REGULATION OF PUBLIC VEHICLES ORDINANCE

REGULATION OF PUBLIC VEHICLES ORDINANCE

lhoumble.
(See Ord. X,. 8

oyts5a,s. 17.1

No vehicle to ply

for hire until

licence obtained.

Penalty for
Lrenclt.

Licences to be

tnIC9t7 out U77(1 to
he renewed half.
yearly, and Bums
pnyublo for Jicen-
CCi ordinary and
Special.

ORDINANCE No. 6 6:1803.

Regulation of Public Vehicles.

No. 6 of 1863.

Title. An Ordinance to provide for the Peculation of Public Vehicles and

Chairs and their Drivers and Bearers, and to license the Hire of
Horses.

[8th July, 1863.E

WHEREAS it is expedient to make provision for the regulation of public
vehicles-
and chairs and for the licensing of the same, as also for the licensing
of persons
letting horses to hire: Be it enacted by His Excellency the Acting
Governor of
Hongkong, with the advice of the Legislative Council thereof, as follows:--

1. No vehicle or chair shall ply for or be let on hire unless and until
the owner or
one of the owners thereof shall have obtained a licence for the same,
which licence the-
Registrar General is hereby required to grant subject to such rules and
regulations as
are hereby ordained and authorized. Every person being owner or
part-owner of a
vehicle or chair which shall ply for or be let on hire without such
licence, and every
driver or bearer of such vehicle or chair plying for, or let on hire
withost having such
licence as is hereby required, shall be subject respectively for each
offence to a penalty

not exceeding ono hundred dollars. [Added to by Ordinance No. G of 1882.1

2. .L; very such licence ['such licences' as amended by Ord. No, fi of
1882] shall be-
taken out balf.yearly or for the residue of the current half-year, and
shall expire ou
the thirty-first day of March and on the thirtieth day of September
respectively in
each year. Upon the taking out of every such licence there shall be paid
to the-
Registrar General for the use o£ the Public Treasury the following Fee:-

(1.) For an ordinary licence for every wheeled vehicle one dollar.

(2.) For a special licence for every wheeled vehicle two dollars.

(3.) For an ordinary licence for every chair fifty cents.

(4.) For a special licence for every chair one dollar.

(5.) For every driver of a vehicle or bearer of a chair ten cents.

Hours eithln
winch vehicles

7atuy V,',y for hire,

on, number of
speciallleoncea.

No pokier of
licence to ply
out of hours
nnnatlawized
by his licence;

3. Every driver of a vehicle and every bearer of a chair, which shall be
licensed
by an ordinary licence, shall be privileged to ply for hire from five
o'clock in the
morning until eight. o'clock at night. Every driver of a vehicle and
every bearer of a
chair, which shall be specially licensed, shall be privileged to ply for
hire from five
o'clock in the morning until twelve o'clock at night. The number of
special licences.
shall be in the discretion of the Registrar General, in tile absence of
and subject to any
direction he may receive from His Excellency the Governor.

4. No holder of a licence shall ply for hire at any other hour than the
hours above.
authorized, but every holder of a licence may drive or carry a fare
within unauthorized
hours, provided he has been bones fide engaged within the hours within
which lie is.
ORDINANCE No. 6 OF I863.

Regulation of Public Vehicles.

.hereby authorized to ply for hire; and every driver or bearer plying for
hire or carrying
e, fare at an unauthorized hour shall be subject to a penalty not
exceeding fifty dollars,
unless the Magistrate shall be of opinion that such driver or bearer was
bon6 fide
engaged duriug the hours within which he is hereby authorized to ply for
hire.

5. Every licensed vehicle or chair shall have affixed thereto in such
conspicuous
place as the Registrar General shall direct the number of its licence in
figures not less
than two inches in length, and each driver of a vehicle or bearer of a
chair shall wear
in such manner as the Registrar General shall direct his distinguishing
badge, bearing
his own number licence.

6. All vehicles or chairs shall upon grant or renewal of licence [words
added by
Ordinance No. 6 of 1882] be shewn and submitted to the inspection of tile
Registrar
General, or of such person as be shall appoint 'for the purpose; and the
Registrar
General is hereby authorized to refuse a licence in respect of any
vehicle or chair which
shall not in his estimation be either as to repairs or cleanliness in a
state fit for public
use.

