XN000022-1993-03-03 — Page 22

20

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 1993

PRESENT DRIVING ARRANGEMENTS WORK WELL

THE PRESENT DRIVING ARRANGEMENTS IN HONG KONG WORK SATISFACTORILY

THE IN PRACTICE AND THERE ARE NO PLANS TO CHANGE FROM RIGHT-HAND DRIVE SYSTEM TO LEFT-HAND DRIVE.

THIS WAS STATED BY THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, MR MICHAEL THE LEUNG, IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON STEVEN POON IN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

ON

MR LEUNG SAID MORE THAN 20,000 VEHICLES CROSSED THE BORDER EACH DAY AND THEY WERE ABLE TO COPE WITH THE DIFFERENT DRIVING SYSTEMS EITHER SIDE WITHOUT SERIOUS DIFFICULTY.

BE

"IF WE WERE TO CHANGE THE SYSTEM IN HONG KONG, THIS WOULD ENORMOUSLY EXPENSIVE AND INCONVENIENT TO THE PUBLIC. MAJOR ALTERATIONS INEVITABLY WOULD BE NEEDED TO OUR ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE AND THERE WOULD BE ROAD SAFETY IMPLICATIONS," HE SAID.

MR LEUNG POINTED OUT THAT THE DIFFERENCE IN DRIVING SYSTEMS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND CHINA WAS NOT UNIQUE.

"FOR EXAMPLE, THERE IS A SUBSTANTIAL MOVEMENT OF VEHICLES BETWEEN THE UK AND CONTINENTAL EUROPE, WHICH WILL INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY WITH THE OPENING OF THE CHANNEL TUNNEL, BUT THERE ARE NO PLANS TO STANDARDISE DRIVING SYSTEMS," HE SAID.

"THE FACT IS THAT WITH CARE AND COMMON SENSE ON THE PART OF THE HE MOTORISTS, THE TWO DRIVING SYSTEMS CAN CO-EXIST SATISFACTORILY," SAID.

0

SEASONAL RISE IN CRIME ON LANTAU

THE INFLUX OF VISITORS

ΤΟ LANTAU ISLAND DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS ACCOUNTS FOR THE INCREASE IN THE MONTHLY AVERAGE REPORTED CRIME BETWEEN JULY AND SEPTEMBER, COMPARED TO THE FIRST SIX MONTHS LAST YEAR.

OF

THIS WAS STATED TODAY (WEDNESDAY) BY THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, MR ALISTAIR ASPREY, IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON ALBERT CHAN WAI-YIP IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

MR ASPREY SAID THE INCREASE WAS AN EXPECTED SEASONAL FLUCTUATION.

"POLICE STRENGTH ON THE ISLAND IS INCREASED DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS TO COPE WITH THE INCREASE IN POPULATION,' HE SAID.

/21