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MR. MACKENZIE (in English):--We hope the work is satisfactory.
5. MR. JOHN MACKENZIE asked the following question (in English): -Is there any long-term plan for re-siting Hawkers off-street in Mong Kok district?
MR. SHUM CHOI-SANG, CHAIRMAN OF THE STREET TRADERS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese):-This question concerns long term plans for re-siting hawkers in the Mong Kok district off-street.
The Council's policy for all districts is to build more public markets, to modernize existing markets, and to move hawkers now trading on-street into these markets as stallholders. This policy applies to the Mong Kok district in the same way as to other districts.
Three new markets are currently at the planning stage in Mong Kok: namely, Tai Kok Tsui, Fa Yuen Street, and Sai Yee Street. Between them, they will accommodate around 1,300 market stall lessees, most of whom will be hawkers now trading on-street in the vicinity.
The timing of these projects depends on the availability of funds and agreement on the way in which the available sites can best be developed, bearing in mind that it is the Council's policy to erect multi-purpose buildings wherever possible and for these buildings to include cultural and recreational facilities and office accommodation. Schedules of accommodation for these 3 market projects are now being prepared.
MR. MACKENZIE (in English): ---Mr. Chairman, planning for new markets to move off-street hawkers has been in our programme for many years and the P.W.D. for a considerable time. May I recommend to the incoming Street Traders Select Committee that they try to derive with Government a fresh programme of market construction that has been recommended many many times in this Council.
MR. SHUM (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, the Street Traders Select Committee has always paid attention to this matter and we have always been hoping that the Government can set aside adequate money and places for the construction of more new markets so that is also our hope.
MR. MACKENZIE (in English):-May I take it that this matter rests squarely with the Government and that it is the root of the problem?
MR. SHUM (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, the Street Traders Select Committee has expressed its concern over the availability of these markets but this problem is now not with us, but with the Government.
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6. MR. STEPHEN M. L. LAU asked the following question (in Cantonese): Is the Council satisfied with the present control of street trading nearby market areas? With the present rate of market building work, are we still in the position to hope to keep street traders off the roads in four to five years?
MR. SHUM CHOI-SANG, CHAIRMAN OF THE STREET TRADERS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese): -This question concerns the control of street trading near market areas and the possibility of clearing streets of street traders in 4 to 5 years.
The answer to the first part of this question is that where new markets are constructed it is the policy to employ General Duties Teams to maintain a hawker-free area around the market. However, it is not possible at present to clear hawkers trading on-street in the vicinity of some older markets because there is no space in the markets to accommodate them. In areas near modern markets such as Bowrington Street, the new Mong Kok Market, and Yue Wan Market in Chai Wan, control is reasonably satisfactory.
The answer to the second part of the question is that the market development programme includes 25 new projects. As I said in reply to the last question by Mr. MACKENZIE, if funds are available, many of these projects may be completed in the next 4 to 5 years, thus removing large numbers of existing on-street hawkers. Everything depends on the timely provision of funds and completion of the projects on time. It is of course relevant that the new markets are revenue-producing.
MR. LAU (in Cantonese): --Of course, the hawkers trading in the vicinity of these markets would affect the business within the markets, so do we have strict regulations to stipulate that hawkers will not be permitted to trade outside the market?
MR. SHUM (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, of course, as far as our policy is concerned, we hope that there would not be any hawkers trading in the vicinity of markets. As I pointed out previously, we have not been able to achieve this target in the new markets and for the old markets, because of the lack of space to accommodate these hawkers, we cannot carry out all the policies we have set down.
MR. LAU (in Cantonese): -Mr. Chairman, the second question is that we have to wait 4 or 5 years before we can finally move all these hawkers into markets, but I understand that certain markets are being constructed in conjunction with other Government departments so I want to know to what extent will the number of hawkers be cut down to?
MR. SHUM (in Cantonese):· Of course, that depends on the number of new markets completed in the next 2 years, but according to our assumption we
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MR. MACKENZIE (in English):--We hope the work is satisfactory.
