Page 441 of 606
Page 441 of 606
PROVISIONAL Urban COUNCIL
429
the sale of only one of the following three classes of commodities, i.e. Class I, Class II and Class III. Class I is for the sale of food-related wet goods, such as fresh bean curd and peas; and food-related dry goods, such as dry vegetables, preserved foods, fruits, etc. Class III is for the sale of non-food related commodities (commonly known as 'dry goods'), such as clothes, haberdashery, etc.
As I mentioned at the outset, I believe that this question arises from recent action of the HCT in the Wan Chai District. It may be helpful if I brief Members on the Wan Chai case. The Council approved the implementation of a hawker re-ordering exercise at Wan Chai Road/Tai Yau Street/Cross Street in 1988. According to the approved scheme, all licensed on-street fixed pitch hawkers selling vegetables and fruits would be resited into the Wan Chai Temporary Market. Only licensed fixed pitch hawkers who sold Class II commodities (with the exception of fruits) and Class III commodities would be allowed to remain on street and be re-ordered at Tai Yuen Street/Cross Street. The reason why the re-ordered on-street hawkers were not endorsed to sell vegetables or fruits was to comply with the Council policy that the same commodities should not be traded both inside and outside the same market.
Before the implementation of the re-ordering exercise, full consultation was made with the affected hawkers. During a meeting with them on 1-2-1988 by departmental representatives, about 200 affected hawkers and their representatives were made fully aware of the resiting arrangements and they raised no objection. Eventually, all on-street licensed fixed pitch hawkers selling vegetables or fruits were resited into the Wan Chai Temporary Market in 1991. Since then, licensed fixed pitch hawkers who were re-ordered at Tai Yuen Street and Cross Street were not allowed to sell vegetables or fruits in accordance with Council's decision. Also, the licenses of these hawkers were not endorsed to sell vegetables or fruits.
Recently, the HCT staff in Wan Chai District discovered during their licence checks that some of the licensed fixed pitch hawkers in Tai Yuen Street and Cross Street were selling vegetables or fruits. Since this was a breach of the licence condition, our HCT staff had verbally warned these licensees that they had to cease the sale of vegetables or fruits or they would risk enforcement action.
The second part of the question asks about the classification of ‘ginger' and 'fruits' on the hawker licence. For the purpose of endorsement on the hawker licence, vegetables include ginger. As explained earlier, the re-ordered hawkers in Tai Yuen Street and Cross Street are not allowed to sell vegetables or fruits. Hence, they are not allowed to sell ginger as well.
The third part of the question asks about the methods and procedures to be taken by the Department in the event of an amendment to the items permitted to be sold. I take it that the question is about the possibility of a change of trade within the same category of Fixed Pitch (Other Classes) Hawker Licence,
Page 441 of 606
Page 441 of 606