Summary of the Minutes of the 7th Meeting of the District Council

The 7th Meeting of the Council (TWDC) was held on 17 November 2020. The major issues discussed were summarised as follows:

Follow-up on the Illegal Parking of Taxis at the Discovery Park Bus Stop on – Tsuen Wan 2. A Member raised the captioned issue. Members pointed out that taxis often occupied the bus stop outside Discovery Park/CDW Building with the intention of picking up arrival passengers from cross-boundary coaches using the said bus stop for drop-off. The occupation had forced buses to pick up or set down passengers in the middle of the road, posing danger to them and causing traffic congestion at Castle Peak Road. As the original plan of CDW Building did not include any taxi stand, it was suggested adding a taxi stand or taxi pick-up/drop-off area at the location in question for regulation purposes. The problem was actually related to planning and so mere enforcement action to combat illegal parking of taxis would not eradicate it. In response, the representative from the Police Force (HKPF) said that it had accorded priority to handling offences which rendered buses unable to pick up or set down passengers at the bus stop. Apart from issuing numerous fixed penalty tickets to offending vehicles and towing away an offending vehicle, the HKPF also sent its mobile video team to detect unauthorised stopping at the bus stop, and the illegal parking situation had been improving. The representative of the Transport Department (TD) responded that while only buses could pick up or drop off passengers at the said bus stop, taxis and other vehicles were allowed to do so within designated areas of a yellow hatched area in front of the bus stop. The TD would examine the necessity of extending the bus lay-by, the taxi pick-up/drop-off area or the pick-up/drop- off area for other vehicles.

Improving the Safety and Maintenance of the School Buildings of “Matchbox-style Schools”, and Examining the Feasibility of Constructing Schools at New Locations in Tsuen Wan 3. A Member raised the captioned issue. Members generally opined that the aged “matchbox-style schools” in Tsuen Wan district should be redeveloped or reprovisioned given their dilapidated facilities, and limited space for teaching and student activities. While there were many reserved school sites in Tsuen Wan, they had long been idle due to such issues as fund allocation and administrative considerations. Members also requested that the Education Bureau (EDB) should construct new schools or increase the number of school places in the district. The representative of the EDB responded that it had already implemented five school improvement projects for “matchbox-style schools” in Tsuen Wan. Reserved school sites could be used for reprovisioning existing schools. The EDB would consider schools’ proposals for in-situ redevelopment/extension based on a set of eligibility criteria, taking into account the available manpower and foreseeable school building commitments within the EDB, and the likely capacity constraints of the construction sector. Programmes on reprovisioning of schools would be dealt with through open and competitive bidding

1 under the School Allocation Mechanism. If priority was accorded to a particular type of schools, it would be unfair to other schools in need of reprovisioning.

Request for Retrofitting a Lift at Exit A of MTR Station for Direct Access to Kwok Shui Road 4. A Member raised the captioned issue. Members generally agreed to retrofitting a lift (and/or escalators) at Exit A of Tai Wo Hau Station, considering that upon leaving the exit, residents of villages near Kwok Shui Road, many of whom aged and weak, had to travel along a circular route and a long slope before they could reach home. They also suggested constructing barrier-free access facilities. In response, the representative of MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL) said that in view of the ongoing developments in the vicinity of the two exits, the MTRCL was carefully examining different options for improving all the entrance/exit facilities of the station while monitoring the pattern of passengers’ entry and exit. The representative of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department considered that retrofitting a lift at Exit A would not have any significant impact on the park of which the exit was a part.

Request for Relevant Departments’ Explanations of Their Respective Responsibilities for Handling Different Types of Street Refuse in Tsuen Wan District, and Examination of the Feasibility of Joint Operations 5. A Member raised the captioned issue. Members were generally concerned about the illegal disposal of refuse and/or construction waste at rear lanes particularly at late night. Such acts had rendered cleansing work and enforcement action difficult. There were even cases of illegal disposal of construction waste at roadside railings during daytime, and disposal of waste beside refuse bins at late night. As the clearance of different types of refuse and construction waste fell upon different government departments, Members suggested conducting joint operations involving relevant departments to handle refuse illegally disposed of. Members also proposed tackling the problem through education and publicity. The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) responded that apart from clearing and collecting refuse, it would also clear small amounts of construction waste found. The FEHD had already deployed its staff for late-night inspections and prosecution of persons disposing of refuse at rear lanes. However, nightly inspections were impossible owing to limited manpower. The representative of Tsuen Wan District Office (TWDO) said that it had been encouraging and assisting owners to set up residents’ organisations to enhance the cleansing of buildings, especially the so-called “three-nil” buildings. As regards the clearance of illegally dumped refuse and construction waste and prosecution matters, the TWDO could act as the coordinator for more complex cases or cases involving multiple government departments.

Illegal Hanging of National Day Banners in Tsuen Wan District 6. A Member raised the captioned issue. Although unauthorised banners were common in Tsuen Wan district with some even obstructing motorists’ views, Members were concerned about the appearance of the logo of the TWDO on some of the illegally displayed National Day banners. They

2 also pointed out that many National Day banners were displayed at improper locations such as junctions and locations next to traffic lights. Members were also concerned that the Lands Department (LandsD) had allowed some unauthorised banners to occupy banner spots before the scheduled date of re-opening of the banner spots for the display of Members’ banners. The representative of the TWDO responded that the TWDO was not aware that the banners were nevertheless displayed and when TWDO staff later arrived at the locations concerned, the banners bearing its name had already been removed. The LandsD responded that the unauthorised banners in question had already been removed when its staff arrived at the locations of display for an on-site inspection. According to the relevant guidelines, the display of banners was allowed at a location within a one-way street near a junction if the banners did not obstruct the views of drivers getting on to the major road. The representative of the FEHD responded that it regularly conducted joint operations with the LandsD to remove unauthorised and non-compliant banners. In the October operation, many unidentified National Day banners were removed. The representative of the HKPF responded that the Police was empowered to immediately remove banners hung at dangerous locations or obstructing motorists’ views. Any person who deliberately vandalised banners might be liable to prosecution.

Tsuen Wan District Council Secretariat March 2021

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