7. Every person obtaining a licence for a vehicle or chair under this
Ordinance on licence secnr-
shall find and give upon receiving his licence security in the sum of
fifty dollars for a ity to be given
special licence, and twenty-five dollars for an ordinary licence, by the
bond of himself
and of some person or persons, to the satisfaction of the Registrar
General, for
the appearance at any time [words added by Ordinance No. 6 of 1882] of
the person
obtaining such licence and also of the driver or .bearer of the vehicle
or chair when
they shall respectively be thereunto required, and for his duly paying
all fines which
shall be imposed in respect of the vehicle or chair or the driver or
bearer thereof,
and all damages which may be recovered for injuries committed in respect
of the
vehicle or chair or the driver or bearer thereof; the bond to be in such
form as the
Registrar General shall require.

$. Public vehicles and chairs shall when unengaged stand ready for hire
at such Vehicle and
chair stands.
streets and places as the Registrar General shall from time to time
direct. [Added to
by Ordinance No. 6 of 1882.]

9. The fares to be charged for public vehicles and chairs shall be such
sums by
the day, half-day, hour, half-hour, or job as the Registrar General sball
by a table
of fares to be set up in some conspicuous place in his office from time
to time direct,
and a copy thereof shall be inserted in every licence to be granted under
this Ordi-
nance, and it shall be also affixed in a conspicuous place on the inside
of every such
vehicle or chair: Provided always that such table of fares, or any
alteration of the
same, shall, before the same shall come into operation, be submitted to
and approved
by the Governor in Executive Council. Every public vehicle or chair when
plying for
~hire,or exrgaged after eight o'clock at night shall carry a lamp of such
description as
the Registrar General shall direct.

but he may. carry
a fare if engaged
within authoriz.
ed hours.

Numbers and
badges to be
fixed on vebicles
and choirs, and
worn by drivers
or bearers.

Vehicles and
chairs to be
inspected by
Registrar Gener-
al, and his power
to refuse limnve..

Fares to be at-
cording to a
scale to be fixed
by Registrar
General.
Itnle of road for
vehicles and
chairs ineeting
and passing de-
fined.

d'roperty in ve-

hicle or chair

to be taken to
the Police office,
,und disposul

Penalty, for non.

ORDINANCE No. 6 of 1863.

Regulation of Public Vehicles.

10. Every vehicle and chair on meeting any other vehicle or chair shall
if prac-
ticable pass the other by keeping on the left side of the road, and when
going in the
same direction with and overtaking such vehicle or chair shall pass on
the right leaving
the vehicle or chair overtaken on the left.

11. All property left in any vehicle or chair shall be taken forthwith to
the
Central Police Station and handed over to the Police authorities who
shall cause the
goods to be publicly advertised in the usual manner, and, if claimed, the
same shall
be handed over to the owner claiming it subject to a deduction of five
per cexitum on
the value to be given to the driver or bearer bringing the same to the
Police to be
ascertained in case of difference by the Captain Superintendent of
Police, and if the
same shall be unclaimed at the expiration of three months from the date
of the loss
the Captain Superintendent shall as soon thereafter as conveniently may
be, cause the
said goods respectively to be sold in such manner as lie shall think
best, and the
Captain Superintendent shall deduct out of the proceeds of each sale a
sum equivalent
to ten per centum on the proceeds of the sale of such goods, and shall
pay the amount
to the driver or bearer who shall have brought the said goods, and
subject thereto the
said proceeds shall be paid into the Public Treasury; and in case any
driver or bearer
shall omit from any cause whatever to comply with the regulation
contained in this
section he shall be subject to a fine of not exceeding fifty dollars and
the value o the
article retained, and to a revocation of his licence for a period not
exceeding two years
over and besides any punishment for larceny or other crime of which he
may be
convicted.

12. Every driver of a public vehicle or bearer of a public chair who
shall be guilty
of either of the offences following, that is to say :-

(1.) Concealing from or preventing any person taking the number of himself
or of his vehicle or chair;

(2.) Or using any public vehicle or chair without having the registered
number thereof properly affixed thereto, or without having a copy o the
list of fares properly affixed in his vehicle or chair, or not carrying a
lamp respectively according to regulation-;

(3.) Or without having his badge on his person according to regulation;

(4.) Or transferring the use of any licence to any other person;

(5.) Or failing within twenty-four hours after the expiration of such
licence
to deliver up the same to the Registrar General;

(6.) Or carelessly driving any vehicle or carrying any chair to the danger
o£
any person or property whatsoever;

(7.) Or using any insulting language or being guilty of any rude behaviouy
whilst employed;

(8.) Or keeping the wrong aide of the road without reasonable excuse for-
so doing;
- ORDINA1'CE No: 6 of 1863.

Regulation of Public Vehicles.

