XN000022-1983-05-10 — Page 12

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TUESDAY, MAY 10, 1983

+ IT IS QUITE UNFORTUNATE THAT THE PUBLIC SHOULD THINK THAT GOVERNMENT IS NOT TACKLING THE PROBLEM SERIOUSLY ENOUGH DESPITE THE TREMENDOUS EFFORTS THAT ARE BEING MADE BY THE VARIOUS ENFORCEMENT DEPARTMENTS IN THIS FIELD, + HE SAID.

MR WONG CITED SOME STATISTICS FOR THE PERIOD BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 1982 AND FEBRUARY 1983 SHOWING THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE PROBLEM AND THE ATTENTION GIVEN BY GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS:

*

A TOTAL OF 402 ILLEGAL STRUCTURES AND 187 CANOPIES WERE DEMOLISHED WHILE 32 WALL STALLS WERE EITHER DEMOLISHED OR TRIMMED DOWN TO THEIR APPROVED DIMENSIONS;

* OF THE 4 400 HAWKERS OPERATING ILLEGALLY IN YAU MA

TEI AND MONG KOK DAILY, THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND THE POLICE HAD MADÉ 4 059 AND 9 256 ARRESTS RESPECTIVELY, OR AVERAGED 74 ARRESTS A DAY;

* THE POLICE AND USD HAD ISSUED 2 451 AND 43 SUMMONS AGAINST OFFENCES COMMITTED BY LICENSED COOKED FOOD STALL OPERATORS;

* THE POLICE AND USD HAD ISSUED 4 442 AND 1 076 SUMMONS

AGAINST SHOP OPERATORS OR CAR REFAIRERS WHO PUT THE IR GOODS OR ARTICLES OUTSIDE THE SHOPS CAUSING SERIOUS OBSTRUCTIONS;

*

*

A TOTAL OF 247 430 FIXED PENALTY TICKETS, OR AN AVERAGE OF 1 367 TICKETS PER DAY HAD BEEN ISSUED:

A TOTAL OF 105 ABANDONED VEHICLES WERE IDENTIFIED AND TOWED AWAY BY THE POLICE; AND

* REGULAR STREET CLEARANCE EXERCISES WERE BEING MOUNTED TO TIDY UP THE VARIOUS BLACKSPOTS AND TO CHECK THE

A TOTAL OF GROWTH IN NUMBER OF STREET SLEEPERS,

222 STREET SLEEPERS ARE BELIEVED TO BE FREQUENTING THE TWO DISTRICTS.

+VERY INTENSE ENFORCEMENT ACTION IS REQUIRED TO TACKLE THE PROBLEM AS MOST OF THE IRREGULAR ACTIVITIES DISCOVERED ARE TEMPORARY AND HIGHLY MOBILE,+ MR WONG SAID.

+WE HAVE DONE WHAT WE CAN WITH EXISTING RESOURCES AND IT IS UP TO THE PEOPLE IN THE DISTRICTS TO HELP BY REDUCING THE NUMBER OF OCCASIONS WHEN ENFORCEMENT ACTION NEED TO BE TAKEN.+

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