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which has been encountered in finding suitable bodies to undertake the work of statutory factors.
MR. Lo:-Mr. Chairman, do you not agree that without some sort of statutory factors the enforcement of the Urban Council by-laws is greatly hampered?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:-I would say that it is certainly the case.
MR. LO:-Then would you convey to Government that it is in the public interest to expedite legislation for making suitable statutory bodies to look after these multi-storey buildings?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:-I will convey your views to Government.
MR. K. S. Lo asked the following question:
According to By-law No. 20 of the Public Cleansing and Prevention of Nuisances By-laws, 1960, no person shall permit a receptacle containing refuse to remain in a street for a period exceeding five minutes whilst awaiting the arrival of a public refuse collection vehicle.
(a) Are you aware of the fact that refuse collected by sanitation companies is allowed to stand in huge baskets at street corners for hours waiting for the arrival of the refuse collection vehicles, much to the annoyance of shopkeepers and residents in the neighbourhood?
(b) How many summonses have been taken out against offenders during the past three months?
(c) What further measures do you propose to take to stop this nuisance?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:
I am aware, Sir, that in some areas baskets accumulate for periods in excess of 5 minutes despite the efforts of the staff of the department to stop this. Private refuse collectors are warned of the approach of the vehicles by prior ringing of a hand-bell and they are advised by the supervisory staff not to bring the refuse to the collection points before the appropriate time. During December last year over 300 private refuse collectors attended one-day courses organized by the department on health education and
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instruction in the correct practice in handling refuse. Where persuasion and education fail, prosecutions follow. In the last three months a hundred summonses were taken out against private refuse collectors, of which 18 were in respect of refuse brought to the collection points before the due time. Action will continue to be taken against those collectors who without reasonable excuse contravene the by-laws.
A contributory cause of the difficulties is the tight schedules to which the vehicles must work. On occasion, the schedules are upset by the withdrawal of vehicles for servicing and repair. Three new vehicles of an improved type have been put into service this month in Kowloon and the arrival of four more vehicles is expected before the end of the month. This will, I hope, ease our transport difficulties sufficiently to ensure improved conditions. As to further measures proposed, provision for the purchase of ten additional vehicles in the urban area and fifteen replacements for older vehicles has been approved in the current estimates at a cost of over $1,500,000. The Department is at present looking into ways and means of increasing the amount of refuse collected by the refuse collecting vehicles at night, with the object of reducing the quantity to be cleared during the day when the vehicles are in the greatest demand.
MR. Lo:-Mr. Chairman, may I ask a supplementary? Do these private refuse collectors need any licence from your Department?
CHAIRMAN:-No, Sir. The question of licensing private refuse collectors has been considered by the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee and it was decided some time ago that it was better at the present stage not to insist upon licensing.
MR. Lo:-Mr. Chairman, if these private refuse collectors keep on contravening the law, would it not be better to have them licensed so that we can exercise tighter control?
CHAIRMAN:-I think that that point has been considered, Sir, but I would ask the Chairman of the Select Committee if he has anything to say on it.
DR. LEE:-Mr. Chairman, the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee has gone into this question thoroughly, and we have also brought Crown Counsel into the discussion. It was on his advice, and also with the Department's consent, that the Council decided not to license refuse collectors.
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