Page 109 of 201
176
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
dark, many rats come out and roam about. May I know why rats are present in these places and I presume this concerns the management of the parks and the Recreation Select Committee. Could Dr. LEUNG please give us further details of how the problem can be handled?
MR. RONALD D. B. LEUNG (in English): Mr. Chairman, I think the causes of infestations in parks are partly due to the harbourage and the food that may be available in the vicinity and all the places that have been mentioned by Mr. TONG are very near to the residential areas and also some of the small sitting-out areas may be very near some restaurants handling a large amount of food everyday and I think the cause for this infestation may be as I said from the harbourage and the food sources that are provided in the nearby areas. I think the Department is responsible and as soon as rats are discovered it will introduce very stringent rat control measures such as rat baiting to eliminate the rat infestations.
CHAIRMAN (in English): Presumably, Mr. TONG has drawn your attention to particular areas, and you will draw that to the concerned Departmental officers' attention.
RONALD D. B. LEUNG (in English): I will, Mr. Chairman.
4. MR. TONG KAM-BIU asked the following question (In Cantonese):— Has the Council any plan to develop the temporary depot in Fat Kwong Street, Kowloon City into a depot of better standard and would the Council consider improvements in the following areas?
(a) The road surface of the depot;
(b) the illumination of the depot at night;
(c) the drainage system and the environmental conditions of the depot. And when will the temporary depot cease to operate?
MR. PAO PING-WING, CHAIRMAN OF THE CAPITAL WORKS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese):—The question asks whether Council has any plan to develop or improve the standard of the temporary depot in Fat Kwong Street, Kowloon City.
The temporary depot in Fat Kwong Street, Kowloon City is situated on a site reserved for a stadium. The stadium project is in Cat. B of the Public Works Programme and there is no plan to upgrade the project in the near future. In view of the temporary nature of the depot, any work done to improve its standard has to be cost-effective and fully justified.
So far, the Department has carried out minor improvement works in the following areas of the depot:-
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Page 109 of 201
177
(a) road surface of the depot— 100m of the existing driveway is surfaced with tarmac aggregate. There is plan to surface another 65m of the driveway. A cost estimate for the additional work is being prepared by the Maintenance Branch of the Architectural Services Department.
(b) Illumination of the depot at night—
At present, spot lights are provided. Illumination is considered adequate for the parking area but for the vehicle washing bays. Two additional spot lights have therefore been ordered to be installed at the washing area at an estimated cost of $55,000.
(c) Drainage system—
Proper drainage system for the vehicle washing bays was installed in 1984 but it is now found to be inadequate due to the increased washing activities. The Maintenance Branch of the Architectural Services Department has proposed the installation of an additional surface channel to improve the situation. This is now being processed for implementation.
(d) Others
Proper toilets and showers for the staff----
At present only dry latrines are provided. A proper toilet with 2 compartments and 4 shower cubicles is being planned for the staff. Layout plans and cost estimates are being prepared.
Planting of trees—
Over 50 trees have been planted at the northern end of the parking area.
It should be noted that apart from the above improvement works, numerous minor improvement items have been carried out in the past two years. However, because of the temporary nature of our occupation of this site expensive developments of a more permanent nature would be considered wasteful of public funds.
As regards the intended date of the closure of this temporary depot, it is at present envisaged that when the USD Depot at Kowloon Bay (Project No. 002CA) is completed in 1990, all the vehicles parking in this temporary depot would be transferred into the permanent multi-storeyed depot in Kowloon Bay. The site can then be vacated.
MR. TONG KAM-BIU (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, the final part of the answer didn't mention when this depot will cease to operate so we may have to wait for a long time. I have visited the site and I think more improvement works should be conducted there in view of its relatively long duration. Actually the tarmac road surface is already badly damaged and when you are looking at the parking space, it is rather rugged. As regards illumination, we only have spot lights along the wall and there are no lamp-posts at all in the central part. Not only pedestrians will find it difficult to walk but also drivers will find it bumpy to drive along the driveway.
