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Following is a question by the Hon Lau Kong-wah and a written reply by the Acting Secretary for Transport, Mr Paul Tang, in the Legislative Council today (April 17):

Question:

It has been reported that the police have recently found that there might be discrepancies in accuracy in nearly half of the laser guns used to detect vehicular speed, and have suspended the use of 17 such laser guns since March 6. The police have estimated that thousands of drivers might have been prosecuted because the vehicles which they drove were caught speeding by these laser guns, and have indicated that it would take the initiative to contact the drivers concerned to refund the fines. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) when the police will complete the review of all the cases concerned;

(b) whether the supplier of this batch of laser guns has offered quality assurance to the police; if so, whether the authority concerned will claim compensation from the supplier if discrepancies in speed detection accuracy of these laser guns are confirmed; and

(c) whether, apart from refunding the fines, any additional compensation will be offered to the drivers concerned?

Reply:

Madam President,

At present, thorough tests will be conducted before any new model of laser guns is introduced into Hong Kong to ensure its accuracy and reliability. Independent experts are also commissioned by the Police to carry out regular examinations on the laser guns. In the latest round of regular examination, the speed detection reading on several laser guns of the same model was found to be at variance with the prescribed range under certain laboratory conditions. The Police have suspended the use of 17 such laser guns to allow independent experts to further verify their accuracy and reliability. It is expected that the investigation results will be available at the end of April 2002.

If the investigation results indicate that the accuracy and reliability of this batch of laser guns do not conform to the specifications provided by the supplier, legal advice will be sought on whether to claim compensation from the supplier concerned. The Police will also review all the affected cases and, in consultation with the Department of Justice, work out reasonable compensation arrangements based on the merits of each case. The processing time will depend on the number and details of the cases.

End/Wednesday, April 17, 2002

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