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(b) In the past year, how many complaints against hawkers placing their goods outside "yellow boxes" were received by the Department? How many prosecutions were taken out against this type of offence?
(c) If hawkers place their goods outside "yellow boxes", what procedures will be adopted by the Hawker Control Teams to ensure that these hawkers display their goods according to the regulations?
MR. IP KWOK-CHUNG, CHAIRMAN OF THE MARKETS AND STREET TRADERS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied (in Cantonese):-In response to the first part of the question about whether all the Hawker Permitted Places (HPPs) currently managed by the Council have 'yellow boxes' regions, the answer is yes.
As regards the second part of the question about hawkers placing their goods outside 'yellow boxes', in the past 12 months from 1 October 1996 to 30 September 1997, the Department received 33 complaints against hawkers placing their goods outside 'yellow boxes'. The Department took out a total of 888 prosecutions against such offenders.
As to the third part of the question about the procedure that the Hawker Control Teams adopt to ensure that hawkers do not place their goods outside the 'yellow boxes', HPPs are subject to daily inspection by district hawker control staff. If hawkers are found placing their commodities and equipment outside the boundaries of their pitches and the contravention is of minor nature, the hawker control staff would normally give them a verbal warning on the first occasion. However, if the contravention is of a persistent or serious nature or the hawkers do not heed the verbal warning, the staff normally would take out immediate prosecution against the offenders.
MR. WU CHI-WAI (in Cantonese):—I have two follow-up questions. The first one. I wish to ask the Chairman of the Select Committee whether we could assume that hawking places without yellow boxes are not hawker permitted areas. If so, I wish to ask why although there are no 'yellow boxes' in the area of Yung Shu Tau in Yaumatei, hawkers could still peddle as they please and no one is there to control them? The other follow-up question is that suppose there are 'yellow boxes' and hawker control teams are stationed there but when the hawkers place their goods and equipment outside the 'yellow boxes', they do not take any action, is there any way for us to exercise supervision?
MR. IP KWOK-CHUNG (in Cantonese):-The first question raised by Mr. Wu just now was about a hypothetical situation. I can tell Mr. Wu for sure that places without 'yellow boxes' are not Hawker Permitted Places. Just now Mr. Wu mentioned the area of Yung Shu Tau in Yaumatei. I know which area Mr. WU was referring to, but I can tell Mr. Wu that the area is not a Hawker Permitted Place of the Urban Council. There is a historical reason and for a long time it is related to the district problem. If Mr. Wu wants to know more,
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(b) In the past year, how many complaints against hawkers placing their goods outside "yellow boxes" were received by the Department? How many prosecutions were taken out against this type of offence?
(c) If hawkers place their goods outside "yellow boxes", what procedures will be adopted by the Hawker Control Teams to ensure that these hawkers display their goods according to the regulations?'
MR. IP KWOK-CHUNG, CHAIRMAN OF THE MARKETS AND STREET TRADERS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied (in Cantonese):-In response to the first part of the question about whether all the Hawker Permitted Places (HPPs) currently managed by the Council have 'yellow boxes' regions, the answer is yes.
As regards the second part of the question about hawkers placing their goods outside 'yellow boxes', in the past 12 months from 1 October 1996 to 30 September 1997, the Department received 33 complaints against hawkers placing their goods outside 'yellow boxes'. The Department took out a total of 888 prosecutions against such offenders.
As to the third part of the question about the procedure that the Hawker Control Teams adopt to ensure that hawkers do not place their goods outside the 'yellow boxes', HPPs are subject to daily inspection by district hawker control staff. If hawkers are found placing their commodities and equipment outside the boundaries of their pitches and the contravention is of minor nature, the hawker control staff would normally give them a verbal warning on the first occasion. However, if the contravention is of a persistent or serious nature or the hawkers do not heed the verbal warning, the staff normally would take out immediate prosecution against the offenders.
MR. WU CHI-WAI (in Cantonese):—I have two follow-up questions. The first one. I wish to ask the Chairman of the Select Committee whether we could assume that hawking places without yellow boxes are not hawker permitted areas. If so, I wish to ask why although there are no 'yellow boxes' in the area of Yung Shu Tau in Yaumatei, hawkers could still peddle as they please and no one is there to control them? The other follow-up question is that suppose there are 'yellow boxes' and hawker control teams are stationed there but when the hawkers place their goods and equipment outside the 'yellow boxes', they do not take any action, is there any way for us to exercise supervision?
MR. IP KWOK-CHUNG (in Cantonese):-The first question raised by Mr. Wu just now was about a hypothetical situation. I can tell Mr. Wu for sure that places without 'yellow boxes' are not Hawker Permitted Places. Just now Mr. Wu mentioned the area of Yung Shu Tau in Yaumatei. I know which area Mr. WU was referring to, but I can tell Mr. Wu that the area is not a Hawker Permitted Place of the Urban Council. There is a historical reason and for a long time it is related to the district problem. If Mr. Wu wants to know more,
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