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The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:
The Legislative Council now invites members of the public and interested parties to express their views on the Road Traffic Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2008. The Bill mainly seeks to:
(a) increase the penalties for causing death by dangerous driving, and drink driving;
(b) give police officers a general power to conduct screening breath tests and to introduce a pre-screening device to facilitate the tests;
(c) require repeated traffic offenders or persons convicted of serious traffic offences to attend and complete driving improvement courses;
(d) extend the probationary driving licence scheme to novice drivers and light goods vehicles; and
(e) provide for the review by a Transport Tribunal of certain decisions of the Commissioner for Transport.
For background information of the Bill, please visit the website:http://www.legco.gov.hk/yr07-08/english/bc/bc06/general/bc06.htm.
Those interested in giving their views are invited to send their written submissions to the Clerk to the Bills Committee on or before April 10 (Thursday). If the submission is available in both Chinese and English, please provide both versions as well as the softcopy to the Clerk to the Bills Committee. The Bills Committee will hold a meeting on April 19 (Saturday) from 9am to noon in the Chamber of the Legislative Council Building to receive views on the Bill. Those who wish to attend the aforesaid meeting to make oral presentation to the Bills Committee are requested to complete and return the reply slip (please download from the website:http://www.legco.gov.hk/general/english/sec/invite_s/bc060419-reply-e.pdf) to the Clerk to the Bills Committee by April 6, 2008. Interested deputations/individuals will be notified of the detailed meeting arrangements in mid-April.
In line with the usual practice, all submissions received will be made available to the media and the public and uploaded onto the Website of the Legislative Council unless indicated otherwise. Submissions received and oral presentations at the meeting will not be covered by the protection and immunity provided under the Legislative Council (Power and Privileges) Ordinance (Cap. 382).
The relevant address, fax and telephone numbers and e-mail address are as follows:
Address: Clerk to Bills Committee on Road Traffic Legislation(Amendment) Bill 2008
Legislative Council Secretariat
3/F Citibank Tower, 3 Garden Road, Central,
Hong Kong
Fax No.: 2121 0420
Tel No.: 2869 9212 or 2869 9214
Email address: wcheng@legco.gov.hk
Ends/Thursday, March 13, 2008
Issued at HKT 16:45
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