ENG-1992 — Page 263

TRANSPORT

most of which operate between 8 am and midnight from Monday to Saturday. In Causeway Bay, Happy Valley and Tsim Sha Tsui, where parking demand is high, operation has been extended to include Sundays and public holidays to facilitate a better turnover of parking spaces.

Licensing

The number of new private cars registered increased from 31 131 in 1991 to 41 878 in 1992, an increase of 34.52 per cent. Despite the use of financial restraint measures which include increasing the First Registration Tax of new private cars from a range of 80 per cent to 100 per cent to 90 per cent to 120 per cent of the cars' Cost Insurance Freightage values on March 6, 1991, the total number of licensed cars in December 1992 was 237 035, a growth of 11.80 per cent over the figure in December 1991.

The total number of registered goods vehicles in December 1992 was 140 491, an increase of 6 462 or 4.82 per cent compared with the total of 134 029 in December 1991. Included in these were 105 606 light goods vehicles which grew by 2.36 per cent compared with 1991. In line with the policy to restrain the ownership and use of this class of vehicles, the First Registration Tax and annual licensing fees of van-type light goods vehicles were increased by 50 per cent and 90 per cent and $4,140 and $2,115 respectively. This has had the effect of reducing the number of light goods vehicles but slightly increasing the number of medium goods vehicles. By the end of December, the number of licensed light goods vehicles stood at 88 432, a decrease of 1.34 per cent over the same period in 1991. Meanwhile, the number of medium goods vehicles increased by 9.78 per cent to 30 006 by end-1992.

At the end of the year, the total number of licensed vehicles in all classes was 407 858, an increase of 7.42 per cent over 1991.

At the end of 1992, there were 961 235 licensed drivers; an increase of 5.95 per cent over the numbers in 1990. The number of new learner-drivers increased from 5 946 per month in 1991 to 6 164 per month in 1992.

Since the introduction of the Driving Offence Points System in 1984, 16 918 drivers have been disqualified. A total of 201 091 warning notices have been served and 355 020 drivers have incurred penalty points for committing offences scheduled under the Road Traffic (Driving-Offence Points) Ordinance. The figures for 1992 were 4 767, 38 225 and 30 446 respectively.

Vehicle Examination

During 1992 there were major changes to vehicle inspection in the Territory. In June, the management and operation of New Kowloon Bay Centre was taken over by a Government contractor who had been awarded a three-year contract following a competitive tendering exercise.

With effect from August 1, 1992, it became necessary for all light goods vehicles manu- factured before 1989 to be inspected annually, while all medium and heavy goods vehicles made before 1987 also required inspection from the same date. This is an important step in ensuring the road worthiness of commercial vehicles.

Private cars over six years old continued to be inspected at the 17 designated car testing centres operated by the private sector, as were goods vehicles with a gross vehicle weight

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