TNAG-0186-FCO40-222-Special-branch-reports-on-Communist-activities-1969 — Page 38

0003160 G.F. 316

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2

pedestrian traffic, render road cleansing and maintenance

difficult and may present a serious health hazard.

4.

The number of hawkers operating on the streets of

the Colony varies from day to day and depends, to some

extent, on climatic or seasonal conditions, on the general

level of the Colony's economic prosperity and the availa-

bility of work in other fields. Currently the largest

concentrations of hawkers are found in Wanchai, Western,

Shaukiwan and Chaiwan on Hong Kong Island, in Sham Shui Po,

Wong Tai Sin, Mongkok and Kwun Tong districts in Kowloon and

in Tsuen Wan and Yuen Long in the New Territories.

5.

An examination of Urban Services Department (U.S.D.)

records has revealed that in December, 1968, some 31,000

persons were licensed to operate as hawkers in the urban

areas, These records, which are summarised at Annex 'A',

reveal that there are slightly less than 10,000 static

'fixed pitch' hawkers and that all other licensed hawkers

are classified as itinerant. The number of licence

holders decreased slightly in early 1969 and by the 31st

of March U.S.D. records indicated that there were only

27,800 licence holders. These diminishing numbers, however,

do not necessarily indicate any overall reduction in the

number of hawkers as those who have failed to renew their

licences may have joined the estimated 30,000 unlicensed

hawkers.

6.

The statistics showing the location and trade of

static licensed hawkers given in Annex 'A' must be considered with caution as these details concern only licensed static

hawkers. Many of both the licensed itinerant hawkers and the unlicensed hawkers in fact operate from 'fixed pitch'

stalls.

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/Hawker