XN000022-1993-06-29 — Page 3

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TUESDAY, JUNE 29. 1993

TAC DISCUSSES FIXED PENALTIES REVISION

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THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE (TAC) TODAY (TUESDAY) DISCUSSED THE REVISION OF FIXED PENALTIES, THE TENDERING OUT OF THE TUEN MUN-WAN CHAI FERRY SERVICES AND THE GRANTING OF A NEW TO THE NEW LANTAO BUS COMPANY (NLB).

FRANCHISE

PLANNING

AT THE MEETING, MEMBERS ALSO NOTED THE FORWARD PROGRAMME OF THE STAR FERRY AND THE LATEST SITUATION OF THE CONGESTION PROBLEM ALONG THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY NATHAN ROAD CORRIDOR.

INCREASE OF

ON FIXED PENALTIES, MEMBERS ENDORSED AN AVERAGE 62 PER CENT TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF INFLATION SINCE THE LAST REVISION IN 1989. FOR PARKING OFFENCE, THE PENALTY WILL GO UP FROM $200 TO $320. IT IS PLANNED THAT THE HIGHER PENALTIES WILL BE INTRODUCED IN MID 1994.

MEMBERS WERE INFORMED THAT OWING TO INFLATION AND INCREASE IN AFFLUENCE OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, THE CURRENT FIXED PENALTIES CANNOT ACHIEVE THE DESIRED DETERRENT EFFECT ON PARKING, MOVING AND OVERLOADING OFFENCES.

THE REVISION IN THE PENALTY FOR PARKING OFFENCES FROM $140 TO $200 IN 1989 CAUSED ONLY A SLIGHT DROP OF 0.9 PER CENT FROM 912, 013 TO 903,915 TICKETS ISSUED THE FOLLOWING YEAR. AND THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PARKING TICKETS ISSUED IN 1992 ROSE DRAMATICALLY BY 34.1 PER CENT OVER 1991.

MEMBERS NOTED THAT SUCH DRASTIC INCREASE IN PARKING OFFENCES COMMITTED WAS NOT DUE TO ANY REDUCTION IN PARKING SPACES AS SURVEYS BY THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SHOWED THAT THE NUMBER OF PARKING SPACES HAD INCREASED IN PROPORTION TO THE GROWTH IN THE NUMBER OF LICENSED VEHICLES.

THE NARROWING GAP BETWEEN OFF-STREET PARKING CHARGES AT $112 OR $126 PER EIGHT OR NINE HOURS A DAY AND THE FIXED PENALTY OF $200 MIGHT BE A FACTOR ENCOURAGING MOTORISTS TO PARK ILLEGALLY.

MEMBERS ALSO ENDORSED THAT FAILURE TO DRIVE IN THE LANE IN EXPRESSWAYS EXCEPT WHEN OVERTAKING SHOULD BECOME PENALTY OFFENCE CARRYING A FINE OF $450.

NEARSIDE A FIXED

FIRST OR OF

TAXI DRIVERS WHO FAIL TO SIT IN OR STAND BESIDE THE SECOND TAXI AT A TAXI STAND WILL ALSO BE LIABLE TO A FIXED PENALTY $320.

AMENDMENTS TO EXISTING LEGISLATION TO GIVE EFFECT OF THE INCREASES WOULD BE PUT TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN THE FORM OF RESOLUTIONS LATER THIS YEAR.

ON THE TUEN MUN-WAN CHAI FERRY SERVICES, MEMBERS FURTHER DISCUSSED WHETHER THE NEW ROUTE SHOULD BE TENDERED OUT. THIS FOLLOWED TAC'S PREVIOUS RECOMMENDATION THAT HONG KONG FERRY SHOULD BE TO OPERATE THIS ROUTE ON A TRIAL BASIS FOR SIX MONTHS.

ALLOWED

/MEMBERS ALSO