XN000022-1984-07-17 — Page 15

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TUESDAY, JULY 17, 1984

STEPPED-UP ACTION ON HAWKERS

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THE STANDING COMMITTEE OF THE URBAN COUNCIL TODAY AFFIRMED THAT STEPPED-UP MEASURES MUST BE MAINTAINED TO KEEP THE ILLEGAL HAWKER SITUATION UNDER CONTROL.

COUNCILLORS WERE ASSURED BY THE DIRECTOR OF URBAN SERVICES, MR AUGUSTINE CHUI KAM, THAT MEMBERS OF GENERAL DUTIES TEAMS CONDUCTING ANTI-ILLEGAL HAWKER OPERATIONS TOOK AS MUCH CARE AS POSSIBLE NOT TO APPROACH THE HAWKERS IN SUCH A WAY THAT THEY WOULD RUN AWAY ALONG CROWDED FOOTPATHS, ENDANGERING PEDESTRIANS.

+BUT THE PLAIN FACT IS THAT HAWKERS OFTEN ACT IRRESPONSIBLY,+ HE SAID.

COUNCILLORS MADE SEVERAL POINTS, PARTICULARLY THAT IF HEAVIER PENALTIES WERE IMPOSED ON COOKED-FOOD HAWKERS USING BOILING COOKING OILS, THIS SHOULD SERVE AS AN EFFECTIVE DETERRENT AND SO ACT IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST.

(A HAWKER WHO SPILT BOILING OIL ON A 3-1/2-YEAR-OLD BOY YUEN TAT-CHEUNG, LATER WAS SENTENCED TO FOUR MONTHS' JAIL AFTER PLEADING GUILTY TO A CHARGE OF CAUSING BODILY HARM).

OTHER COUNCILLORS STRESSED THAT THE PUBLIC WAS PERPETUATING THE DANGER BY CONTINUING TO PATRONISE COOKED-FOOD HAWKERS, AND BY SO DOING WERE NOT ONLY PUTTING THE SAFETY OF THEMSELVES AND OTHER PEDESTRIANS AT RISK, BUT ALSO JEOPARDISING THEIR HEALTH BECAUSE OF THE UNHYGIENICALLY-PREPARED FOOD SOLD CHEAPLY BY SUCH HAWKERS.

IT WAS ALSO SUGGESTED THAT THE DEPARTMENT STEP UP INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE SOURCE OF THE FOOD SOLD BY COOKED-FOOD HAWKERS TO ESTABLISH WHETHER THERE WERE SOME FAIRLY SUBSTANTIAL ILLEGAL FOOD FACTORIES BEHIND THE +TRADE+.

ONE COUNCILLOR SAID: +FIND OUT ALSO WHERE THEY STORE THEIR TROLLEYS OVERNIGHT -- PERHAPS THAT WILL LEAD US TO THE ORGANISERS.+

WHEN THE MEETING WAS DISCUSSING THE SURPRISING LEAP IN THE NUMBER OF HAWKER-TROLLEY ACCIDENTS LATELY, INCLUDING ONE FATALITY, THE CASE OF THE SCALDED BOY AND OTHER CASES OF SERIOUS INJURY ONE COUNCILLOR SAID: IT HAS BEEN REPORTED TO ME THAT SOME OF THESE ACCIDENTS ARE BEING CAUSED DELIBERATELY SO THAT THE HAWKERS WILL GAIN PUBLIC SUPPORT. THIS IS A VERY WORRYING ALLEGATION, BUT I HAVE NO CONFIRMATION OF THE TRUTH OF IT AT THIS STAGE.+

A DEPARTMENTAL REPRESENTATIVE ADDED THAT RECENTLY SOME FEMALE HAWKERS HAD ALLEGED THAT GDT MEMBERS HAD ATTACKED THEM, ALTHOUGH INVESTIGATIONS HAD SHOWN THERE WAS NO TRUTH IN SUCH CHARGES.

+THE HAWKERS WILL THINK OF ALL KINDS OF TACTICS TO TRY TO STOP US, THE REPRESENTATIVE ADDED. +BUT, AS CONFIRMED TODAY OUR STEPPED-UP ACTIONS ARE TO BE CONTINUED, WITH OF COURSE THE SAFETY OF PEDESTRIANS BEING BORNE IN MIND.+

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