- (9.) Or refusing when unemployed to accept hire, without reasonable cause
-- for so refusing;
- - (10.) Or demanding more than the authorized fare;

(11.) Or not travelling with reasonable expedition;

(12.) Or leaving his fare before the engagement shall have been completed;

(13.) Or when unemployed allowing his chair to remain in any other place
- than at one of the stands which the Registrar General is hereinbefore
- = authorized to appoint;
__ - (14.) Or sitting or lying in a public vehicle or chair;
-- Sub-sections numbered IS to 19 added by Ordbiance No. 6 of 1882.]
And being convicted thereof, shall be subject to a penalty not exceeding
ton dollars
for each and every offence.
13, No person shall let for hire or offer to let for hire by the hour,
day, weep; or No person to let
- job or for an period less than thirt days an horse or other animal to be
ridden orhordes, &e. m >n
- - j Y p Y Y ridden or driven
- witbout a
driven without having obtained a half-yearly licence for the same from
the office of llcenee.
- the Registrar General, upon the granting of each of which licences a fee
of one dollar
in respect of every such horse or other animal so to be licensed to be
let shall be
payable. Every person who shall let for hire or ofer to let for hire any
horse or other
- animal without having such licence as is by this section required shall
be subject for
- - each offence to a penalty not exceeding fifty dollars.

14. In case any person having engaged a vehicle or chair or horse shall
refuse Penalty en per.

som enin
or neglect. to pay the fare for the same. forthwith upon the termination
of the hiring, vehicle,gagor
and not paying
or in case any person whatever shall wilfully injure or damage any public
vehicle or rare or injuring
vehicles or
chair or shall beat, ill-treat or use abusive language towards the driver
or bearer of c;'eathlo g oror abu'%.
any public vehicle or chair, every such person shiell be liable to a
penalty not exceeding b error'er or
fifty dollars and to pay and make good to the owner, driver or bearer a
proper com-
pensation to be adjudged by a Magistrate, and in every case compensation
for the loss
of time of owner, driver or bearer and his witnesses; and such
compensation shall be
recovered by the same means as the penalty.

- 15. All penalties imposed hereby shall be sued for and recovered under
Ordinance Mod, of recov-
ering penalties.
- No. 10 of 1844.

16. This'Ocdinance shall come into operation on and from the first day of
October, Cnmmencoment

1863, of ordinance.

[Repealed by. Ordinance No. 5 of 1883.]

NOTE.-For Scale of Fares under sections 8 ~ 9, see Gazette 12th ~ 26th
September
1863. For Further Scale of Fares of the 12111 :September 1882, see Gazette
16th, of the same month.
Title.
Preamble. [See Ord. No. 8 of 1858, s 17.]
No vehicle to ply for hire until licence obtained. Penalty for breach.
Licences to be taken out and to be renewed half-yearly, and sums payable for licences ordinary and special.
Hours within which vehiches may ply for hire, and number of special licences.
No holder of licence to ply out of hours unauthorized by his licence,
but he may carry a fare if engaged within authorized hours.
Numbers and badges to be fixed on vehicles and chairs, and worn by drivers or bearers.
Vehicles and chairs to be inspected by Registrar General, and his power to refuse licnece.
On licence security to be given.
Vehicle and chair stands.
Fares to be according to a scale to be fixed by Registrar General.
Rule of road for vehicles and chairs meeting and passing defined.
Property in vehicle or chair to be taken to the Police office, and disposal thereof.
Penalty for non-compliance.
Penalties on drivers of vehicles and chairs.
No person to let horses, &c. to be ridden or driven without a licence.
Penalty on persons engaging vehicle or chair and not paying fare or injuring vehicles or chair, ill-treating or abusing driver or bearer.
Mode of recovering penalties.
Commencement of Ordinance.

Title.
Preamble. [See Ord. No. 8 of 1858, s 17.]
No vehicle to ply for hire until licence obtained. Penalty for breach.
Licences to be taken out and to be renewed half-yearly, and sums payable for licences ordinary and special.
Hours within which vehiches may ply for hire, and number of special licences.
No holder of licence to ply out of hours unauthorized by his licence,
but he may carry a fare if engaged within authorized hours.
Numbers and badges to be fixed on vehicles and chairs, and worn by drivers or bearers.
Vehicles and chairs to be inspected by Registrar General, and his power to refuse licnece.
On licence security to be given.
Vehicle and chair stands.
Fares to be according to a scale to be fixed by Registrar General.
Rule of road for vehicles and chairs meeting and passing defined.
Property in vehicle or chair to be taken to the Police office, and disposal thereof.
Penalty for non-compliance.
Penalties on drivers of vehicles and chairs.
No person to let horses, &c. to be ridden or driven without a licence.
Penalty on persons engaging vehicle or chair and not paying fare or injuring vehicles or chair, ill-treating or abusing driver or bearer.
Mode of recovering penalties.
Commencement of Ordinance.

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1890

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No. 6 of 1863

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