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Transport

Driving Improvement Scheme

The Road Traffic Ordinance and the Road Traffic (Driving-offence Points) Ordinance require that offenders who have been convicted of serious traffic offences and traffic offenders who have accumulated 10 driving-offence points within two years shall attend a driving improvement course. In 2016, about 21,700 people attended the course, including about 20,500 who were required to take part on a mandatory basis. About 93 per cent of drivers who attended the course did not incur new driving-offence points within six months after the course.

Vehicle Examination

Vehicles are examined routinely to ensure they are safe, roadworthy and properly maintained. Commercial vehicles are checked annually at the four government vehicle examination centres. In 2016, these centres conducted 214,000 vehicle examinations. In addition, 3,500 spot checks were carried out on franchised buses to determine their safety, roadworthiness and service standards. Private cars over six years old and light goods vehicles not exceeding 1.9 tonnes are inspected annually at 45 designated car testing centres run by the private sector. These centres perform 323,000 vehicle examinations a year.

All imported vehicles must be examined to make sure they meet the statutory requirements before they can be registered and licensed. In 2016, 1,139 vehicle types were approved.

Intelligent Transport Systems

Smart mobility is an integral part of the government's transport policy. The government has been developing the Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) under a three-pronged approach: dissemination of traffic information to the public, traffic control and supporting traffic enforcement.

In disseminating traffic information to the public, real-time data is provided free of charge through the Road Traffic Information Service and the government's data.gov.hk portal. The data includes traffic snapshots captured by fixed closed-circuit television cameras at 183 strategic locations, estimated journey times of the various cross-harbour routes and major routes from the New Territories to Kowloon at critical diversion points to help motorists make informed route choices, traffic speed maps advising commuters on the traffic conditions of selected major routes, and special traffic news.

In addition, the Hong Kong eTransport and Hong Kong eRouting websites and mobile applications help users search for public transport information and driving routes, and obtain real-time traffic information anytime and anywhere. People who do not have mobile data services, such as tourists, may access the Hong Kong eTransport functions provided by the 18 Hong Kong eTransport Kiosks installed at 15 locations, such as the arrival hall of the airport's Terminal 1, the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Peak Galleria and public transport interchanges. In September, the government launched an eTraffic News mobile app to strengthen dissemination of information about traffic incidents and help the public plan their journeys.

On utilising the ITS in traffic control, a computerised Area Traffic Control system connected to traffic signal junctions in the urban areas and new towns in Tsuen Wan, Kwai Tsing, Sha Tin, Tai

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