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traffic. There are a few lonely streets, but hawkers object thereto on the grounds of not getting enough business if they should be resited there. Meanwhile, the population in Hong Kong is growing at a fantastic rate, as are buildings, at a rate no less fantastic. As streets are limited and the number of hawkers is growing, control of hawking and cleaning of the streets present mounting problems. We have worked out general conditions for succession to existing fixed pitch licences. We have not worked out a containment policy on wall stalls or pedlar hawker licences.
Wall stalls entail legal difficulties in control. Owing to the fact that pedlars are difficult to control, no restriction has been set on the issue of pedlar licences. I do not agree with the theory that because pedlars are difficult to control, there should be no control. There are certain laws which must be enforced and their enforcement lies mostly in the hands of the Police. In other instances, control of pedlars might take the form of containment or deterrent. I believe that there should be some limitation with regard to the number of pedlars in each area where they are allowed to operate.
As it stands at the moment, the number of pedlar hawker licences issued as at 30th September, 1963 is 14,761 as against 10,078 for fixed pitch licences, and pedlar hawker licences are still increasing sharply in numbers. Since September 30th there have been several thousand hawker licences issued, I understand.
In this connection, it is because of lack of control of pedlar hawkers that we have a problem of numbers in resiting them in the Tang Lung Chau Market. The hawker problem inevitably leads to that of markets. In fact, market stallholders are one step up the ladder of economic evolution and it may be construed that solution of the hawker problem lies partially in markets.
It has been said that the future of multi-purpose markets and their less glamorous companions, hawker bazaars, depends largely on the way in which the Tang Lung Chau Market has developed. While it is true that the Tang Lung Chau multi-purpose market may be used as an experiment, we must not draw easy conclusions. In the first place, the original concept of the Tang Lung Chau Market was to clear adjacent streets such as Jardine's Bazaar and Jardine's Crescent of vegetable hawkers who were to be moved to the ground and first floors of the market. Since we have not succeeded in clearing the streets of vegetable hawkers, naturally no one wants to go up to the first floor when he or she can easily buy vegetables on the streets.
In the case of a stall, ground floor premises are invariably more valuable than those on an upper floor because of their ready accessibility. I believe that the multi-purpose market would have succeeded
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had the original policy been fully implemented. I submit that, for that area, housewives will go to the first floor to get their vegetables when policy becomes practice and if this fact becomes sufficiently known.
In the case of Tang Lung Chau Market shortcomings are insufficient number and size of sites. Now, insufficiency must never be construed to be the same as unworkability of policy. We must as far as possible improve facilities and be practical in the implementation of that policy.
From the traffic point of view I understand that Jardine's Bazaar is a very important component part of the Roxy roundabout complex. When it is used for motor traffic, pressure on Pennington Street would be much relieved and both pedestrians and vehicles would have a much better chance of crossing that area with the least mutual conflict.
The hawker policy should be carried out with the co-operation of all Members of the Council. I am sure that a solution will be in sight if all the angles are appreciated and gone into by all Members. In trying to implement the original policy the Urban Services Department must be highly commended for the sympathetic attitude and great patience it has displayed towards the hawkers who are naturally reluctant to move from sites which they have been occupying for a long time. For a time it looked as if everything was going on successfully. But the situation was reversed and it must have been most frustrating for the Council and the Department to find it so. However, I am convinced that not all means of solution have been explored and no one should lose heart on the issue. The eventual solution will be made which will clear Jardine's Bazaar for traffic on the one hand and, on the other, settle pedlar hawkers in the market and Jardine's Crescent.
With regard to other areas where we do not have such a stately market as at Tang Lung Chau, hawker bazaars may solve the problem of hawker pitches. Each area has to be studied and a solution worked out, based on the conditions of that particular ward or district.
Last year I referred to the congestion and consequent unhygienic conditions caused by hawkers on six streets in Hong Kong and four streets in Kowloon. I am pleased to note that the Department is going to clean Bowrington Road, Wan Chai Road, Gresson Street, Tai Yuen Street, Cross Street, Spring Garden Lane, Chun Yeung Street on the Hong Kong side and, on the Kowloon side, in addition to the eight streets recently visited by the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee, Nam Chong Street, Canton Road and streets in the Kowloon City area. In addition to the Department's programme, the Council should start a specific campaign to keep these streets clean and free from obstructions.
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