HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
CHAIRMAN: -I cannot agree to that entirely, Sir, I think we should have an item on the Standing Committee agenda which will give us the opportunity to discuss the relative points of view which have been exchanged at question time to-day.
MR. SALES: That is my purpose, as long as there is an item on the agenda, then members will be free to raise the whole question of primary education being the responsibility of the Urban Council.
(5) MR. B. A. BERNACCHI asked the following question:
Why is most of the street lighting that is in the Chai Wan Estate only one lamp on the street side, so that the fairly wide pavements are almost in the dark?
THE CHAIRMAN, URBAN COUNCIL, replied as follows:
The section of roadway to which the question is understood to refer is that part of Chai Wan Road which is designed for future use as dual carriageway. Construction so far consists of part of the central divide, one carriageway and a footpath, leaving the second carriageway and associated footpath to be constructed later.
The street lamps have been installed on the central divide, and they are 125 watt gaseous discharge lamps, fixed at a height of 25 feet, 110 feet apart. Lamps of this power and at that height are standard for all secondary traffic routes, in which category Chai Wan Road is placed.
The type of fitting used, a double bracket on a single pole, is a recognized standard for the lighting of dual carriageways and provides the most efficient type of installation. It is of course designed to ensure the maximum level of illumination of the carriageway, and consequently the amount of light available on the footpath is less. The Director of Public Works, who is unable to be present today, is looking into the question of the adequacy of the illumination of the footpaths.
MR. BERNACCHI:-Mr. Chairman, when is the second part of the carriageway and associated footpath going to be constructed?
CHAIRMAN:-I am sorry, Sir, I do not have that information.
MR. BERNACCHI:-You say lamps of this power, that is 125 watt, not very strong, and at this height, are standard for all secondary traffic routes, in which category Chai Wan Road is placed. I would like to ask the question, why a secondary traffic route? multi-storey resettlement is officially placed at 56,000 people, Chai Wan cottage area, I should think, adds another 10,000. In fact I estimate more than 70,000 people live in the Chai Wan area, a city in itself. Why secondary traffic route?
CHAIRMAN: --It will be obvious to you, Sir, that this is not a subject on which I can speak with authority. I will refer your question to the Director of Public Works and obtain an authoritative answer. In the meantime, I would speculate that it might have been so graded by reason of statistics collected of the number of vehicles that travel along the road not because of the number of people who live in the area.
MR. BERNACCHI:---Which, of course, brings me back to my main question. I see in the last paragraph that the Director of Public Works in looking into the adequacy of the illumination of the footpaths. I can say from own experience that a very large number of people come on to these footpaths in the evening. Would you, Sir, ask the Director of Public Works can extra lighting be provided for the footpaths?
CHAIRMAN: --Yes, I will make that request.
(6) Dr. A. M. S. BELL asked the following question:-
What steps, if any, are being taken to have matters that were raised in the Annual Debate but are outside the Urban Council's jurisdiction answered and when?
THE CHAIRMAN, URBAN COUNCIL, replied as follows:
I can assure Members that all matters raised, which were not within the jurisdiction of the Council, have been drawn to the attention of the Colonial Secretary and to the Heads of the various Departments concerned. Members will appreciate that many of the matters raised would require a long and full statement of policy, and that it would be unsatisfactory to many Heads of Departments to participate vicariously in the proceedings of the Urban Council by requesting me to reply on their behalf. In any case I cannot undertake to carry on throughout the year the conventions of the Annual Debate. In the circumstances I can give no guarantee that I will be able to say anything on matters raised which were outside the jurisdiction of the Council.
DR. BELL:-Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask you some supplementaries on this. In the first place, in my question I did not ask if you would give the answers, I asked what steps, if any, are being taken.
Page 224 of 259
422
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
259
Page 223 of 259
420
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
CHAIRMAN: -I cannot agree to that entirely, Sir, I think we should have an item on the Standing Committee agenda which will give us the opportunity to discuss the relative points of view which have been exchanged at question time to-day.
MR. SALES: That is my purpose, as long as there is an item on the agenda, then members will be free to raise the whole question of primary education being the responsibility of the Urban Council.
(5) MR. B. A. BERNACCHI asked the following question:
Why is most of the street lighting that is in the Chai Wan Estate only one lamp on the street side, so that the fairly wide pavements are almost in the dark?
THE CHAIRMAN, URBAN COUNCIL, replied as follows:
The section of roadway to which the question is understood to refer is that part of Chai Wan Road which is designed for future use as dual carriageway. Construction so far consists of part of the central divide, one carriageway and a footpath, leaving the second carriageway and asso- ciated footpath to be constructed later.
The street lamps have been installed on the central divide, and they are 125 watt gaseous discharge lamps, fixed at a height of 25 feet, 110 feet apart. Lamps of this power and at that height are standard for all secondary traffic routes, in which category Chai Wan Road is placed.
The type of fitting used, a double bracket on a single pole, is a recognized standard for the lighting of dual carriageways and provides the most efficient type of installation. It is of course designed to ensure the maximum level of illumination of the carriageway, and consequently the amount of light available on the footpath is less. The Director of Public Works, who is unable to be present today, is looking into the question of the adequacy of the illumination of the footpaths.
MR. BERNACCHI:-Mr. Chairman, when is the second part of the carriageway and associated footpath going to be constructed?
CHAIRMAN:-I am sorry, Sir, I do not have that information.
MR. BERNACCHI:-You say lamps of this power, that is 125 watt, not very strong, and at this height, are standard for all secondary traffic routes, in which category Chai Wan Road is placed. I would
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
421
Chai Wan
like to ask the question, why a secondary traffic route? multi-storey resettlement is officially placed at 56,000 people, Chai Wan cottage area, I should think, adds another 10,000. In fact I estimate more than 70,000 people live in the Chai Wan area, a city in itself. Why secondary traffic route?
CHAIRMAN: --It will be obvious to you, Sir, that this is not a subject on which I can speak with authority. I will refer your question to the Director of Public Works and obtain an authoritative answer. In the meantime, I would speculate that it might have been so graded by reason of statistics collected of the number of vehicles that travel along the road not because of the number of people who live in the area.
MR. BERNACCHI:---Which, of course, brings me back to my main question. I see in the last paragraph that the Director of Public Works in looking into the adequacy of the illumination of the footpaths. I can say from own experience that a very large number of people come on to these footpaths in the evening. Would you, Sir, ask the Director of Public Works can extra lighting be provided for the footpaths?
CHAIRMAN: --Yes, I will make that request.
(6) Dr. A. M. S. BELL asked the following question:-
What steps, if any, are being taken to have matters that were raised in the Annual Debate but are outside the Urban Council's jurisdiction answered and when?
THE CHAIRMAN, URBAN COUNCIL, replied as follows:
I can assure Members that all matters raised, which were not within the jurisdiction of the Council, have been drawn to the attention of the Colonial Secretary and to the Heads of the various Departments concerned. Members will appreciate that many of the matters raised would require a long and full statement of policy, and that it would be unsatisfactory to many Heads of Departments to partic- ipate vicariously in the proceedings of the Urban Council by requesting me to reply on their behalf. In any case I cannot undertake to carry on throughout the year the con- ventions of the Annual Debate. In the circumstances I can give no guarantee that I will be able to say anything on matters raised which were outside the jurisdiction of the Council.
DR. BELL:-Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask you some supple- mentaries on this. In the first place, in my question I did not ask if you would give the answers, I asked what steps, if any, are being taken.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.