HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Ladies and Gentlemen, the meeting is called to order.
MINUTES
The minutes of the meeting held on 12 and 14 January 1982 were confirmed.
PAPER
The following paper was laid on the table:-
(1) Report to the Urban Council by the Director of Urban Services and Secretary, Urban Council, for the month of January 1982.
QUESTIONS
1. MR. WALTER M. SULKE asked the following question (in English):-In view of persons handicapped by deafness exceeding 40,000 in Hong Kong, is the Hong Kong Government and this Council making any arrangements for official interpretation of proceedings in this Council and at other official Council functions in the deaf and dumb sign language?
DR. KIM Y. S. CHAM, CHAIRMAN OF THE ADMINISTRATION SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):-This question concerns arrangements for the interpretation of proceedings in the Urban Council and at other official Council functions in the deaf and dumb sign language.
There are at present no proposals for the provision of an interpretation service in the deaf and dumb sign language at any Urban Council function nor, so far as I am aware, has there been any demand for one. As a matter of Government policy, the Director of Social Welfare is considering the requirements for an interpretation service for the deaf and, in particular, whether it would be appropriate for the Government to support the creation of interpreter posts to be provided either through a voluntary agency or the Social Welfare Department or as a joint effort. However, no decision has yet been taken on this. If interpreters in the deaf and dumb language do become available, then I am sure that the Council will wish to consider whether their services can be made available at selected Council functions, if they are required.
2. MR. WALTER M. SULKE asked the following question (in English):-In view of the difficulty the U.S.D. are having in cleaning road gutters and pavements because of parked vehicles, has thought been given to instituting systems used in other large cities whereby one side of a road is closed to parking for a 12-hour period to enable that side of the street to be cleaned properly?
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
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DR. DENNY M. H. HUANG, CHAIRMAN OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese):-This question concerns the possible closure of alternate sides of streets to facilitate the cleansing of gutters and pavements.
As early as 1968, the Urban Services Department considered the possibility that an alternate day parking system might be introduced to facilitate the sweeping of road and surface channels by mechanical sweepers. With the help of the Police, an experiment was carried out in Kowloon in April 1968 but this was unsuccessful and it was found that it would not be practicable for the Police to remove the large number of vehicles which were causing an obstruction.
In 1978, the Urban Council purchased 20 additional mechanical sweepers. In an attempt to extend their use to as many roads as possible, the Department re-examined the feasibility of the alternate day parking system and suggested to the Commissioner of Police and the Commissioner for Transport that another experiment should be carried out in selected roads in Hong Kong and Kowloon. However, this suggestion was not accepted.
In January 1979, the Department again raised the matter with the Transport Advisory Committee who agreed that the case should be considered by the Standing Conference on Road Use. After considering the arguments put forward by the Department and the objections raised by the Commissioner of Police, members of the Standing Conference decided not to support the Department's proposals.
The main Police objections are the enormous commitment in terms of both manpower and equipment which would be required to clear alternate sides of streets on a regular basis and, if necessary, to tow away obstructing vehicles. There would also be a substantial reduction in the on-street parking space available in the areas concerned.
In the circumstances, the Council agreed not to pursue the matter and since that time, there has been no change in the situation which would justify further consideration of alternate day parking. In practice, the Department does not experience unacceptable difficulty in cleansing surface channels in streets where cars are parked and, in any case, it is necessary for pavements to be swept manually.
To sum up, I do not think that alternate day parking will be practicable in Hong Kong as long as the demand for on-street parking remains at the present level.
MR. SULKE (in English):-Mr. Chairman, in view of what Dr. HUANG has just said about the Police, how can it be explained that the Police can clear many roads around Happy Valley 30 times a year and cannot properly clear a road once in a while for the Urban Council?
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198
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Ladies and Gentlemen, the meeting is called to order.
MINUTES
The minutes of the meeting held on 12 and 14 January 1982 were confirmed.
PAPER
The following paper was laid on the table:-
(1) Report to the Urban Council by the Director of Urban Services and
Secretary, Urban Council, for the month of January 1982.
QUESTIONS
1. MR. WALTER M. SULKE asked the following question (in English):-In view of persons handicapped by deafness exceeding 40 000 in Hong Kong, is the Hong Kong Government and this Council making any arrangements for official interpretation of proceedings in this Council and at other official Council functions in the deaf and dumb sign language?
DR. KIM Y. S. CHAM, CHAIRMAN OF THE ADMINISTRATION Select CommitTEE, replied as follows (in English):-This question concerns arrangements for the interpretation of proceedings in the Urban Council and at other official Council functions in the deaf and dumb sign language.
There are at present no proposals for the provision of an interpretation service in the deaf and dumb sign language at any Urban Council function nor, so far as I am aware, has there been any demand for one. As a matter of Government policy, the Director of Social Welfare is considering the requirements for an interpretation service for the deaf and, in particular, whether it would be appropriate for the Government to support the creation of interpreter posts to be provided either through a voluntary agency or the Social Welfare Department or as a joint effort. However, no decision has yet been taken on this. If interpreters in the deaf and dumb language do become available, then I am sure that the Council will wish to consider whether their services can be made available at selected Council functions, if they are required.
2.
MR. WALTER M. SULKE asked the following question (in English):—In view of the difficulty the U.S.D. are having in cleaning road gutters and pavements because of parked vehicles, has thought been given to instituting systems used in other large cities whereby one side of a road is closed to parking for a 12 hour period to enable that side of the street to be cleaned properly?
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Page 121 of 146
DR. DENNY M. H. HUANG, CHAIRMAN OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese):-This question concerns the possible closure of alternate sides of streets to facilitate the cleansing of gutters and pavements.
As early as 1968, the Urban Services Department considered the possibility that an alternate day parking system might be introduced to facilitate the sweeping of road and surface channels by mechanical sweepers. With the help of the Police, an experiment was carried out in Kowloon in April 1968 but this was unsuccessful and it was found that it would not be practicable for the Police to remove the large number of vehicles which were causing an obstruction.
In 1978, the Urban Council purchased 20 additional mechanical sweepers. In an attempt to extend their use to as many roads as possible, the Department re- examined the feasibility of the alternate day parking system and suggested to the Commissioner of Police and the Commissioner for Transport that another experiment should be carried out in selected roads in Hong Kong and Kowloon. However, this suggestion was not accepted.
In January 1979, the Department again raised the matter with the Transport Advisory Committee who agreed that the case should be considered by the Standing Conference on Road Use. After considering the arguments put forward by the Department and the objections raised by the Commissioner of Police, members of the Standing Conference decided not to support the Department's proposals.
The main Police objections are the enormous commitment in terms of both manpower and equipment which would be required to clear alternate sides of streets on a regular basis and, if necessary, to tow away obstructing vehicles. There would also be a substantial reduction in the on-street parking space available in the areas concerned.
In the circumstances, the Council agreed not to pursue the matter and since that time, there has been no change in the situation which would justify further consideration of alternate day parking. In practice, the Department does not experience unacceptable difficulty in cleansing surface channels in streets where cars are parked and, in any case, it is necessary for pavements to be swept manually.
To sum up, I do not think that alternate day parking will be practicable in Hong Kong as long as the demand for on-street parking remains at the present level.
MR. SULKE (in English):—Mr. Chairman, in view of what Dr. HUANG has just said about the Police, how can it be explained that the Police can clear many roads around Happy Valley 30 times a year and cannot properly clear a road once in a while for the Urban Council?
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