5. MR. JOHN MACKENZIE asked the following question (in English): -Is there any long-term plan for re-siting Hawkers off-street in Mong Kok district?
MR. SHUM CHOI-SANG, CHAIRMAN OF THE STREET TRADERS SELECT COM- MITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese):-This question concerns long term plans for re-siting hawkers in the Mong Kok district off-street.
The Council's policy for all districts is to build more public markets, to modernize existing markets, and to move hawkers now trading on-street into these markets as stallholders. This policy applies to the Mong Kok district in the same way as to other districts.
Three new markets are currently at the planning stage in Mong Kok: namely, Tai Kok Tsui, Fa Yuen Street, and Sai Yee Street. Between them, they will accommodate around 1,300 market stall lessees, most of whom will be hawkers now trading on-street in the vicinity.
The timing of these projects depends on the availability of funds and agreement on the way in which the available sites can best be developed, bearing in mind that it is the Council's policy to erect multi-purpose buildings wherever possible and for these buildings to include cultural and recreational facilities and office accommodation. Schedules of accommodation for these 3 market projects are now being prepared.
MR. MACKENZIE (in English): ---Mr. Chairman, planning for new markets to move off-street hawkers has been in our programme for many years and the P.W.D. for a considerable time. May I recommend to the incoming Street Traders Select Committee that they try to derive with Government a fresh programme of market construction that has been recommended many many times in this Council.
MR. SHUM (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, the Street Traders Select Com- mittee has always paid attention to this matter and we have always been hoping that the Government can set aside adequate money and places for the construction of more new markets so that is also our hope.
MR. MACKENZIE (in English):-May I take it that this matter rests squarely with the Government and that it is the root of the problem?
MR. SHUM (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, the Street Traders Select Com- mittee has expressed its concern over the availability of these markets but this problem is now not with us, but with the Government.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
227
6. MR. STEPHEN M. L. LAU asked the following question (in Cantonese): Is the Council satisfied with the present control of street trading nearby market areas? With the present rate of market building work, are we still in the position to hope to keep street traders off the roads in four to five years?
MR. SHUM CHOI-SANG, CHAIRMAN OF THE STREET TRADERS SELECT COM- MITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese): -This question concerns the con- trol of street trading near market areas and the possibility of clearing streets of street traders in 4 to 5 years.
The answer to the first part of this question is that where new markets are constructed it is the policy to employ General Duties Teams to maintain a hawker-free area around the market. However, it is not possible at present to clear hawkers trading on-street in the vicinity of some older markets because there is no space in the markets to accommodate them. In areas near modern markets such as Bowrington Street, the new Mong Kok Market, and Yue Wan Market in Chai Wan, control is reasonably satisfactory.
The answer to the second part of the question is that the market develop- ment programme includes 25 new projects. As I said in reply to the last question by Mr. MACKENZIE, if funds are available, many of these projects may be completed in the next 4 to 5 years, thus removing large numbers of existing on-street hawkers. Everything depends on the timely provision of funds and completion of the projects on time. It is of course relevant that the new markets are revenue-producing.
MR. LAU (in Cantonese): --Of course, the hawkers trading in the vicinity of these markets would affect the business within the markets, so do we have strict regulations to stipulate that hawkers will not be permitted to trade outside the market?
MR. SHUM (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, of course, as far as our policy is concerned, we hope that there would not be any hawkers trading in the vicinity of markets. As I pointed out previously, we have not been able to achieve this target in the new markets and for the old markets, because of the lack of space to accommodate these hawkers, we cannot carry out all the policies we have set down.
MR. LAU (in Cantonese): -Mr. Chairman, the second question is that we have to wait 4 or 5 years before we can finally move all these hawkers into markets, but I understand that certain markets are being constructed in conjunction with other Government departments so I want to know to what extent will the number of hawkers be cut down to?
www.
MR. SHUM (in Cantonese):· Of course, that depends on the number of new markets completed in the next 2 years, but according to our assumption we
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