XN000022-1994-11-23 — Page 45

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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