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The Road Traffic Ordinance (Amendment of Schedule 3) Order 2015 was published in the Gazette today (May 15). The Order seeks to implement the waiver of vehicle examination fees for renewal of vehicle licences of taxis, light buses, franchised and non-franchised buses, goods vehicles, trailers (other than trailers towed by private cars) and special purpose vehicles (hereafter collectively referred to as "specified vehicles") once within 12 months. This is for the implementation of the short-term measure to support the transport sector, which was among the sectors affected by the Occupy Movement as announced in the 2015-16 Budget.
The Order will be tabled at the Legislative Council for negative vetting on May 20, 2015. Subject to approval by negative vetting, the proposed waiver will come into effect on July 13, 2015. Under the proposed waiver, the vehicle examination fees payable during a 12-month period from July 13, 2015, to July 12, 2016, for the first vehicle examination in respect of each specified vehicle to be carried out under section 78(1)(d) of the Road Traffic Ordinance where such examination is carried out at a Government Vehicle Examination Centre (VEC) (including the Kowloon Bay VEC, the New Kowloon Bay VEC, the To Kwa Wan VEC, the Sheung Kwai Chung VEC and the New Lantau Bus Co (1973) Ltd depot in Mui Wo) within the period from July 13, 2015, to November 11, 2016, will be waived.
"The vehicle examination fee will be automatically waived when the appointment is made, and vehicle owners do not need to apply separately," a Government spokesman said.
"In the case of light goods vehicles with permitted gross vehicle weight not exceeding 1.9 tonnes which are currently examined at Designated Car Testing Centres (DCTCs), their owners will enjoy the proposed waiver when producing such vehicles for examination at a VEC for the first time within the examination period from July 13, 2015, to November 11, 2016, with booking made within the period from July 13, 2015, to July 12, 2016. If they choose to continue to have their vehicles examined at a DCTC, the fee payable to the private operator of the DCTC will not be waived."
Owners of specified vehicles may contact the Transport Department Hotline at 2804 2600 for details of the proposed waiver.
Ends/Friday, May 15, 2015
Issued at HKT 11:10
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