XN000022-1981-03-06 — Page 6

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FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 1981

THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND THE NEW TERRITORIES SERVICES DEPARTMENT HAVE FORMED 18 GENERAL DUTIES TEAMS TO ENFORCE CONTROLS. THESE TEAMS CONSIST OF TRAINED NON-DISCIPLINED STAFF, WHOSE JOB IS TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH HAWKER LEGISLATION AND TO TAKE ACTION ON BREACHES OF IT.

MEMBERS OF THESE TEAMS ARE THE PEOPLE WE RELY ON TO GET HAWKERS TO HAWK IN THE RIGHT PLACE AND IN THE RIGHT MANNER WITHOUT CAUSING A RIOT AND WITHOUT LOSS OF GOOD RELATIONS, HE SAID.

HE STRESSED THAT THE GOVERNMENT PREFERRED THAT ENFORCEMENT WAS CARRIED OUT IN A SPIRIT OF CO-OPERATION WITH HAWKERS AND NOT AS PART OF A BITTER WAR.

THE SECOND STEP IN CONTROLLING HAWKERS, HE CONTINUED, IS TO PROVIDE SUITABLE PLACES FOR THEM TO TRADE.

+THE LONG

TERM POLICY NOW IS TO RESITE ALL EXISTING SURVEYED ON-ROAD HAWKERS INTO SUITABLE OFF-ROAD PLACES WITH REASONABLE BUSINESS PROSPECTS.+

HOWEVER, BEFORE ON-ROAD HAWKERS COULD BE RESITED INTO MARKETS, IT IS NECESSARY TO REBUILD THE OLD MARKETS IN ORDER TO PROVIDE ENOUGH SPACE AND MODERN FACILITIES FOR THE EXISTING STALLHOLDERS AND FOR RESITED HAWKERS.

+SO, A POLICY OF RESITING ON-ROAD HAWKERS INTO SUITABLE OFF-ROAD POSITIONS LIKE MARKETS MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY A SIMULTANEOUS POLICY OF RE-BUILDING OLD MARKETS,+ HE SAID.

MR WILSON WENT ON TO EXPLAIN THAT SINCE THE GOVERNMENT COULD NOT GO ON BUILDING NEW MARKETS INDEFINITELY TO ACCOMMODATE ANY FRESH HAWKERS THAT COME ALONG, ALL ELIGIBLE ON-ROAD HAWKERS HAD BEEN SURVEYED IN ORDER TO LIMÍT THE COMMITMENT,

+WE ARE TRYING TO CONTAIN THE PROBLEM TO MANAGEABLE PROPORTIONS, WHICH ARE ALREADY FAIRLY FORMIDABLE,✦ HE SAID,

HE SAID THAT IT WAS OUT OF THE QUESTION FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO ACCOMMODATE SOMETHING LIKE 45 000 ON-ROAD HAWKERS IN THE URBAN AREAS, BECAUSE TO DO THAT, UP TO 90 NEW MARKETS WOULD BE NEEDED.

HE DISCLOSED THAT AT PRESENT, MORE THAN 30 NEW MARKETS HAVE BEEN PLANNED, BUT SUITABLE SITES AND FINANCES FOR MORE THAN THAT SEEM UNLIKELY.

+HOWEVER, THE POSITION IS NOT AS BAD AS IT SOUNDS. OUR EXPERIENCE IS THAT, ON RE-ORDERING AND RESITING, UP TO 25 PER CENT OF ON-ROAD HAWKERS CEASE BUSINESS FOR VARIOUS REASONS FOR INSTANCE, BECAUSE THEY ARE ONLY EXTENSIONS OF NEARBY SHOPS, OR BECAUSE OF MULTIPLE STALLS OWNED BY THE SAME FAMILY.+

MR WILSON POINTED OUT THAT WHILST THE MARKET RE-CONSTRUCTION PROGRAMME IS IN PROGRESS IN THE URBAN AREAS AND THE NEW TERRITORIES, THE HAWKING CONDITIONS OF THOSE WHO CONTINUE THEIR BUSINESS ON ROAD WOULD BE CONTROLLED AS FAR AS PRACTICABLE BY MEANS OF A SERIES OF RE-ORDERING EXERCISES.

THE RE-ORDERING SCHEME, WHICH HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR SOME TIME, CONSISTS OF SURVEYING REGULAR HAWKERS IN AN AREA, MARKING OUT STALL SITES ON-ROAD, BALLOTING FOR THE SITES AND THEN ALLOCATING THEM.

THE STRESSED