LegCo Motion : Speech by the Acting Secretary for Transport

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Following is a speech by the Acting Secretary for Transport, Mr Kevin Ho, in moving a resolution under Section 31 of the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation Ordinance (Cap.372) North-west Railway (Amendment) Bylaw 2000 in the Legislative Council today (June 14):

Madam President,

I move the motion standing in my name on the Order Paper that the North-west Railway (Amendment) Bylaw 2000 be approved.

Section 31 of the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) Ordinance (Chapter 372) empowers the Corporation to make bylaws and provides that they shall be subject to the approval of this Council.

At present, the Mass Transit Railway Bylaws empower the Mass Transit Railway Corporation to require a person who is reasonably suspected of committing or attempting to breach the relevant Bylaws (e.g. fare evasion) to give his personal particulars, including telephone number, for enforcement purposes. Having reviewed its East Rail and Light Rail operation, the KCRC has made similar amendments to its Bylaws to enable its staff to obtain the telephone number, in addition to name and address, of those passengers who are not able to pay the surcharge on the spot. This will enable the KCRC staff to follow-up with these passengers to remind them of the need to pay the outstanding surcharges within 14 days or to ensure the surcharge demand notice will be served to the correct address. The KCRC has consulted the Office of the Privacy Commissioner which indicated no objection to the legislative amendments.

The amendments under the North-west Railway (Amendment) Bylaw 2000 include -

(a) enhancing the flexibility of the definition of "smart card" by including other forms (other than that of a card) in which the smart card technology may be utilised; and

(b) enabling officials of the Corporation to obtain the telephone number of an offender.

The Amendment Bylaw was made by the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation on 12 May 2000. I commend it to this Council for approval.

Madam, I beg to move.

End/Wednesday, June 14, 2000

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