FRIDAY, JULY 27, 1984
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NO LET-UP IN DRIVE AGAINST ILLEGAL COOKED-FOOD HAWKERS
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THE GENERAL DUTIES TEAMS OF THE CITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT WILL CONTINUE THEIR STEPPED-UP DRIVE AGAINST ILLEGAL COOKED-FOOD HAWKERS.
THIS WAS CONFIRMED TODAY BY MR SHUM CHOI-SANG, CHAIRMAN OF THE URBAN COUNCIL'S MARKETS AND STREET TRADERS SELECT COMMITTEE.
MR SHUM SAID: THESE COOKED-FOOD HAWKERS ARE A MENACE TO THE PUBLIC ON TWO GROUNDS FIRST, THEY PUT AT RISK THE SAFETY OF PEDESTRI ANS, AND SECOND THEY PUT AT RISK THE HEALTH OF THEIR CUSTOMERS.+
MR SHUM SAID THAT IN A PUBLIC STATEMENT MADE ON JUNE 12, HE HAD SAID VERY PLAINLY THAT PEOPLE WHO PATRONISED ILLEGAL COOKED-FOOD HAWKERS WERE HELPING TO PERPETUATE THE EXISTENCE OF A HIGHLY DANGEROUS SITUATION,
+I SAID THEN AND REPEAT TODAY THAT PEOPLE SHOULD THINK TWICE BEFORE THEY CONTINUE THEIR PATRONAGE OF SUCH HAWKERS WHO COULD SUDDENLY BE INVOLVED IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT INVOLVING THE SPILLAGE OF BOILING FAT, QUITE APART FROM THE RISK SUCH PEOPLE RUN TO THEIR HEALTH BY EATING THESE 'SIU SIK'.+
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID THAT IN RECENT WEEKS THERE HAD BEEN A +HI GHLY WORRYING AND QUITE EXTRAORDINARY+ RUN OF HAWKER-TROLLEY ACCIDENTS IN WHICH SEVERAL OLD PEOPLE AND CHILDREN WERE AMONG THE VICTIMS.
+ IT SEEMS TO BE STRETCHING THE BOUNDS OF CREDULITY TO THE UTMOST TO BELIEVE THAT THIS SPATE OF HAWKER-RELATED ACCIDENTS IS COINCIDENTAL, SAID THE SPOKESMAN.
+ONE URBAN COUNCILLOR REPORTED LAST WEEK THAT HE HAD BEEN TOLD THAT SOME OF THESE INCIDENTS WERE BEING DELIBERATELY CAUSED TO WIN THE SYMPATHY OF THE PUBLIC AGAINST THE DEPARTMENT'S GENERAL DUTIES TEAMS, AS THE COUNCILLOR ADDED, THE ALLEGATION WAS QUITE UNCONFIRMED, NEVERTHELESS IN THE PAST FEW WEEKS MANY OF THESE HAWKERS HAVE SHOWN THEMSELVES TO BE TOTALLY IRRESPONSIBLE AND COMPLETELY UNFEELING TO THE DANGER THEY POSE TO YOUNG AND OLD ON THE FOOTPATHS OF OUR MOST CONGESTED STREETS.+
THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THANKS TO THE RE-STRUCTURING OF THE GENERAL DUTIES TEAMS IN WAN CHAI AND YAU MA TEI, THE NUMBER OF ARRESTS BEING MADE IN THESE DISTRICTS HAD GONE UP GREATLY.
FURTHERMORE, COOKED-FOOD HAWKER TROLLEYS FOUND CAUSING OBSTRUCTIONS ON FOOTPATHS AND IN LANEWAYS WERE NOW BEING SEIZED.
THE SPOKESMAN RULED OUT SUGGESTIONS THAT GD TEAMS MIGHT OPERATE MORE EFFECTIVELY IF THEY WORE CIVILIAN CLOTHES.
/+THE GENERAL