WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1994
28
PUBLIC HOUSING CORRIDOR RAILINGS
A
FOLLOWING IS A QUESTION BY THE HON ZACHARY WONG WAI-YIN AND
ENVIRONMENT AND WRITTEN REPLY BY THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR PLANNING, LANDS, MR CANICE MAK, IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY):
BEEN OF
IN PUBLIC QUESTION: ACCIDENTS INVOLVING CHILDREN FALLING FROM HEIGHTS
AND HOUSING
HAVE ESTATES
FREQUENT OCCURRENCE, RESIDENTS IN THESE ESTATES HAVE PERSISTENTLY QUESTIONED THE HEIGHT OF CORRIDOR RAILINGS BEING TOO LOW WHICH IN VIEW EASY FOR CHILDREN TO CLIMB OVER THEM. WILL THE GOVERNMENT INFORM THIS COUNCIL :
MAKES IT OF THIS,
ANSWER
HAVE
BEEN TAKEN BY THE
AUTHORITY
CONCERNED TO PREVENT THE OCCURRENCE OF SUCH ACCIDENTS;
(A)
WHAT MEASURES
(B)
(C)
ARTICLES SUCH
MEASURES
ITEMS
'NOT
THE
WHETHER THE AUTHORITY CONCERNED WILL STEP UP
SUNDRY
AS FURNITURE TO CLEAR DISCARDED ALONG THE RAILINGS, OR ADVISE RESIDENTS
PLACE ANY
BICYCLES ALONG ARTICLES SUCH AS RAILINGS SO AS TO AVOID CAUSING POTENTIAL DANGER; AND
TO
WHETHER, IN THE LONG RUN, THE HEIGHT OF
RAILINGS IN PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES WILL BE RAISED; IF SO, WHAT THE SPECIFIC PLAN IS, IF NOT, WHAT THE REASONS ARE?
MR PRESIDENT,
IN ALL PUBLIC RENTAL HOUSING BLOCKS, THE HEIGHT OF THE CORRIDOR
THE WITH
STATUTORY BUILDING OR IN LINE RAILINGS IS HIGHER THAN REGULATION STANDARD OF 1.1 METRES.
PATROL THE
NOT REGULAR
AT PRESENT, THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT'S ESTATE STAFF
MANAGEMENT COMMON AREAS INSIDE HOUSING BLOCKS AS PART OF THEIR DAILY
WILL DISPOSE OF ANY ABANDONED DUTIES AND CLEANSING CONTRACTORS
FOUND IN THE CORRIDORS. MOREOVER, TENANTS ARE ADVISED FURNITURE TO PLACE ANY ARTICLES IN CORRIDORS THROUGH THE HELP OF MACS; NOTICES DISPLAYED ON NOTICE BOARDS; AD HOC CLEANSING CAMPAIGNS; ESTATE NEWSLETTERS. BI-MONTHLY NEWSLETTERS AND
AUTHORITY'S THE HOUSING
INCLUDING BICYCLES TENANTS ARE ALSO ADVISED TO REMOVE ANY ARTICLES
IDENTIFIED, WARNING LEFT IN THE CORRIDORS. IF THE OWNER CANNOT BE NOTICES WILL BE POSTED ON THE ARTICLES REQUIRING THE REMOVAL ARTICLE WITHIN A SPECIFIED PERIOD, FAILING WHICH THE ARTICLE WILL REMOVED BY THE MANAGEMENT. THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT HAS ALSO STEPPED UP OPERATIONS TO CLEAR OBSTRUCTION IN CORRIDORS OF RENTAL HOUSING BLOCKS. ABOVE MEASURES WILL HELP TO PREVENT THE OCCURRENCE OF ACCIDENTS INVOLVING CHILDREN FALLING FROM HEIGHTS IN PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES.
THE
OF THE
BE
AUTHORITY SHARES NOTWITHSTANDING THESE MEASURES, THE HOUSING TENANTS' CONCERN AND HAVE PLANS EITHER TO RAISE THE HEIGHT OF RAILINGS ENDS AND STAIRCASE OR TO INSTALL LOUVRES AND WINDOWS AT CORRIDOR
AN IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME LANDINGS WHERE IT IS PRACTICAL TO DO SO. BEING IMPLEMENTED IN PHASES.
IS
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