TNAG-1855-FCO40-2630-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-memoranda-and-minutes-of-me-1989 — Page 44

HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 22 February 1989

香港立法局 一九八九年二月二十二日

42

Second, as regards the provision of more car parking spaces, the current policy is to encourage the private sector to develop and operate more off-street car parks through the land sales programmes. I have already given details on the long-term provision of car parking spaces when replying to a supplementary question in this Council on 14 December 1988 and I do not wish to repeat them here. Suffice it to say that the parking demand can never be fully satisfied, and so restraint measures are necessary to prevent indiscriminate parking.

Question put and agreed to.

ROAD TRAFFIC ORDINANCE

THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT moved the following motion:

That the following regulations, made by the Governor in Council on 17 January 1989, be approved

(a) the Road Traffic (Parking on Private Roads) (Amendment) Regulations

1989; and

(b) the Road Traffic (Traffic Control) (Amendment) (No.3) Regulations 1989.

He said: Sir, I move the third motion standing in my name on the Order Paper.

Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Ordinance allows any regulation made under the Ordinance to provide that in any criminal proceedings the onus of proof shall rest with the person being prosecuted or certain facts shall be presumed until the contrary is proved. Section 14(2) requires that any such regulation shall be subject to the approval of the Legislative Council.

This motion seeks the Council's approval to two amendment regulations made by the Governor in Council on 17 January 1989, both of which relate to the onus of proof.

The first is the Road Traffic (Parking on Private Roads) (Amendment) Regulations 1989. It provides that any traffic sign or road marking placed on a private road shall be deemed to be lawfully so placed if it is similar to that specified in Schedule 1. A code of practice will be published to give guidance to owners for placing signs and markings specified in that Schedule. The purpose of this amendment is to enable the private road owners to place and use such signs and markings to control unauthorized parking on their roads effectively.