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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
498
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adjoining vacant ones while the street pitches in the shape of 'B' should be changed to that of 'B'. The second step is to conduct a detailed study and determine the number of hawkers each district requires which would serve as an index for us to deal with the hawker problem. As for the third step, I think hawker surveys should be carried out urgently. Based on the number of hawkers determined in the second step, hawkers who have been registered in several surveys should be issued a licence and resited. Photographs taken on the hawking site should be included in the survey data as supporting evidence to make the process fair. The fourth step is to identify suitable stalls for resiting the hawkers by the following means:
First, we can redevelop some old markets such as Yau Ma Tei Market or Mong Kok Market and strive actively for land from the Central Government for the construction of markets in newly developed areas or in districts in need of a market. In particular, we should lobby the Land Development Corporation to include more land for the construction of market facilities in its future development plan. Second, we can assign places to hawkers in areas currently occupied by illegal hawkers and on the two sides of the streets. Third, we can abolish the Assistant Permits in respect of fixed pitches and stipulate that each pitch should be operated personally by the licence holder. Daily licence check should be strictly enforced to stop the children of licence holders who are unwilling to inherit the business from letting out the pitches after the retirement of the licence holders. Through this measure, more fixed pitches will revert to us for resiting other hawkers. Similarly, market stalls should be treated equally as the fixed pitches on the streets. Each of them should be owned by one single family and be personally attended by the licence holder. As such, we will be able to resume some stalls in the illegal rental market. Besides, a lot of stalls are now being let out. I think the solution is for the Review Select Committee to consider, on individual merits and on an one-off basis, transferring the licences that have been let out by the licence holders or their successors who have given up the business to their assistants, who are now actually running the business. Lastly, the Urban Council should liaise closely and discuss with the Housing Department and the Regional Council the possibility of allocating their market stalls to illegal hawkers who have registered with us so that we can properly resite the hawkers whose services are needed by the district concerned.
To eradicate illegal hawkers in the street, I think that the following positive measures should be adopted: First, fixed penalties should be imposed on illegal hawkers to increase the effectiveness of prosecution; second, street patrol should be made by Hawker Control Teams while they are on duty so that hawkers cannot gather together for vending. There should be at least three members in each patrol team. When arresting hawkers, one team member can accompany them to the police station and the other two members can continue patrolling in order not to create a vacuum after arresting hawkers. Third, a measure similar to that of the police should be adopted. A certain number of
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