Page 109 of 201
Page 109 of 201
176
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
dark, many rats come out and roam about. May I know why rats are present in these places and I presume this concerns the management of the parks and the Recreation Select Committee. Could Dr. LEUNG please give us further details of how the problem can be handled?
MR. RONALD D. B. LEUNG (in English): Mr. Chairman, I think the causes of infestations in parks are partly due to the harbourage and the food that may be available in the vicinity and all the places that have been mentioned by Mr. TONG are very near to the residential areas and also some of the small sitting-out areas may be very near some restaurants handling a large amount of food everyday and I think the cause for this infestation may be as I said from the harbourage and the food sources that are provided in the nearby areas. I think the Department is responsible and as soon as rats are discoverd it will introduce very stringent rat control measures such as rat baiting to eliminate the rat infestations.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Presumably, Mr. TONG has drawn your attention to particular areas, and you will draw that to the concerned Departmental officers' attention.
RONALD D. B. LEUNG (in English):-I will, Mr. Chairman.
4. MR. TONG KAM-BIU asked the following question (In Cantonese):— Has the Council any plan to develop the temporary depot in Fat Kwong Street, Kowloon City into a depot of better standard and would the Council consider improvements in the following areas?
(a) The road surface of the depot;
(b) the illumination of the depot at night;
(c) the drainage system and the environmental conditions of the depot. And when will the temporary depot cease to operate?
MR. PAO PING-WING, CHAIRMAN OF THE CAPITAL WORKS Select CommitteEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese):—The question asks whether Council has any plan to develop or improve the standard of the temporary depot in Fat Kwong Street, Kowloon City.
The temporary depot in Fat Kwong Street, Kowloon City is situated on a site reserved for a stadium. The stadium project is in Cat. B of the Public Works Programme and there is no plan to upgrade the project in the near future. In view of the temporary nature of the depot, any work done to improve its standard has to be cost-effective and fully justified.
So far, the Department has carried out minor improvement works in the following areas of the depot:-
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Page 109 of 201
177
(a) road surface of the depot— 100m of the existing driveway is surfaced with tarmac aggregate. There is plan to surface another 65m of the driveway. A cost estimate for the additional work is being prepared by the Maintenance Branch of the Architectural Services Department.
(b) Illumination of the depot at night—
At present, spot lights are provided. Illumination is considered adequate for the parking area but for the vehicle washing bays. Two additional spots lights have therefore been ordered to be installed at the washing area at an estimated cost of $55,000.
(c) Drainage system—-
Proper drainage system for the vehicle washing bays was installed in 1984 but it is now found to be inadequate due to the increased washing activities. The Maintenance Branch of the Architectural Services Department has proposed the installation of an additional surface channels to improve the situation. This is now being processed for implementation.
(d) Others
Proper toilets and showers for the staff----
At present only dry latrines are provided. A proper toilet with 2 compart- ments and 4 shower cubicles is being planned for the staff. Layout plans and cost estimates are being prepared.
Planting of trees—-
Over 50 trees have been planted at the northern end of the parking area.
It should be noted that apart from the above improvement works, numerous minor improvement items have been carried out in the past two years. However, because of the temporary nature of our occupation of this site expensive developments of a more permanent nature would be considered wasteful of public funds.
As regards the intended date of the closure of this temporary depot, it is at present envisaged that when the USD Depot at Kowloon Bay (Project No. 002CA) is completed in 1990, all the vehicles parking in this temporary depot would be transferred into the permanent multi-storeyed depot in Kowloon Bay. The site can then be vacated.
MR. TONG KAM-BIU (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, the final part of the answer didn't mention when this depot will cease to operate so we may have to wait for a long time. I have visited the site and I think more improvement works should be conducted there in view of its relatively long duration. Actually the tarmac road surface is already badly damaged and when you are looking at the parking space, it is rather rugged. As regards illumination, we only have spot lights along the wall and there are no lamp-posts at all in the central part. Not only pedestrains will find it difficult to walk but also drivers will find it bumpy to drive along the driveway.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.