1973 — Page 63

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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

In the past we have been very stingy with hawkers, because there was a kind of mentality to regard hawkers as a necessary evil, to be pushed on to the scrap heap and controlled by prohibitions only. If given the facilities of their trade, they can provide a service instead of being a nuisance. I think that the time has come to change our attitudes: we must give the hawkers dignity in their trade, the incentive to keep their bazaars clean and orderly. Only in this way can we expect co-operation from hawkers.

I therefore propose that all hawker bazaars with a life-expectancy of one year or more should be paved, well-drained and provided with facilities such as standpipes, electricity and protective shades.

Mr. Chairman, I beg to move.

MR. BERNACCHI (In English):—Mr. Chairman, it gives me much pleasure to second this motion of Mrs. ELLIOTT. I do not wish to keep the Council very long this afternoon. I thoroughly endorse what Mrs. ELLIOTT has said. I simply want to add that if we are going to contain the hawkers by the overt policy of moving them into Hawker Bazaars, then the Hawker Bazaars themselves, even if they are classified as temporary, must be made at least capable of attracting the customers into the bazaar, and also such essential facilities such as water from standpipes and electricity must be laid on and sun shades permitted.

On the other hand, once we have these bazaars well established, I do not think that the Council should be expected to lose money. Ultimately consideration must be given to making the licence fees realistic of what the Council provides for the hawkers, but it is a case of which comes first, the Chicken or the Egg. I say the Council must make the Hawker Bazaars reasonably attractive then, when the hawkers have been established in the Hawker Bazaars and are doing, I hope, reasonably well, reassess the licence fees, not the other way round. It should not cost the Urban Council a terrific amount of money and in my opinion, it could well be done within our present revenue.

I must also say one thing before I sit down and that is, these Hawker Bazaars of the future should be for genuine hawkers and not for cartels of stalls owned by almost businessmen, carrying on what should be trading from suitable shops, and I would urge the Council through the Urban Services Department, with the coming of better facilities from Hawker Bazaars, to ensure that the Hawkers By-laws in this respect are strictly observed.

Mr. Chairman, I have much pleasure in seconding.

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

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MR. MACKENZIE (In English):—Mr. Chairman, at its meeting on 8th May, this Council was much encouraged by a Statement by the Chairman of the Hawkers Select Committee, Councillor Henry Hu, outlining the new plan of approach to the Hawker problem. This statement laid down four principles essential in tackling this important task:

firstly, an overall plan, related to finance and manpower currently available;

secondly, detailed investigation, including survey visits to Hawker locations;

thirdly, exchange of views between the committee, Hawker Associations and other interested parties; and

finally, close liaison and consultation with Urban Services Department.

(Mr. Peter P. K. NG left at this point.)

I am not unsympathetic to many aspects of the Motion today before this Council but I wonder if this is not another half-measure; improvisation which will merely delay proper solutions by extending public money on temporary hawker facilities which thus assume a semi-permanent state. It seems to me that the Council has not been put in a position to reach an informed conclusion and that the Motion fails on a number of important points namely:

The subject matter has not been considered by the appropriate body, the Hawkers Select Committee; nor have any conclusions or proposals of this Committee been placed before the Council. The financial implications of the Motion are not clear; the required expenditure of public funds has not been accurately assessed, and no budget has been either approved or requested for the purposes prescribed.

It is questionable that it is our responsibility to provide all of the facilities proposed.

There is no evidence that the views of the Urban Services Department have been taken into account in accordance with our four principles previously prescribed.

Mr. Chairman, I support the formulation of comprehensive plans to regulate and manage street merchants and traders, and I look forward with interest to discussing such plans in this Council.

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