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The Council's decision in 1955 to allow an unrestricted issue of pedlar hawker licences resulted in a proliferation of pedlars. Many of them took root and began using fixed stalls without authorization in many streets throughout the urban areas, but more especially in those streets where, owing to shortage of control staff, control was less stringent or non-existent. These "hawker streets" thus became "tolerated" by default, to the point where many so-called pedlars are now trading without authorization from huge stalls, often as multiple licence holders, having persuaded relatives and friends to obtain pedlar licences for their expanded operations. These areas pose serious problems of sanitation, obstruction and even fire hazard. The Urban Council is now pursuing a realistic approach by obtaining additional staff to enforce more effective control. The Council will furthermore consider regularizing the status of "static pedlars" as legitimate users of certain streets.
In reply to the second part of the question, between 1st April, 1968 and 31st March, 1969, a total of 16,476 pedlar licences were issued. On 30th June, this year, there were 17,914 licensed pedlars.
Lastly, I might say that the whole question of the future usefulness and unrestricted issuance of pedlar licences is under active study by the Urban Services Department. We will have the opportunity to constructively review this matter when the Urban Services Department has acquired and trained more staff to implement the policies and decisions made by the Hawker Policy and Management Select Committees.
MRS. ELLIOTT:- Mr. Chairman, in the first paragraph we are told that the pedlar hawker is entitled under existing policy to trade in any vacant site which is not in a street already prohibited to hawking. Could the Chairman of the Hawker Management Select Committee tell us if there are any vacant sites?
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:- Mr. Chairman, in view of the constant build-up over the past years in a large number of our streets, naturally the number of vacant sites for pedlar hawkers has been commensurately reduced. As I have said in the last paragraph of my reply, this is a matter which does require review by the Department, and I would hope that as the situation on the ground comes more under control, we should be able to review both in the Policy and Management Select Committees the future status of pedlar hawkers, whether or not pedlar hawkers can continue to operate under existing by-laws and whether or not it would be better for us to be realistic about the situation and in those streets where it is possible to regularize the status of the so-called pedlar hawkers converting them into fixed pitch pedlar hawkers.
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or not it would be better for us to be realistic about the situation and in those streets where it is possible to regularize the status of the so-called pedlar hawkers converting them into fixed pitch pedlar hawkers.
The situation, I would agree, Mr. Chairman, is complicated. There are many pedlar hawkers who are ipso facto fixed pitch hawkers and I would like to see, just like Mrs. ELLIOTT, this situation put under control and regularized as soon as possible, but our first problem right now is to get enough staff and to train that staff so that they can carry out the policies of the Council.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-- Mr. Chairman, I think my next question is rather unfair to the chairman of this committee, because it is not his fault, but can he tell us when, if and how we are going to control the situation?
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: Mr. Chairman, I wish I were able to gaze into a crystal ball, but I cannot. All I can say at this stage is that we have just received approval to take on an additional hundred-plus hawker liaison staff, and we know that the Resettlement Department is very concerned about getting staff for the Resettlement Department to co-ordinate and work together with the Urban Services Department on hawker matters. I should imagine that just as soon as the Urban Services Department could get the staff and have them trained over the coming months, we would be in a better position to see how soon we can review the situation of the pedlar licence. It is not something that can come overnight. I believe with Mrs. ELLIOTT being on both the Hawker Policy and Management Committees we will get results.
CHAIRMAN: --I think, Mrs. ELLIOTT, the answers to some of the future questions bearing on this particular problem may help to make the situation a little clearer to you.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-- Mr. Chairman, may I just remark that it does not seem to me to be moving at all. That is why I asked the question, but that is not a question.
(4) MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:-
In Mid-June of this year a request was made to the Colonial Secretariat for approximately 70 extra Labourers to strengthen the Resettlement Department's efforts at improving sanitation, re-ordering hawker bazaars and general anti-nuisance measures within Resettlement Estates.
