ROAD TRAFFIC (AMENDMENT) BILL

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Order for Second Reading read.

5.31 p.m.

The Minister for Communications (Mr Yong Nyuk Lin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

At present, renewal of driving licences, and vehicle licences is being carried out at the Registry of Vehicles, Middle Road. As there are now approximately 320,000 driving licence holders and 254,000 motor vehicles, the congestion at the Registry, especially during the first ten days of each month, is very bad indeed, thus causing great inconvenience to members of the public and to the over-worked staff, as well. These numbers are increasing steadily, so much so that the situation has become untenable and should be rectified early.

Towards the end of last year, the problem was studied jointly by a team of officials from the Organisation and Methods Branch, the Electronic Data Processing Unit and the Registry of Vehicles. They came quickly to the conclusion that the congestion at the Registry of Vehicles can only be relieved if renewal of licences is decentralised, In other words, licences should not be renewed at one central place only, but should instead be renewed at post offices throughout the island, as in the case of television and radio licences. However, at the start, only 15 selected post offices will be used out of a possible 42. This team also recommended that the scheme be implemented in two stages. For the first stage, driving licences are to be renewed at post offices, leaving the renewal of vehicle licences to be implemented at the second stage. The scheme recom mended by them also includes the use of computers to record and check the particulars on driving licences to enable the Registry of Vehicles to send reminders to licence holders before the expiry of their licences.

The Bill now before the House seeks to implement these proposals, i.e., to decentralise the renewal of driving licences and for the use of computers to record and check particulars on driving licences.

May I now. Sir, elaborate further on the Bill.

The Ordinance at present requires applicants for driving licences to furnish photographs and, in the case of paid drivers, to permit fingerprints to be taken. Since photographs and fingerprints cannot be recorded by the computer, the existing requirements are to be dispensed with and this is effected by amending section 13 of the Ordinance in clause 3 of the Bill. However, the necessary identification can still be maintained by the fact that the new driving licence will bear the holder's identity card number and, in the case of foreigners, a special number will be allotted. As for fingerprints, the Registrar of Vehicles still has powers under section 18 of the Ordinance to take fingerprints, if he so desires.

Clause 3 of the Bill also amends section 13 (8) of the Ordinance which provides that a driving licence shall remain valid for one year or three years from the date on which it was granted as the applicant may elect at the time of application. Since the computer is programmed to work in monthly cycles, it will be necessary to provide that licences expire on the last day of each month. For instance, under the new system, a licence taken out on 12th August, 1968, for one year will expire on 31st August, 1969, (instead of 12-8-69). Eventually, therefore, all licences will expire on the last day of the month, and will then become renewable on the first day of the following month.

Section 14 (1) of the existing Ordinance provides that a driving licence shall not be granted unless the applicant satisfies the Registrar of Vehicles that he has at some time passed the prescribed tests. The operating words "at some time" mean that a licence may have lapsed for an unlimited period and can still be renewed. Under the new system, as provided for in clauses 4 and 5 of the Bill, the computer will maintain records for three years only, so a licence which has lapsed for a continuous period of three years will be automatically cancelled, and the person concerned will have to apply for a fresh licence and to undergo and pass the usual tests. However, provision will be made under the rules for persons to apply for deferment of renewal for, various reasons, like extended illness, travel abroad, etc., and thus "preserve" the licence for subsequent renewal.

Section 21 of the Ordinance contains provisions relating to endorsements on driving licences. This section has to be repealed on account of the limitations of the computer system which cannot record the endorsements on driving licences, and also in view of the fact that such endorsements do not, even at present, serve much useful purpose. Instead, the Registrar of Vehicles will now record particulars of convictions of certain offences and of any disqualification and will maintain such records for a period of three years from the date of the conviction of expiry of such disqualification, as the case may be. The amendment to section 21 of the Ordinance is contained in clause 7 of the Bill.

The opportunity is taken in clause 8 of the Bill to amend section 41 of the Ordinance so as to empower the Registrar of Vehicles, or any officer authorised by him, to seize a vehicle found to be used in contravention of any provision of the Ordinance or of any rule, order or prohibition made thereunder or of any term of the licence for such vehicle. At present, the power to seize a vehicle is vested solely in the hands of the police.

I wish to add, Sir, that as the computerised driving licence renewal scheme represents a radical change from the present system, adequate notice will be given to present licence holders; in particular, drivers whose driving licences have lapsed for more than three years will be given sufficient time to renew their licences before the provisions relating to automatic cancellations are brought into force. As I have said earlier, a start is to be made for renewal of driving licences to be carried out at post offices.

After this has got well under way and administrative problems have been ironed out, a further scheme will be introduced so that vehicle licences may also be renewed at post offices, thus relieving the present congestion at the Registry of Vehicles, and we will then be able to provide better service to members of the public and more congenial conditions of work for the staff as well.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House.

The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Mr Yong Nyuk Lin].

Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.