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HONG KONG PROVISIONAL Urban COUNCIL
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Ms. JENNIFER CHOW KIT-BING (in Cantonese):-Certainly the achievement of the Working Group led by the Chairman is widely recognized, but the complaints we have received are about management of the services. I would therefore like to ask a question about the inspections mentioned in the written reply. Could we adopt an inspection rating system and is the frequency of inspections decided by the usage rate of the public toilets? How is the frequency determined?
The second follow-up question. Just now the Chairman replied that professional drivers customarily use the small public toilets in remote areas, but the cleanliness of these public toilets is normally not adequately monitored. May I ask whether the Working Group would improve the monitoring system in this aspect and what the complaining mechanism is?
The last follow-up question is about the timetable. The last answer given in the written reply is that plans to solve the problem of public toilets on upper floors are under way. May I ask whether a timetable has already been fixed for this?
CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese):-It is very difficult to confirm in full the timetable at this stage because, as every Member is aware, we must economize because the appropriation from rates for these three years has been reduced. Discretionary resources have to be secured before any infrastructural projects could proceed.
As for the cleanliness of the small public toilets in remote areas used by professional drivers, it is a subject of our deep concern. The Working Group has decided that the Council must not relax about the cleanliness and management of even those small public toilets in remote and quiet areas.
As regards supervision over the performance of contractors in toilet cleanliness and maintenance, we intend to solicit the cooperation of Members, if necessary, in addition to that of the staff of the Urban Services Department. However, the plan has not yet been confirmed. The Working Group is considering this. It is hoped that Members of the various districts—I think we should start with Members of the Urban Council—will help out by inspecting the toilets in their respective districts. A points system will be adopted, under which points like 1, 2, 3, 4 ......... rather than grades such as 'very good', 'good', 'average' and 'poor' will be given, and the actual state of the toilet, described in a table. It is hoped that Members will keep the Department and Council informed of those toilets within their respective areas that are considered poor in their environment, so that further inspections and supervision over the contractors' cleansing services could be carried out.
MR. WONG KWOK-HING (in Cantonese):-I would like to ask the Chairman whether there is any plan to increase the transparency of the cleansing frequency of public toilets so that users may at a glance spot the 'complaint hot-line', 'daily cleansing frequency' and so on. Does the Chairman have this in mind?
Page 537 of 654
Page 537 of 654
Page 537 of 654
Page 537 of 654
HONG KONG PROVISIONAL Urban COUNCIL
531
Ms. JENNIFER CHOW KIT-BING (in Cantonese):-Certainly the achievement of the Working Group led by the Chairman is widely recognized, but the complaints we have received are about management of the services. I would therefore like to ask a question about the inspections mentioned in the written reply. Could we adopt an inspection rating system and is the frequency of inspections decided by the usage rate of the public toilets? How is the frequency determined?
The second follow-up question. Just now the Chairman replied that professional drivers customarily use the small public toilets in remote areas, but the cleanliness of these public toilets is normally not adequately monitored. May I ask whether the Working Group would improve the monitoring system in this aspect and what the complaining mechanism is?
The last follow-up question is about the timetable. The last answer given in the written reply is that plans to solve the problem of public toilets on upper floors are under way. May I ask whether a timetable has already been fixed for this?
CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese):-It is very difficult to confirm in full the timetable at this stage because, as every Member is aware, we must economize because the appropriation from rates for these three years has been reduced. Discretionary resources have to be secured before any infrastructural projects could proceed.
As for the cleanliness of the small public toilets in remote areas used by professional drivers, it is a subject of our deep concern. The Working Group has decided that the Council must not relax about the cleanliness and management of even those small public toilets in remote and quiet areas.
As regards supervision over the performance of contractors in toilet cleanliness and maintenance, we intend to solicit the cooperation of Members, if necessary, in addition to that of the staff of the Urban Services Department. However, the plan has not yet been confirmed. The Working Group is considering this. It is hoped that Members of the various districts-I think we should start with Members of the Urban Council-will help out by inspecting the toilets in their respective districts. A points system will be adopted, under which points like 1, 2, 3, 4 ......... rather than grades such as 'very good', 'good', 'average' and 'poor' will be given, and the actual state of the toilet, described in a table. It is hoped that Members will keep the Department and Council informed of those toilets within their respective areas that are considered poor in their environment, so that further inspections and supervision over the contractors' cleansing services could be carried out.
MR. WONG KWOK-HING (in Cantonese):-I would like to ask the Chairman whether there is any plan to increase the transparency of the cleansing frequency of public toilets so that users may at a glance spot the 'complaint hot-line', 'daily cleansing frequency' and so on. Does the Chairman have this in mind?
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