AT THE IR MEETING TODAY (TUESDAY), MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE AGREED THAT THE SUB-COMMITTEE SHOULD COMPRISE TAC MEMBERS, MR JACKIE CHAN CHAI-KEUNG (CHAIRMAN), DR CONRAD LAM KUI-SHING, MR LEUNG CHI-KEUNG, DR STEPHEN TANG LUNG-WAI AND MR STEPHEN CHENG WUI-YAU, WITH TECHNICAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY ONE REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE TRANSPORT BRANCH AND ONE FROM THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT.

THIS POLICY REVIEW WILL COVER A NUMBER OF ISSUES, INCLUDING THE ROLE OF TAXIS IN THE PUBLIC TRANSPORT SYSTEM, THE USAGE OF TAX IS. THE ORGANISATION AND FINANCIAL POSITION OF THE TAXI TRADE THE GOVERNMENT REGULATION OF TAXI SERVICES, FARES POLICY, LICENCE ISSUING SYSTEM, THE CLASS IF ICATION OF TAXIS AS WELL AS THE NEW TERRITORIES TAXI BOUNDARIES.

/AFTER STUDYING