HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
75
worse. We can see rubbish, polluted water all over the streets. We can see food establishments extending their seating area to the streets. A lot of rubbish is left there and early morning street cleansing has not been done well. I find that the hours for morning street cleansing are getting later and later. Take the area I live in, the streets in the vicinity are not yet cleaned by 9 am. This is not a situation alone to Yau Tsim Mong District, my colleagues have mentioned such situations and reflected to me often before.
One of the main duties of the Council is to produce a good, clean, hygienic environment for the people. In step with economic development, the quality of our citizens' lives are uplifting and demands on the Council's work are increasing too. However, the Council's services in respect of environmental hygiene cannot meet the requirements of our time.
According to the service commitment of the Department announced in January 1997, the target of street cleansing services is to start at 7 am or at 6.30 am in areas with special needs. Street sweeping should be done 4 times a day in built-up areas and street washing should be carried out at least once a week. For other areas, they should be swept once a day and washed at least once a week. At rubbish blackspots and on streets with serious rubbish problems, at least one additional cleaning should be carried out each week. Enforcement action should be stepped up too. Regrettably, the above minimum standards and aims have not been attained, not to speak of stepping up the services.
I think we have to do two things to fulfil the above minimum requirements. Firstly, we should continue to promote education on environmental health. Secondly, we should examine improvement measures.
Let's talk about environmental health education first. The 'Keep Hong Kong Clean Campaign' has been launched for more than 20 years. The concept of 'Everybody has the responsibility to keep Hong Kong clean' has been generally accepted. Nevertheless, it is still necessary to step up publicity on education among members of the public and there must be positive propaganda in continually arousing people's awareness of keeping the city clean. Yet, only strengthening publicity on education cannot solve the existing problem, studies on improvement measures must be carried out as well.
I think one of the measures to take is to target at people who create rubbish on our streets. Practical effects can only come about with prosecutions against those who litter and spit indiscriminately. According to information supplied by the Department, there are at present 580 cleansing supervisory staff. Those empowered to take out prosecutions, including members of the Hawkers Control Force, a total number of 1788. Unfortunately, I have not noticed any member of the Hawkers Control Force engaged in such work. I bet many of us present here today are not aware of the power of the Hawker Control Officers in this respect. How can they be expected to create a deterrent effect? I believe if all members of that grade carry out this duty of prosecuting littering offenders, our streets will be a lot cleaner.
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Page 77 of 654
Page 77 of 654
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
75
worse. We can see rubbish, polluted water all over the streets. We can see food establishments extending their seating area to the streets. A lot of rubbish is left there and early morning street cleansing has not been done well. I find that the hours for morning street cleansing are getting later and later. Take the area I live in, the streets in the vicinity are not yet cleaned by 9 am. This is not a situation alone to Yau Tsim Mong District, my colleagues have mentioned such situations and reflected to me often before.
One of the main duties of the Council is to produce a good, clean, hygienic environment for the people. In step with economic development, the quality of our citizens' lives are uplifting and demands on the Council's work are increasing too. However, the Council's services in respect of environmental hygiene cannot meet the requirements of our time.
According to the service commitment of the Department announced in January 1997, the target of street cleansing services is to start at 7 am or at 6.30 am in areas with special needs. Street sweeping should be done 4 times a day in built up areas and street washing should be carried out at least once a week. For other areas, they should be swept once a day and washed at least once a week. At rubbish blackspots and on streets with serious rubbish problems, at least one additional cleaning should be carried out each week. Enforcement action should be stepped up too. Regrettably, the above minimum standards and aims have not been attained, not to speak of stepping up the services.
I think we have to do two things to fulfil the above minimum requirements. Firstly, we should continue to promote education on environmental health. Secondly, we should examine improvement measures.
Let's talk about environmental health education first. The 'Keep Hong Kong Clean Campaign' has been launched for more than 20 years. The concept of 'Everybody has the responsibility to keep Hong Kong clean' has been generally accepted. Nevertheless, it is still necessary to step up publicity on education among memebrs of the public and there must be positive propaganda in continually arousing people's awareness of keeping the city clean. Yet, only strengthening publicity on education cannot solve the existing problem, studies on improvement measures must be carried out as well.
I think one of the measures to take is to target at people who create rubbish on our streets. Practical effects can only come about with prosecutions against those who litter and spit indiscriminately. According to information supplied by the Department, there are at present 580 cleansing supervisory staff. Those empowered to take out prosecutions, including members of the Hawkers Control Force, a total number of 1788. Unfortunately, I have not noticed any member of the Hawkers Control Force engaged in such work. I bet many of us present here today are not aware of the power of the Hawker Control Officers in this respect. How can they be expected to create a deterrent effect? I believe if all members of that grade carry out this duty of prosecuting littering offenders, our streets will be a lot cleaner.
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Page 77 of 654
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