Bill on traffic summonses aimed at repeat offenders
A law intended to help get repeat traffic offenders off the road was introduced to the Legislative Council's bills committee by the government yesterday. The amendment to the Road Traffic (Driving-offence Points) Ordinance holds that a summons is 'deemed served' if delivered to a driver's address by registered post, regardless of whether it is placed in his or her hand. The serving of the summons would then trigger a mechanism by which a driver who has lost more than 15 licence points must appear before a magistrate for disqualification proceedings. If he fails to show up, the magistrate can issue an arrest warrant. The Transport and Housing Bureau said in yesterday's meeting that the success rates of such warrants reached 80 per cent. It would consider seeking help from immigration if police failed to locate a driver.
Chai Wan vendors start hunger strike over eviction calls
More than 10 stall workers at a market in Chai Wan initiated a 28-hour hunger strike outside the Hing Wah II Estate Market, together with the League of Social Democrats and the Southern Democracy Alliance, protesting against a managerial decision to force them out of the premises. Super Happy Investment Ltd, a new management company outsourced by The Link, told four vendors at the market to vacate their stalls by the end of this month. But some of the leases did not expire until October, vendors' representative Wong Yuk-king said. Nor did the new management offer them compensation, Ms Wong said. League member Tsang Kin-shing said: 'The Link's actions are out of line ... The four vendors should at least be compensated.' The vendors criticised the management company for disregarding their livelihood and said The Link did not honour their contracts.
Exams authority admits improper search of examinees' property
Invigilators at an examination for senior firemen had searched examinees' personal belongings without permission on Saturday, the Examinations and Assessment Authority admitted. This came after an examinee complained to the media that invigilators had conducted the search after finding an exam paper was missing. An authority spokesman said invigilators should inform the authority of any 'abnormal situation' and await instruction, but the search had been made without the authority being informed.
