The Transport Department (TD) today (March 28) reminded the public that the 133rd auction of personalised vehicle registration marks (PVRMs) will be held this Saturday (March 30) at Meeting Room S421, L4, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai.
      
     A list of 234 approved PVRMs put up for auction can be downloaded from the department's website, www.td.gov.hk. The reserve price for all these marks is $5,000. Applicants who have paid a deposit of $5,000 are required to participate in the bidding (including the first bid at the reserve price). Otherwise, the PVRM concerned may be sold to another bidder at the reserve price.
      
     Bidders are also reminded to bring the following documents with them for completion of registration and payment procedures immediately after the successful bidding:

(i) The identity document of the successful bidder;
(ii) The identity document of the purchaser if it is different from the successful bidder;
(iii) A copy of the certificate of incorporation if the purchaser is a body corporate; and
(iv) A crossed cheque made payable to "The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region" or "The Government of the HKSAR". (For an auctioned mark paid for by cheque, the first three working days after the date of auction will be required for cheque clearance confirmation before processing of the application for mark assignment can be completed.) Successful bidders can also pay through the Easy Pay System (EPS). Payment by post-dated cheques, cash or other methods will not be accepted.
 
     People who want to participate in the bidding at the auction should take note of the following important points:

(i) The display of a PVRM on a motor vehicle should be in compliance with the requirements stipulated in Schedule 4 to the Road Traffic (Registration and Licensing of Vehicles) Regulations;
(ii) Any change to the arrangement of letters, numerals and blank spaces of a PVRM, i.e. single and two rows as auctioned, will not be allowed;
(iii) Purchasers must make payment of the purchase price through EPS or by crossed cheque and complete the Memorandum of Sale of PVRM immediately after the bidding for the PVRM concerned. Subsequent alteration of the particulars in the memorandum will not be permitted; and
(iv) The purchaser shall, within 12 months after the date of auction, apply to the Commissioner for Transport for the PVRM to be assigned to a motor vehicle registered in the name of the purchaser. If the purchaser fails to assign the PVRM within 12 months, allocation of the PVRM will be cancelled and arranged for re-allocation in accordance with the statutory provision without prior notice to the purchaser.
 
     "Upon completion of the Memorandum of Sale of PVRM, the purchaser will be issued a receipt and a Certificate of Allocation of Personalised Registration Mark. The Certificate of Allocation will serve to prove the holdership of the PVRM. Potential buyers of vehicles bearing a PVRM should check the Certificate of Allocation with the sellers and pay attention to the details therein. For transfer of vehicle ownership, this certificate together with other required documents should be produced to the TD for processing," the spokesman said.
      
     For other auction details, please refer to the Guidance Notes – Auction of PVRM, which is available at the department's licensing offices or can be downloaded from its website, www.td.gov.hk.

     The Social Welfare Department (SWD) announced today (March 28) that the Arts Development Fund for Persons with Disabilities (Arts Fund) will be open for application from eligible organisations starting tomorrow (March 29).
      
     The Government has endeavoured to promote the participation of persons with disabilities (PWDs) in recreational, sports and cultural arts activities and provide them with appropriate activities and facilities, with a view to enhancing the opportunities to develop their potential and enhance their quality of life, as well as encouraging their active participation in community activities and full integration into the community.
      
     The Chief Executive announced in her 2017 Policy Address to establish the Arts Fund, which will be managed by the SWD. The Government has earmarked $250 million as the capital of the Arts Fund to provide funding support to arts programmes or activities. These include the provision of elementary and continuing arts programmes that enhance arts knowledge of PWDs, foster their interests in arts and develop their potential, and helping PWDs who have great artistic potential to strive for excellence and develop their career in performing, visual or creative arts.
      
     The Arts Fund will be open for application from March 29 and the deadline for submission of first-round applications is May 28. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) granted tax exemption status under section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance (Cap 112) and with at least two years of experience in organising structured arts activities or training programmes for PWDs may make applications. A Management Committee has been set up to oversee the use of grants disbursed under the Arts Fund, allocate grants and regularly review the assessment criteria for grants.
      
     Interested organisations may visit the SWD website (www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/site_pubsvc/page_supportser/sub_adfpd) for more details and download the application form of the Arts Fund.
    

     Prospective applicants for civil service posts at degree or professional level can apply from tomorrow (March 29) to sit the Common Recruitment Examination and Basic Law Test (CRE and BLT) scheduled to be held on June 1 and 8 in Hong Kong.

