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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Refuse in Hong Kong has a high water content, particularly those collected from markets and hawker areas. In order to maximise the holding capacities to facilitate transportation, all RCVs in the UC fleet are fitted with compaction mechanisms. Liquid is therefore squeezed out in the loading process, and might drip on the road in transit. To cope with this problem, all RCVs must have the loading hoppers water-proofed and fitted whenever possible with sump-tanks to collect foul water. The RCV drivers are under strict instructions to drain off the sump-tanks before driving off. Furthermore, they have also been instructed to exercise care when negotiating sharp corners or driving on slopes to avoid the spill of foul water on the road.
Despite these precautions, occasionally foul water still drips from moving RCVs for two reasons:
(i) the capacity of the sump-tanks is not large enough to hold all drippings during transit after picking up a particularly wet load; and
(ii) some RCVs of old design cannot be fitted with sump-tanks, or can only be provided with very small ones.
The Department has, since 1986, made arrangements to enlarge the capacities of the sump-tanks wherever possible. Of the 250 RCVs at present in the UC fleet, 91 have had their sump-tanks enlarged. With the other 159 vehicles, it is not possible to fit them with larger sump-tanks and in a few other cases, with any sump-tank at all. Whilst every effort is being made by the Department to replace these 159 vehicles with new ones that can be fitted with large sump-tanks, it will take three or four years to complete this replacement.
As an interim measure, the department hoses down the approach roads to the refuse disposal sites by street washing vehicles each day. The situation is constantly under review. More frequent street-washing will be carried out if necessary.
MR. JOSEPH CHAN (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask a question regarding RCVs generating bad smell or causing drippings foul water onto the roads. If they frequently cause nuisance to members of the public, will that affect the image of implementing the Keep Hong Kong Clean Campaign by the UC. Secondly, can members of the public take out prosecution action against these UC vehicles causing nuisance? If prosecution is taken, how can we deal with them?
DR. RONALD LEUNG (in English):--If the general public understand our duty which is to handle dirty refuse, I think they would have all sympathies on our Council to look after and to try our best I don't think it would affect our image in keeping Hong Kong clean. As regards the second question on whether we can be sued or not, I think we have to seek the advice of the Legal Adviser. But I don't think this can make a legal case in court.
THE HON. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN (in English):—Mr. Chairman, in the case of the 159 vehicles which will eventually be replaced, how many of these do not have sump-tanks at all and can thought be given to replacing these without sump-tanks or larger vehicles with sump-tanks?
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
DR. RONALD LEUNG (in English):-Altogether we have five different models of refuse collection vehicles in use and out of these, three models are outdated and we are trying to replace them with newer models. We have just completed trying of one new model 'Routechief' and we were not satisfied with the size of sump-tanks and we turned away that particular design of vehicle. We are still in a constant process of trying out new design models and one of the major requirements is to have a proper size sump-tanks underneath the vehicles and this is one of our standard requirements for all the refuse collection vehicles.
THE HON. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN (in English):—Mr. Chairman, will consideration be given to replacing these vehicles without sump-tank at all which is equivalent to my question?
DR. RONALD LEUNG (in English):—Yes.
MRS. CHOW CHEUNG WAI-PING (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, has the Council considered or will consider dividing refuse into different categories? I think it is a possible solution to solve the problem of pollution.
DR. RONALD LEUNG (in English):-I think Mrs. CHOW refers to at least a Japanese situation where they sort out the refuse into different categories before collections. But in the Hong Kong situation I think the public will need a lot of education before we can do it. The Urban Council is collecting refuse as a whole and sorting them out would depend on the householders to sort out the refuse. In Hong Kong I think there will have some practical difficulties in regard to Mrs. CHOW's suggestion.
MR. JOSEPH LEUNG (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, Dr. LEUNG has just said that RCVs would be washed by strong jets every two weeks. If the vehicles are so dirty to generate bad smell, can we wash the vehicles more frequently instead of just washing every two weeks? What is the reason for the RCVs to be washed every two weeks? Although some RCVs have sump-tanks for collection of foul water and since the refuse has high water content, have we given some instructions or advice to the staff concerned so that if they find that water is full in the sump-tank, they should drain off the water from the sump-tank to avoid letting them splash on the roads. Mr. Chairman, can we make improvements in this regard?
