XN000022-1994-10-18 — Page 8

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1994

TAC ENDORSES TAXI FARE RISES

THAT

THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE TODAY (TURSDAY) ENDORSED FARES FOR URBAN TAXIS SHOULD GO UP BY A WEIGHTED AVERAGE OF 11.27 PER CENT AND FOR NEW TERRITORIES TAXIS BY 10.47 PER CENT.

SUBJECT TO APPROVAL BY THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, THE NEW WILL BE INTRODUCED IN JANUARY NEXT YEAR.

FARES

UNDER THE PROPOSED NEW FARE STRUCTURE, FLAGFALL FOR THE FIRST TWO KILOMETRES FOR AN URBAN TAXI WILL INCREASE FROM $11.50 TO $13, AND FOR A NEW TERRITORIES TAXI FROM $10 TO $11.

FOR EVERY SUBSEQUENT 0.2 KILOMETRE, THE FARES FOR BOTH URBAN AND NEW TERRITORIES TAXIS WILL GO UP BY 10 CENTS TO $1.1 AND $1 RESPECTIVELY.

THE WAITING TIME CHARGE WILL GO UP BY 10 CENTS PER MINUTE TO $1.1 FOR AN URBAN TAXI AND $1 FOR A NEW TERRITORIES TAXI.

IN ENDORSING THE FARE INCREASE, MEMBERS TOOK INTO ACCOUNT THE INCREASE IN OPERATING COSTS, THE REDUCTION IN NET INCOME FOR BOTH URBAN AND NEW TERRITORIES TAXI OPERATORS SINCE THE LAST FARB INCREASE IN NOVEMBER 1993, THE FARE DIFFERENTIAL BETWEEN TAXI AND OTHER MODES OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT, AND PUBLIC ACCEPTABILITY.

IN VIEW OF THE HEALTHY FINANCIAL POSITION OF THE LANTAU TAXI TRADE, MEMBERS FELT THERE IS NO CASE FOR A FARE RISE NOW, BUT AGREED TO REVIEW THE SITUATION IN SIX MONTHS.

AT THE MEETING, MEMBERS ALSO ENDORSED THAT THE MAXIMUM PENALTY FOR FIVE TAXI-RELATED OFFENCES, NAMELY, REFUSING HIRE, SOLICITING PASSENGERS, OVERCHARGING, REFUSING TO DRIVE TO DESTINATION AND NOT TAKING THE MOST DIRECT ROUTE, SHOULD BE INCREASED FROM $5,000 TO $10,000 IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN AN ADEQUATE DETERRENT BFfect.

MEMBERS ALSO SUPPORTED THAT TWO OF THE MOST PREVALENT OFFENCES REFUSING HIRE AND SOLICITING PASSENGERS

UNDER SHOULD BE BROUGHT THE FIXED PENALTY SYSTEM WITH A FINE OF $450.

▬▬

ON

AS A GENERAL RULE, POLICE WILL ISSUE FIXED PENALTY TICKETS THE BASIS OF EVIDENCE PRODUCED BY POLICE OFFICERS, AND NOT PASSENGERS' COMPLAINTS. OFFENCES STEMMING FROM PASSENGERS' COMPLAINTS WILL CONTINUE TO BE DEALT WITH BY WAY OF SUMMONS,

THE STIFFER PENALTY IS PART OF THE PACKAGE OF MEASURES TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF TAXI SERVICE RECOMMENDED IN THE TAXI POLICY REVIEW IN MARCH 1994. THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE WILL CLOSELY MONITOR THE SITUATION WHEN THE HIGHER PENALTIES ARE INTRODUCED.

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