     A spokesman for the Civil Service Bureau (CSB) today (March 28) said that valid CRE results are required of applicants for civil service posts at degree or professional level, unless applicants possess equivalent results in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination or other specified public examinations (the relevant details are available on the CSB webpage). Persons interested in applying for civil service posts at degree or professional level in the near future may wish to consider sitting the coming examination so as to be eligible to apply for these posts, which may become available before another CRE is held.

     In addition, applicants for civil service posts will be assessed on their Basic Law knowledge. The result of the BLT will be one of the considerations to assess the suitability of a candidate.

     Applicants for the coming CRE and BLT should be holders of degree, or a qualification meeting the entry requirement on professional qualifications for civil service degree or professional posts, or university students who will have attained a degree in the 2018-19 academic year. Applicants may choose to take any of the CRE papers and/or the BLT paper in the coming examination.

     Persons interested in taking the examination may apply from tomorrow through the online application system on the CSB webpage at www.csb.gov.hk/eng/cre.html or by using the CRE and BLT application form (CSB31 (3/2019)), which can be downloaded from the CSB webpage or obtained from any Home Affairs Enquiry Centre of the Home Affairs Department or Job Centre of the Labour Department. Applications must be made before 5pm on April 11 (Hong Kong time).

     More details about the coming CRE and BLT will be available on the CSB webpage from tomorrow. General enquiries may be directed to the Civil Service Examinations Unit by phone at 2537 6429 or by email to csbcseu@csb.gov.hk.

     â€‹The Transport Department (TD) today (March 28) announced that eligible operators are invited to apply for the regular quota for Guangdong/Hong Kong cross-boundary coach services, and the regular quota for Guangdong/Hong Kong cross-boundary hire car services, using the Heung Yuen Wai Control Point. The deadline for application is April 18.

     A regular quota of 70 for Guangdong/Hong Kong cross-boundary coach services will be jointly issued by the Governments of Guangdong and Hong Kong. Moreover, the Governments of Guangdong and Hong Kong are also accepting applications from eligible operators under the existing cross-boundary coach regular quota using the Man Kam To Control Point or the Sha Tau Kok Control Point to switch and use the Heung Yuen Wai Control Point. The cross-boundary coach quota for switching is set at 30.

     At the same time, the Governments of Guangdong and Hong Kong are accepting applications from eligible operators under the existing cross-boundary hire car regular quota using the Lok Ma Chau Control Point, the Sha Tau Kok Control Point or the Shenzhen Bay Port to switch and use the Heung Yuen Wai Control Point. The cross-boundary hire car quota for switching is set at 25.

     Applicants shall be in the name of a Guangdong/Hong Kong joint venture and submit their application forms to the TD and the Land and Air Ports Administration Division of the Office of Port Administration of the People's Government of Guangdong Province before the deadline. If an applicant fails to submit the application form with identical content to the two governments concurrently, the application may not be considered.

     The deadline for the above quota applications is 5pm on April 18 (Thursday). The application form can be downloaded from the website of the TD (www.td.gov.hk).

     Hailed by the New York Times as "the most influential jazz pianist of the last 20 years", Brad Mehldau will collaborate with bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jeff Ballard for a jazz concert in May.
 
     Brad Mehldau has performed and recorded around the world since the early 1990s, in the trio format and as a solo pianist, conveying a wide range of expressions. He has worked with a number of great jazz musicians, including Joshua Redman, Pat Metheny, Charlie Haden, Michael Brecker, Wayne Shorter, John Scofield, and Charles Lloyd. He composed new works commissioned by Carnegie Hall for voice and piano, "The Blue Estuaries" and "The Book of Hours: Love Poems to God", which were performed in 2005 by Soprano Renee Fleming. In 2018, the Brad Mehldau Trio's recording "Seymour Reads the Constitution!" received a Grammy Award nomination.
 
     Bassist Larry Grenadier has built an expansive body of work that encompasses a variety of significant projects with many of the genre's most inventive and influential musicians. Over a career spanning three decades, he has earned a reputation for his instrumental talent and instantly recognisable tone.
 
     Jeff Ballard began playing drums at the age of 14 and toured with significant artists including Ray Charles, Chick Corea and Mike Stern, all the time absorbing influences and developing his own approach to drumming.
 
     Presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the concert will be held at 8pm on May 28 (Tuesday) at the Concert Hall of Hong Kong City Hall. Tickets priced at $180, $250, $350 and $480 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk).
 
     For telephone credit card bookings, please call 2111 5999. For programme and workshops enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2268 7321 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/programs_783.html.