(a) Can the Commissioner for Resettlement advise whether this request has been approved?
Page 74 of 237
287
Page 74 of 237
126
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
The Council's decision in 1955 to allow an unrestricted issue of pedlar hawker licences resulted in a proliferation of pedlars. Many of them took root and began using fixed stalls without authorization in many streets throughout the urban areas, but more especially in those streets where, owing to shortage of control staff, control was less stringent or non-existent. These "hawker streets" thus became "tolerated" by default, to the point where many so-called pedlars are now trading without authorization from huge stalls, often as multiple licence holders, having persuaded relatives and friends to obtain pedlar licences for their expanded operations. These areas pose serious problems of sanitation, obstruction and even fire hazard. The Urban Council is now pursuing a realistic approach by obtaining additional staff to enforce more effective control. The Council will furthermore consider regulariz- ing the status of "static pedlars" as legitimate users of certain streets.
In reply to the second part of the question, between 1st April, 1968 and 31st March, 1969, a total of 16,476 pedlar licences were issued. On 30th June, this year, there were 17,914 licensed pedlars.
Lastly, I might say that the whole question of the future usefulness and unrestricted issuance of pedlar licences is under active study by the Urban Services Department. We will have the opportunity to constructively review this matter when the Urban Services Department has acquired and trained more staff to implement the policies and decisions made by the Hawker Policy and Management Select Committees.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, in the first paragraph we are told that the pedlar hawker is entitled under existing policy to trade in any vacant site which is not in a street already prohibited to hawking. Could the Chairman of the Hawker Management Select Committee tell us if there are any vacant sites?
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, in view of the constant build- up over the past years in a large number of our streets, naturally the number of vacant sites for pedlar hawkers has been commensurately reduced. As have said in the last paragraph of my reply, this is a matter which does require review by the Department, and I would hope that as the situation on the ground comes more under control, we should be able to review both in the Policy and Management Select Committees the future status of pedlar hawkers, whether or not pedlar hawkers can continue to operate under existing by-laws and whether
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or not it would be better for us to be realistic about the situation and in those streets where it is possible to regularize the status of the so-called pedlar hawkers converting them into fixed pitch pedlar hawkers.
The situation, I would agree, Mr. Chairman, is complicated. There are many pedlar hawkers who are ipso facto fixed pitch hawkers and I would like to see, just like Mrs. ELLIOTT, this situation put under control and regularized as soon as possible, but our first problem right now is to get enough staff and to train that staff so that they can carry out the policies of the Council.
MRS. ELLIOTT:--Mr. Chairman, I think my next question is rather unfair to the chairman of this committee, because it is not his fault, but can he tell us when, if and how we are going to control the situation?
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: Mr. Chairman, I wish I were able to gaze into a crystal ball, but I cannot. All I can say at this stage is that we have just received approval to take on an additional hundred-plus hawker liaison staff, and we know that the Resettlement Department is very concerned about getting staff for the Resettlement Department to co-ordinate and work together with the Urban Services Department on hawker matters. I should imagine that just as soon as the Urban Services Department could get the staff and have them trained over the coming months, we would be in a better position to see how soon we can review the situation of the pedlar licence. It is not something that can come overnight. I believe with Mrs. ELLIOTT being on both the Hawker Policy and Management Committees we will get results.
CHAIRMAN: --I think, Mrs. ELLIOTT, the answers to some of the future questions bearing on this particular problem may help to make the situation a little clearer to you.
MRS. ELLIOTT:--Mr. Chairman, may I just remark that it does not seem to me to be moving at all. That is why I asked the question, but that is not a question.
(4) MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:-
In Mid-June of this year a request was made to the Colonial Secretariat for approximately 70 extra Labourers to strengthen the Resettlement Department's efforts at improving sanitation, re-ordering hawker bazaars and general anti-nuisance measures within Resettlement Estates.
(a) Can the Commissioner for Resettlement advise
whether this request has been approved?
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.