Minutes of the 20 Meeting of Yau Tsim Mong District Council
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Minutes of the 20th Meeting of Yau Tsim Mong District Council (2016-2019) Date : 24 January 2019 (Thursday) Time : 2:30 p.m. Venue : Yau Tsim Mong District Council Conference Room 4/F, Mong Kok Government Offices 30 Luen Wan Street Mong Kok, Kowloon Present: Chairman Mr IP Ngo-tung, Chris, JP Vice-chairman Ms WONG Shu-ming, MH District Council Members Mr CHAN Siu-tong, MH, JP Mr HUNG Chiu-wah, Derek The Honourable TO Kun-sun, Mr CHOI Siu-fung, Benjamin Mr JO Chun-wah, Craig James Mr CHOW Chun-fai, BBS, JP Ms KWAN Sau-ling Mr WONG Kin-san Mr CHUNG Chak-fai Mr LAM Kin-man Mr YEUNG Tsz-hei, Benny, MH Mr CHUNG Kong-mo, BBS, JP Mr LAU Pak-kei Mr YU Tak-po, Andy Mr HUI Tak-leung Ms TANG Ming-sum, Michelle Representatives of the Government Mr LEE Kwok-hung, District Officer (Yau Tsim Mong) Home Affairs Department Damian, JP (Acting) Miss PONG Kin-wah, Assistant District Officer (Yau Tsim Home Affairs Department Katherine Mong) (1) Mr LAM Kwan-hau District Environmental Hygiene Food and Environmental Superintendent (Mong Kok) Hygiene Department Mr CHEUNG Wai-man District Environmental Hygiene Food and Environmental Superintendent (Yau Tsim) Hygiene Department Mr Bradley Stephen District Commander (Mong Kok) Hong Kong Police Force WRIGHT Mr MA Wai-hing, Adrian District Commander (Yau Tsim) Hong Kong Police Force (Acting) Miss PO Pui-man, Karen Chief Transport Officer/Kowloon Transport Department Mr HUNG Tak-chuen, Chief Leisure Manager (Hong Kong Leisure and Cultural Benjamin West) Services Department Mr POON Hiu-tung, Felix Senior Engineer/4 (South) Civil Engineering and Development Department Mr TSE Chick-lam, Ken Chief Manager/Management (Kowloon Housing Department West and Sai Kung) In Attendance: Ms Mable CHAN, JP Commissioner for Transport Transport Department Mr LAW Hing-sun, Michael Assistant Commissioner/Urban Transport Department Mr CHAN Kin-wa, Edward Senior Engineer/Kowloon District Transport Department Central Mr WONG Siu-man, Simon Senior Engineer/Kowloon District West Transport Department Mr NG Wing-keung, Henry Senior Liaison Officer (1), Yau Tsim Home Affairs Department Mong District Office Ms PONG Sze-wan, Cecilia Senior Executive Officer (District Home Affairs Department Management) (Acting), Yau Tsim Mong District Office Ir WAI Chi-sing, GBS, JP, Managing Director Urban Renewal Authority FHKEng Mr Michael MA Executive Director (Commercial) Urban Renewal Authority Ms Carmen LOK Director, Corporate Communications Urban Renewal Authority Mr Lawrence MAK General Manager, Planning and Design Urban Renewal Authority Mr Ernest CHENG Senior Manager, Property and Land Urban Renewal Authority Mr Edward LEUNG, JP Executive Director Hong Kong Playground Association Ms Hailey LAU Project Manager, Culture, Sports and Hong Kong Playground Arts Division Association Ms LO Wai-man, Mimi Senior Liaison Officer (Building Home Affairs Department Management), Yau Tsim Mong District Office Mr WONG Wing-hing, James Engineer/Energizing Kowloon East Transport Department Mr WONG Chi-kwong, Assistant Government Chief Office of the Government Tony, JP Information Officer (Industry Chief Information Development) Officer, Innovation and Technology Bureau Mr CHENG Chung-shan Senior Engineer/1 Highways Department Mr Alex LUI Project Director, Green Deck Project The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Mr Daniel SUEN Director of Campus Development The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Ms Carmen FU Division Head, Communications and The Hong Kong Public Affairs Office Polytechnic University Ms Margaret LAM Senior Project Manager, Campus The Hong Kong Development Office Polytechnic University Mr CHAN Wai-yin Divisional Commander (Kowloon Fire Services Department South) Mr TO Chi-wing Station Commander, Yau Ma Tei Fire Fire Services Department Station Mr WONG Chor-kuen, Senior Environmental Protection Environmental Protection Alfred Officer (Regional East) 6 Department Dr Eric CHEUNG Hospital Chief Executive, Kwong Wah Hospital Authority Hospital Dr Paulina CHOW Senior Manager (Redevelopment Hospital Authority Project and Executive Support), Kwong Wah Hospital - 2 - Mr CHOW Chi-ping Senior Manager (Capital Projects) Hospital Authority Mr Dick WONG Manager (Capital Projects) Hospital Authority Secretary Ms CHUNG Siu-lan, Joanne Senior Executive Officer (District Home Affairs Department Council), Yau Tsim Mong District Office Opening Remarks The Chairman welcomed the representatives of government departments and other attendees to the meeting. He reported that Mrs ARON Laura Liang, District Officer (Yau Tsim Mong), was absent due to sickness, and Mr Damian LEE, District Officer (Sham Shui Po), would stand in for her at the meeting. Meanwhile, Miss CHUNG Ka-wing, Rainy had left the post of Assistant District Officer (Yau Tsim Mong) (2). He continued that Mr CHAN Ping-wa, Edmund, Chief Engineer/South 2 of the Civil Engineering and Development Department, was absent due to duty commitments, and Mr Felix POON, Senior Engineer/4 (South), would stand in for him at the meeting. Besides, Mr