XN000022-1978-08-01 — Page 4

TUESDAY, AUGUST 1, 1978

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IF THE NEW TOWNS ARE TO FULFIL THEIR ROLE AS ORDERED, ELL-PLANNED AND ENVIRONMENTALLY ATTRACTIVE COMMUNITIES, THEN ON-STREET HAWKING AND THE RESULTANT PROBLEM OF NOISE, OBSTRUCTION AND LITTER CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO DEVELOP AND TAXE ROOT, + HE SAID.

MR. GREWAL SAID THAT THE AIM OF THE DEPARTMENT IS TO PREVENT ON-STREET HAWKING IN THE NEW TOWNS AND ULTIMATELY IN OTHER DEVELOPMENT AREAS ALTOGETHER.

HOWEVER, HE ADDED IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT THERE MUST BE A SUFFICIENT ENFORCEMENT PRESENCE ON THE GROUND TO CONTROL HAWKING. IN THIS REGARD, APPROVAL HAS BEEN OBTAINED TO ESTABLISH FIVE GENERAL DUTIES TEAMS IN ADDITION TO THE EXISTING GENERAL DUTIES TEAM IN TSUEN WAN.

+ENFORCEMENT ALONE WILL NOT BE ENOUGH TO BRING THE HAWKER PROBLEM UNDER CONTROL, MR. GREWAL SAID. THERE SHOULD BE PLANNED PERMANENT MARKETS AND COOKED-FOOD CENTRES TO ACCOMMODATE MARKET STALLS FOR THE RETAIL OF MEAT, FISH, AND POULTRY, AS WELL AS MINI-STALLS FOR THE RETAIL OF FRESH VEGETABLES AND DRY GOODS.

AT PRESENT. THERE ARE ONLY TWO NEW MARKETS UNDER CONSTRUCTION, ONE AT SHA TIN AND THE OTHER IN TSUEN WAN. HOWEVER, IT IS EXPECTED THAT OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, THERE WILL BE 26 TO 30 NEW MARKETS AND 15 TO 20 NEW COOKED FOOD CENTRES COMPLETED THROUGHOUT THE NEW TERRITORIES.

+WITH THE PROVISION OF THESE MARKETS AND COOKED FOOD CENTRES AND WITH THE GENERAL DUTIES TEAMS, THE AIM OF KEEPING THE HAWKERS OFF THE STREETS IN THE NEW TOWNS AND OTHER DEVELOPMENT AREAS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES CAN BE ACHIEVED,+ HE CONCLUDED.

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