DR. RONALD LEUNG (in English):---For both suggestions we can. But if I may correct Mr. CHAN, we wash vehicles two times a week, not once every two weeks. I think if necessary we can wash the vehicles more frequently or at more frequent intervals. Of course this would involve additional resources and
Page 39 of 182
70
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Refuse in Hong Kong has a high water content, particularly those collected from markets and hawker areas. In order to maximise the holding capacities to facilitate transportation, all RCVs in the UC fleet are fitted with compaction mechanisms. Liquid is therefore squeezed out in the loading process, and might drip on the road in transit. To cope with this problem, all RCVs must have the loading hoppers water-proofed and fitted whenever possible with sump-tanks to collect foul water. The RCV drivers are under strict instructions to drain off the sump-tanks before driving off. Furthermore, they have also been instructed to exercise care when negotiating sharp corners or driving on slopes to avoid the spill of foul water on the road.
Despite these precautions, occasionally foul water still drips from moving RCVs for two reasons:
(i) the capacity of the sump-tanks is not large enough to hold all drippings
during transit after picking up a particularly wet load; and
(ii) some RCVs of old design cannot be fitted with sump-tanks, or can only
be provided with very small ones.
The Department has, since 1986, made arrangements to enlarge the capacities of the sump-tanks wherever possible. Of the 250 RCVs at present in the UC fleet, 91 have had their sump-tanks enlarged. With the other 159 vehicles, it is not possible to fit them with larger sump-tanks and in a few other cases, with any sump-tank at all. Whilst every effort is being made by the Department to replace these 159 vehicles with new ones that can be fitted with large sump- tanks, it will take three or four years to complete this replacement.
As an interim measure, the department hoses down the approach roads to the refuse disposal sites by street washing vehicles each day. The situation is constantly under review. More frequent street-washing will be carried out if necessary.
MR. JOSEPH CHAN (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask a question regarding RCVs generating bad smell or causing drippings foul water onto the roads. If they frequently cause nuisance to members of the public, will that affect the image of implementing the Keep Hong Kong Clean Campaign by the UC. Secondly, can members of the public take out prosecution action against these UC vehicles causing nuisance? If prosecution is taken, how can we deal with them?
DR. RONALD LEUNG (in English):--If the general public understand our duty which is to handle dirty refuse, I think they would have all sympathies on our Council to look after and to try our best I don't think it would affect our image in keeping Hong Kong clean. As regards the second question on whether we can be sued or not, I think we have to seek the advice of the Legal Adviser. But I don't think this can make a legal case in court.
THE HON. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN (in English):—Mr. Chairman, in the case of the 159 vehicles which will eventually be replaced, how many of these do not have
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
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sump-tanks at all and can thought be given to replacing these without sump-tanks or larger vehicles with sump-tanks?
DR. RONALD LEUNG (in English):-Altogether we have five different models of refuse collection vehicles in use and out of these, three models are outdated and we are trying to replace them with newer models. We have just completed trying of one new model 'Routechief' and we were not satisfied with the size of sump-tanks and we turned away that particular design of vehicle. We are still in a constant process of trying out new design models and one of the major requirements is to have a proper size sump-tanks underneath the vehicles and this is the one of our standard requirements for all the refuse collection vehicles.
THE HON. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN (in English):—Mr. Chairman, will considera- tion be given to replacing these vehicles without sump-tank at all which is equivalent to my question?
DR. RONALD LEUNG (in English):—Yes.
MRS. CHOW CHEUNG WAI-PING (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, has the Council considered or will consider dividing refuse into different categories? I think it is a possible solution to solve the problem of pollution.
DR. RONALD LEUNG (in English):-I think Mrs. CHOW refers to at least a Japanese situation where they sort out the refuse into different categories before collections. But in the Hong Kong situation I think the public will need a lot of education before we can do it. The Urban Council is collecting refuse as a whole and sorting them out would depend on the householders to sort out the refuse. In Hong Kong I think there will have some practical difficulties in regard to Mrs. CHOW's suggestion.
MR. JOSEPH LEUNG (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, Dr. LEUNG has just said that RCVs would be washed by strong jets every two weeks. If the vehicles are so dirty to generate bad smell, can we wash the vehicles more frequently instead of just washing every two weeks? What is the reason for the RCVs to be washed every two weeks? Although some RCVs have sump-tanks for collection of foul water and since the refuse has high water content, have we given some instructions or advice to the staff concerned so that if they find that water is full in the sump-tank, they should drain off the water from the sump-tank to avoid letting them splash on the roads. Mr. Chairman, can we make improvements in this regard?
DR. RONALD LEUNG (in English):---For both suggestions we can. But if I may correct Mr. CHAN, we wash vehicles two times a week, not once every two weeks. I think if necessary we can wash the vehicles more frequently or at more frequent intervals. Of course this would involve additional resources and
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