CHAN Yiu-keung, Edward had left the post of District Environmental Hygiene Superintendent (Mong Kok) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (“FEHD”), and his successor Mr LAM Kwan-hau would attend the meeting. He continued that Mr CHOW Yat-ming, Joe had left the post of District Commander (Yau Tsim) of the Hong Kong Police Force (“HKPF”), and Mr Adrian MA, Deputy District Commander, would attend the meeting. However, Mr MA would be unable to join the meeting until about 5:30 p.m. due to duty commitments. Likewise, Mr Bradley WRIGHT, District Commander (Mong Kok), would be unable to join the meeting until about 4:30 p.m. Item 1: Visit of Commissioner for Transport to Yau Tsim Mong District Council (“YTMDC”) 2. The Chairman welcomed Ms Mable CHAN, Commissioner for Transport, Mr Michael LAW, Assistant Commissioner/Urban, Mr Edward CHAN, Senior Engineer/Kowloon District Central, Mr Simon WONG, Senior Engineer/Kowloon District West, and Miss Karen PO, Chief Transport Officer/Kowloon, of the Transport Department (“TD”). 3. Ms Mable CHAN and Mr Michael LAW briefed Councillors on the work of the TD with a PowerPoint presentation, including the concept of “Smart Mobility”, the traffic and transport arrangements for the Express Rail Link (“XRL”) Hong Kong West Kowloon Station and the West Kowloon Cultural District, the development on the government land at Sai Yee Street, plans to improve parking facilities in the district and measures to improve bus and minibus services in the Yau Tsim Mong (“YTM”) District. (Mr CHOW Chun-fai joined the meeting at 2:33 p.m.) (Ms Michelle TANG joined the meeting at 2:35 p.m.) (Mr Derek HUNG joined the meeting at 2:36 p.m.) 4. Mr HUI Tak-leung raised the following views: (i) he commended the TD for becoming more open-minded over the past two years. Instead of just raising objection, the department representatives were willing to carry out studies after Councillors had submitted papers; (ii) he - 3 - was pleased that the Shantung Street pedestrian crossing had finally opened after he had striven for more than a decade; and (iii) he recalled the trial scheme for installing traffic light signal countdown timers in the district more than a decade earlier, which had later been shelved, however, as there had been views that such countdown timers would encourage pedestrians and vehicles to rushing across or speeding past the road. He considered that such views were not based on facts, and said that traffic light signal countdown timers could help pedestrians and vehicles stop in time and thus reduce accidents. He suggested that the Commissioner reconsider this scheme. 5. Mr Benjamin CHOI raised the following views and enquiries: (i) he considered that for many years, the railway had been Hong Kong’s key transport strategy, while motorists’ needs had been neglected; (ii) in view of the shortage of parking spaces in the district, he suggested studying different ways for more parking spaces. For example, by reducing the size of each parking space, more vehicles could be accommodated at a carpark. He also suggested making reference to the mechanical multi-level parking systems in other places; (iii) he asked whether there would be any policy on promoting electric motorcycles and electric bicycles; (iv) he suggested relaxing planning standards to raise the ratio of parking spaces to housing units; and (v) the mobile application “HKeMobility” provided information on walking routes for reference by the general public. He considered that to encourage members of the public to adopt walking as a mode of transport, apart from designing mobile applications, providing comfortable pavements was of the utmost importance. 6. Mr CHUNG Kong-mo raised the following views and enquiries: (i) after years of striving, he welcomed the expected substantial improvement to the traffic in the vicinity of Hoi Wang Road as briefed by the department; (ii) he hoped that the service frequencies of Bus Route Nos. 2E, 12, 914, 10 and 16 would be enhanced; (iii) he asked whether there was any convenient and rapid mode of transport travelling from Hoi Wang Road and the vicinity of Tai Kok Tsui to the XRL Hong Kong West Kowloon Station; (iv) he suggested providing more cross-harbour bus routes serving Hoi Wang Road; (v) he hoped that the installation of a display panel at the Hoi Wang Road bus stop would be completed as soon as possible; (vi) he hoped that the temporary carpark to be available at Hoi Ting Road would enter service as soon as possible; and (vii) he commended Mr Eric TAM, Senior Transport Officer/Yau Tsim Mong. 7. Mr Andy YU raised the following views and enquiries: (i) after the Government had launched the Public Transport Fare Subsidy Scheme, some minibus operators in his constituency had applied for a sharp fare increase. Despite being subsidised, members of the public had to face transport fare increase . He considered that the TD failed to act duly as a gatekeeper; (ii) given that the Middle Road Carpark Building had ceased operation since 2014, and that the Yau Ma Tei Carpark Building would soon cease operation, he asked whether there was any plan for more parking spaces in the district.