I
13
FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 1985
A REVISED PLAN WAS SUBMITTED TO THE BOARD'S WORKS PROJECT AND TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORT COMMITTEES AND MEMBERS DECIDED TO VISIT THE SITE TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE PROJECT'S IMPACT ON ENVIRONMENTAL AND TRAFFIC CONDITIONS IN THE AREA.
ACCOMPANIED AT TODAY'S VISIT BY THE DISTRICT OFFICER, MR EDDY CHAN, AND ASSISTANT DISTRICT OFFICER, MISS ANGELA TSE, THE MEMBERS WERE BRIEFED ON THE LAYOUT DESIGN OF THE NEW SITE BY OFFICIALS OF THE HIGHWAYS OFFICE, TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT AND THE URBAN AREA DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATION.
THE PROJECT WILL INVOLVE THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN ELEVATED CARRIAGEWAY TO PROVIDE AN ALTERNATIVE ROUTE FOR TRAFFIC SO THAT A SECTION OF REPULSE BAY ROAD CAN BE DESIGNATED FOR FRANCHISED BUSES ONLY.
MEMBERS WERE TOLD THE NEW DESIGN WOULD ENSURE THAT THE LANDSCAPE AND TRAFFIC PATTERN IN THE AREA WOULD REMAIN BASICALLY UNCHANGED AND THAT THE CONSTRUCTION PERIOD STARTING IN OCTOBER NEXT YEAR CAN BE SHORTENED FROM 18 MONTHS TO 14 MONTHS.
NEWSPAPER HAWKERS TO HAVE LARGER PITCH IN NON-URBAN ARE?.
******
THE PROVISIONAL REGIONAL COUNCIL TODAY (FRIDAY) ENDORSED A PROPOSAL BY THE REGIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT TO ALLOW A LARGE PITCH FOR NEWSPAPER HAWKERS IN THE NON-URBAN AREAS.
AS PRESCRIBED BY THE HAWKER (NEW TERRITORIES) REGULATIONS, THE PRESENT MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE DIMENSIONS ARE 1200MM X 250MM X 11: (APPROXIMATELY 4' X 11'' X 4'). THE PROPOSAL CALLS FOR ENLARGING THE DIMENSIONS TO 1800MM X 450MM, WITH NO RESTRICTION ON HEIGHT.
THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR (ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE), MR ARTHUR JOHNSON, NOTED THAT CURRENT LIMITS WERE SET SOME 20 YEARS AGO WHEN FAR FEWER NEWSPAPERS AND EVEN FEWER PERIODICALS WERE ON SALE.
MR JOHNSON SAID THAT THE RECOMMENDED SIZE IS THE SAME STANDARD AS IN THE URBAN AREA.+
THE COUNCIL ALSO AGREED THAT TO OBVIATE THE NEED TO AMEND THE HAWKER (NEW TERRITORIES) REGULATIONS EACH TIME THE PERMITTE SIZE OF A NEWSPAPER HAWKER STALL IS CHANGED, THE REGULATION SHOULD BE AMENDED TO ENABLE THE DIRECTOR OF REGIONAL SERVICES (IN FUTURE THE REGIONAL COUNCIL) TO SPECIFY THE SIZE OF A NEWSPAPER STALL AS A CONDITION OF THE LICENCE.
14