1984 — Page 175

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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

of last year, the General Duties Team had stepped up its work. In November 1984, the General Duties Team conducted a total of 5 520 raids and made 10 231 arrests, representing an increase of over 50 per cent in the number of raids and arrests as compared with the same period in 1983.

As the number of raids by the General Duties Team increase, so will the possibilities of conflicts with the hawkers. Both the Urban Council and the Urban Services Department pay much attention to the training of the General Duties Team and the techniques of Team members carrying out their duties as well as their attitude are constantly under review.

Two policies on hawkers implemented by the Urban Services Department last year are worthy of note. One is the reorganization of the General Duties Team which has much increased the efficiency of the Team. The other is the scheme of payment of ex-gratia allowance to cooked food stall licensees who surrender their licensed, thus enabling government to save on the building of new markets. Up to the end of 1984, a total of 307 licensees have surrendered their licences.

There were some unfortunate incidents in relation to the control of hawkers last year. Some unlicensed hawkers, in their bid to avoid arrest and in disregard to the safety of pedestrians, have injured some passers-by, young and old. These unlicensed hawkers, failing to fulfil the hygienic requirements, are unable to obtain a licence pertaining to their trade. There are two ways to deal with the problem. The best way is to find some suitable places for these unlicensed cooked food hawkers to continue to operate their business in adherence to the requirements on hygiene as provided in the ordinances, but it is very difficult to find such suitable places. The other way is to step up enforcement action against these hawkers to protect public health.

Because of financial constraint, it is difficult to speed up the building of markets. The government may consider the following proposals in dealing with the hawker problems:

(1) It is hope that government will set up some hawker bazaars or temporary hawker areas in those open spaces which are not being used or in some of the streets away from traffic.

(2) Many hawkers may continue to operate in the street for 10 years or so and as the licence fees will be increased every year, it would help ease their financial burden if these fees are charged quarterly or monthly instead of annually. With the computerization of identity card numbers, quarterly or monthly collection of licence fees will not pose much of an administrative problem.

(3) Ways should be found to allow the itinerant hawkers a fixed place for the

convenience of their operation as well as control.

(4) Consideration should be given to issue new licences to those unlicensed

hawkers who are in the trade for many years.

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(5) As many of the news vendors in the streets are unlicensed, the Urban Council should give early consideration to issue licences to them. Consideration given to the news vendors is tantamount to giving it to the general public as the former will charge a delivery fee if they have to deliver the newspapers to the latter; and any member of the public would like to have his newspaper before going to work. Thus, allowing the vendoring of newspapers in the street is really a service to the public. (6) The control of hawkers should continue to be strengthened. Apart from improving the efficency of the General Duties Team, it is hoped that the District Boards will give suggestions on the ways to effect control in accordance with the circumstances of their districts. It is also hoped that the courts will levy heavier fines on the recidivists to deter other hawkers from breaking the law.

(7) The problems of hawkers will remain for many years. It is hoped that the police will pay more attention to the obstruction by hawkers of important traffic points, particularly during public holidays. It is also hoped that the police will take care not to allow opportunities for the forces of evil, such as triad society elements, to thrive among the hawkers.

Markets

There are at present 54 markets and 39 hawker bazaars in the urban areas in Hong Kong.

6 markets were built during 1984. They are the Sai Wan Ho Market, Chai Wan Temporary Market, To Kwa Wan Market, Kowloon City Temporary Market, the cooked food bazaar at the Kwun Tong Pier, and Tung Yuen Street Cooked Food Market. These markets and bazaars accommodate a total of 1 350 hawkers.

The only market to be completed in 1985 is the cooked food market in Tsun Yip Street which will provide spaces for 56 cooked food stalls.

The Urban Council is at present under financial constraint and we cannot hope that the building of other markets will be expedited.

The Urban Services Department is now studying ways to improve the facilities in the markets, such as ventilation and access. The Urban Council too is examining how to increase the rate of occupancy of the stalls in the markets. At present there are 759 stalls unoccupied, representing about 10 per cent of the total number of stalls.

During the past 2 years, the Urban Council has made strenuous efforts to protect the interests of the market stall holders by preventing hawkers to ply their trade near the markets.

Finally, I would like to add one more point on the system of government in Hong Kong. The whole of Hong Kong, including Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories, is not very large, in recent years, many

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