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Following is the transcript of remarks made by the Commissioner for Transport, Mr Alan Wong, at a meet-the-media session today (December 9) on the New Territories taxi fare adjustment application:
Commissioner for Transport: Good morning, friends in the mass media, I'm very pleased to note that this morning the 16 associations representing the taxi trade of the New Territories, at the request of the Transport Department, had a meeting with us. They, at the meeting, reaffirmed the proposal on new fare structure and level adjustment they endorsed last Monday to be reaffirmed. We are very grateful to the leaders of the associations of the taxi trade in the New Territories, being so understanding of the situation, and to work with us together for a common purpose, which is to put in place the new fare structure and level before the Chinese New Year.
Now we have a lot of work to do before then. We'll go to the Legislative Council's Panel on Transport on this coming Thursday to which delegations have been invited to attend and express their views on the new proposal. The new proposal which was reaffirmed this morning will form a basis for discussion at the meeting. At the end of the day, the Legislative Council has the ultimate authority to decide whether the new proposal should be implemented or not. However, we will support the recommendations with our analysis of the data on the changes in the income and cost structure of the NT taxi trade, and having regard to the changes in fuel crisis, the income of the drivers and also the affordability of the community in the face of economic slowdown. So, we hope to be able to put in place with the blessing, with the approval of the Executive Council and Legislative Council, the new proposal before the Chinese New Year, it's about mid-January next year.
Reporter: inaudible (questions on the proposal and the possibility of traffic blockade)
Commissioner for Transport: First question now, we have already done a lot of analysis since we received the proposal a few months ago, we also listened to various views, in the course of our processing of the application. Now we have reached an advanced stage, I can put it this way, we're ready to go to the Legislative Council's Panel on Transport with the consensus solution achieved by the 16 representative organisations of the NT taxi trade, together with some of our analysis, but I have to say that the analysis is still going on in view of changes in various economic variables over the past few months, and also some of the views expressed by drivers, especially in the urban region after the implementation of the new fare structure. We have to monitor very closely the changes. Now, from now on until the middle of January, which is our target date of the implementation of the new fare, we will work very hard to achieve that.
On the second question about whether there will still be blockade, I will appeal to all taxi drivers, to their social responsibility, it is not (the way) Hong Kong has been adopting in solving disputes among different interests, they cannot use citizens as hostages for the purpose of achieving their own objectives. It is important that they abide by the law. I understand and I get assurances from the leaders of the major organisations of the NT taxi trade that they would act responsibly. As I recall, some of the drivers, well they are human beings, they took part in the blockade earlier this week, they apologised to the community, they also understand that this is not the way that Hong Kong works, so I am quite confident that most of the drivers will be sensible and not disturb traffic in Hong Kong, especially the main roads and the critical junctures.
Reporter: Does the Transport Department think they should have the responsibility for what happened last Thursday because it is clearly the way the Transport Department... shouldn't the Transport Department have the responsibility...?
Commissioner for Transport: I have to deny categorically that we created the traffic chaos a few days ago, we have done our best to process in the fastest way possible, having regard to our many other competing priorities of work. The proposal earlier submitted by the NT taxi trade, there were changes in the course of that, and until last Monday, we've already got the formally submitted solution endorsed, but then suddenly, some, well we still have to find out the details of the background of these taxi drivers, they are not happy with the so-called mainstream proposal, and they took the law into their own hands, and I don't think that is something that Transport Department can be expected to be responsible for, so my answer is no.
Reporter: Some taxi drivers complained that they are only invited to attend the meeting when discussing the new fare structure proposal, why is that...?
Commissioner for Transport: I don't think it is constructive to talk about all this, the important thing is the consensus proposal, and the proposals agreed, and there is a proper legislative process and everyone is entitled to his view and I must say everyone must be responsible for their action. I respect the view of the drivers who disagree with us and who may point their fingers at Transport Department. However, we do not accept the responsibility for this blockade, they are done by a relatively few members of the taxi trade, most people are responsible.
(Please also refer to the Chinese part of the transcript)
Ends/Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Issued at HKT 17:41
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