XN000022-1988-08-21 — Page 5

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SUNDAY, AUGUST 21, 1988

ARTICULATED VEHICLE DRIVING LICENCES BECOME COMPULSORY

THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT TODAY (SUNDAY) REMINDED CONTAINER LORRY DRIVERS THAT THE GRACE PERIOD ALLOWING HOLDERS OF "ALL GOODS VEHICLES" DRIVING LICENCES ISSUED BEFORE AUGUST 25, 1984 TO DRIVE ARTICULATED VEHICLES WOULD EXPIRE ON AUGUST 24 THIS YEAR.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT EXPLAINED THAT THE GRACE PERIOD SHOULD HAVE EXPIRED ON AUGUST 24 LAST YEAR BUT WAS EXTENDED FOR ONE YEAR SO THAT MORE QUALIFIED DRIVERS WOULD BE AVAILABLE то MEET THE TARGETTED RATIO OF TWO ARTICULATED VEHICLE DRIVERS то ONE LICENSED CONTAINER TRACTOR.

THIS RATIO IS CONSIDERED ADEQUATE TO MEET THE DEMAND OF THE CONTAINER INDUSTRY.

THE SPOKESMAN NOTED THAT AT THE END OF AUGUST LAST YEAR, THE NUMBER OF LICENSED ARTICULATED VEHICLE DRIVERS AND LICENSED CONTAINER TRACTORS WERE 5,940 AND 3,894 RESPECTIVELY, REPRESENTING A RATIO OF 1.53 DRIVERS TO ONE TRACTOR.

HOWEVER, AS AT THE END OF JULY THIS YEAR, THERE WERE 10,701 DRIVERS HOLDING A VALID ARTICULATED VEHICLE DRIVING LICENCE, WHILE THE NUMBER OF LICENSED CONTAINER TRACTORS WAS 1,982.

THESE FIGURES REPRESENTED A RATIO OF 2.15 DRIVERS ΤΟ ONE CONTAINER TRACTOR WHICH IS SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN THE TARGETTED RATIO.

THE SPOKESMAN REITERATED THAT ONLY HOLDERS OF A VALID ARTICULATED VEHICLE DRIVING LICENCE WILL BE ALLOWED

DRIVE ARTICULATED VEHICLES FROM AUGUST 25 THIS YEAR.

ין'

IT WILL BE AN OFFENCE UNDER THE ROAD TRAFFIC (DRIVING LICENCES) REGULATIONS FOR ANY PERSONS, INCLUDING HOLDERS OF THE PREVIOUS "ALL GOODS VEHICLES" DRIVING LICENCES, ΤΟ DRIVE AN ARTICULATED VEHICLE WITHOUT A DRIVING LICENCE OBTAINED BY PASSING THE APPROPRIATE

TEST.

DRIVING

REVISED POSTAL CHARGES FROM SEPT 1

CHARGES

1.

THE POST OFFICE REMINDED THE

THE REVISED POSTAL AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS FEES AND WILL TAKE EFFECT FROM SEPTEMBER PUBLIC TODAY (SUNDAY).

THE REVISIONS WILL AFFECT THE BASIC RATES FOR LOCAL LETTERS AND PRINTED PAPERS, WHICH WILL BE INCREASED FROM 50 CENTS TO 60 CENTS AND FROM 40 CENTS TO 50 CENTS RESPECTIVELY.

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