Untitled - HKU Libraries - The University of Hong Kong

3.2.20 Light vans can be registered either as a private car or as a goods vehicle. To qualify asa goods vehicle on registration, the van must comply with the following:(1) There may be no side windows in the goods compartment.(2) The goods compartment must include at least 50% of the capacity of the van.(3) There must be a partition between the driver and goods compartments.3.2.21 However registered, surveys by CTS-2 indicated that during the working day, mostlight vans were being used for goods transport or by service industries; about85%-90% of goods-registered light vans but also an estimated 70% of car-registeredlight vans. Private car registration for goods light vans is advantageous, in somecircumstances, particularly to obtain access to areas banned to goods vehicles in thepeak hour. In fact, many goods light vans are still registered as private cars despitethe much higher taxes.3.2.22 The changes in vehicle taxation in 1982 made it very much cheaper to register lightvans as goods vehicles. Registrations as a goods vehicle now (early 1989) incursmuch lower First Registration Tax (1 5% versus 70% for a small car) and much lowerannual licence fees (currently $970 versus $3,1 50 for a small car). These changes areundoubtedly the reason for the switch in registration of light vans from private carsto goods vehicles illustrated in Figure 3.7. This should not necessarily be interpretedin too sinister a light. What possibly happened is that many light van operatorsperceived the advantages of private car registration as marginal but worthwhilebefore 1982, but not as worthwhile after the private car tax increase. It is alsopossible that some users of car-registered light vans for passenger carrying purposesswitched to less expensive private light bus registration, which would explain thesudden growth in private light buses after 1982.FIGURE 3.7:LICENSED LIGHT VANSThousands (Mid-Year)Registered As GoodsRegistered As Car76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87Light Van Defined Ae VehicleWith Van Body Of Qroes VehicleWeight Up To 3 Tonnes.