XN000022-1990-11-07 — Page 22

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1990

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HOWEVER, HE SAID, FUTURE GROWTH IN TRAFFIC MUST BE EXPECTED.

HE ADDED THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD UNDER PLANNING A PROJECT WHICH WOULD PROVIDE ADDITIONAL WAITING SPACE OF ABOUT 1800 SQUARE METRES AND AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF COUNTERS FOR PASSENGER CLEARANCE FROM 88 TO 160.

331 TAXI-METER OFFENCE CASES PROSECUTED IN TWO YEARS

THE NUMBER OF TAXI-METER OFFENCE POLICE SINCE OCTOBER 1988 TOTALLED TO TRANSPORT, THE HON MICHAEL LEUNG TOLD THE (WEDNESDAY).

CASES PROSECUTED BY THE 331, THE SECRETARY FOR LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY

IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON JAMES TIEN, MR LEUNG SAID THESE CASES RESULTED FROM POLICE ACTING ON COMPLAINTS AS WELL AS CONDUCTING RANDOM ROADSIDE CHECKS ON A REGULAR BASIS.

MR LEUNG SAID DURING THE SAME PERIOD, THE TRANSPORT COMPLAINTS UNIT (TCU) OF THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 476 COMPLAINTS CONCERNING OVERCHARGING AS A RESULT OF SUSPECTED TAMPERING OF TAXI-METERS.

OF THESE, 243 CASES WERE REFERRED TO THE POLICE FOR INVESTIGATION AFTER THE COMPLAINANTS HAD INDICATED THEIR WILLINGNESS TO FURTHER PURSUE THEIR COMPLAINTS.

THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS

RECEIVED BY THE POLICE DURING THOSE REFERRED BY THE TCU.

THE

OFFENCES

CONCERNING TAXI-METER SAME PERIOD WAS 615, INCLUDING

IN PROSECUTIONS BEING

MANY OF THE COMPLAINTS RESULTED INSTITUTED UNDER OTHER SECTIONS OF THE ROAD TRAFFIC ORDINANCE UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION BY THE POLICE.

MR LEUNG SAID APART FROM ACTING ON COMPLAINTS, THE POLICE ALSO TOOK ACTIVE STEPS TO PREVENT TAXI-METER OFFENCES BY CONDUCTING RANDOM ROADSIDE CHECKS. THIS WAS SHOWN IN THE HIGH PROSECUTION FIGURE OF 331, HE ADDED.

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