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Minutes of the 21st Meeting of the Traffic, Transport and Housing Committee of the Yau Tsim Mong District Council (2016-2019) Date: 4 July 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 HUI Tak-leung Vice-chairman Ms KWAN Sau-ling District Council Members Mr IP Ngo-tung, Chris, JP Mr JO Chun-wah, Craig Ms WONG Shu-ming, MH Mr LAM Kin-man Mr CHAN Siu-tong, MH, JP Mr LAU Pak-kei Mr CHOI Siu-fung, Benjamin Miss LI Sze-man Mr CHOW Chun-fai, BBS, JP Ms TANG Ming-sum, Michelle Mr CHUNG Chak-fai Mr WONG Kin-san Mr CHUNG Kong-mo, BBS, JP Mr YEUNG Tsz-hei, Benny, MH Mr HUNG Chiu-wah, Derek Mr YU Tak-po, Andy Co-opted Members Mr CHUI Kin-man Mr LEE Chung-ming Mr TONG Yik-kan Ms FUNG Lai-mei Ms LI Suk-har Mr LAW Siu-hung, Paul, MH Mr POON King-wo, Alex Representatives of the Government Miss PONG Kin-wah, Assistant District Officer (Yau Tsim Home Affairs Department Katherine Mong) (1) Ms CHUNG Wai-sze, Senior Liaison Officer (2), Yau Tsim Home Affairs Department Margaret Mong District Office Ms LO Wai-man, Mimi Senior Liaison Officer (Building Home Affairs Department Management), Yau Tsim Mong District Office Mr HUANG Hiu-chung, Engineer/Mongkok and Yaumatei Transport Department Sam Mr CHOW Ka-lok, Engineer/Yau Tsim Transport Department Vincent Mr TAM Ka-kei, Eric Senior Transport Officer/Yau Tsim Transport Department Mong Mr LAU Hoi-wa Officer-in-charge, District Traffic Team Hong Kong Police Force (Yau Tsim District) Mr LAM Chi-wai, Mike Officer-in-charge, District Traffic Team Hong Kong Police Force (Mong Kok District) Mr NG Chun-ling District Engineer/Mong Kok Highways Department Mr LAU Tak-yin District Engineer/Yau Tsim Highways Department Ms LEUNG Kwok-mei, Housing Manager/Kowloon West and Housing Department Alice Sai Kung 11 Mr HO Wai-kuen Senior Structural Engineer/F1 Buildings Department In Attendance: Mr WU Man-kit Electronic Engineer/Project 1/1 Transport Department Ms CHIK Tsz-yan, Environmental Protection Officer Environmental Protection Vivian (Assessment and Noise) 63 Department Ms Betsy LEUNG Assistant Manager, Public Affairs The Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited Mr WAI Kam-choy Director Honest Profit Corporation Limited Mr CHEUNG Kin-hung, Senior Engineer/Major Projects 4 Transport Department Eric Ms WU Wing-yue, Engineer/Major Projects 8 Transport Department Phoebe Mr CHAN Kam-leung, Senior Engineer/Strategic Studies 5 Transport Department Jimmy Mr CHAN Ka-lai, Keith Engineer/Strategic Studies 3 Transport Department Mr FUNG Hon-wa, Deputy District Leisure Manager (Yau Leisure and Cultural Harris Tsim Mong) 1 Services Department Ms SUEN Pui-ling, Senior Executive Officer (Planning) Leisure and Cultural Sabrina Special Duty Services Department Mr HUNG Ho-man, Executive Officer (Planning) Special Leisure and Cultural Mason Duty Services Department Miss Joyce WAN Chief Public Affairs Officer Citybus Limited/New World First Bus Services Limited Ms KO Mei-yee, Bon Senior Professional Officer/Signboard Buildings Department Control 1 Secretary Ms LEUNG Suet-ying, Executive Officer (District Council) 1, Home Affairs Department Cherry Yau Tsim Mong District Office - 2 - Absent: Mr FUNG King-yiu Assistant District Operation Officer Hong Kong Police Force (Yau Tsim District) Opening Remarks The Chairman welcomed Members, government representatives and those in attendance to the meeting of the Traffic, Transport and Housing Committee (“TTHC”). He said the government representatives and others invited to attend the meeting would be introduced when the respective items were discussed. In view of the lengthy agenda, he asked Members to speak as precisely and concisely as possible. Item 1: Confirmation of Minutes of Last Meeting 2. The minutes of the last meeting were confirmed without amendments. Item 2: Matter Arising: Completion of Mong Kok Footbridge Extension across Nathan Road Delayed Where Possible? (YTMDC TTHC Paper No. 41/2019) 3. The Chairman said the written responses from the Highways Department (“HyD”) ----- and the Sun Hung Kai Properties Charitable Fund Limited (“Sun Hung Kai”) (Annexes 1 and 2) had been emailed to Members before the meeting for their perusal. He then welcomed: (a) Mr Sam HUANG, Engineer/Mong Kok and Yaumatei of the Transport Department (“TD”); and (b) Mr NG Chun-ling, District Engineer/Mong Kok of the HyD. 4. The paper submitter had no supplementary remarks on the paper. 5. Mr NG Chun-ling reported on the latest progress of the project: (i) The foundation works had been completed. The contractor was currently connecting staircases to the footbridge deck and carrying out deck structural works. The road closure arrangements in relation to the lifting of footbridge structural units for the Nathan Road section had been preliminarily approved by the departments concerned. (ii) The study on the lifting and installation methods of the footbridge had been completed. The deepened details such as the transporting route, time and arrangements would be submitted to the Traffic Management Liaison Group for its confirmation at a meeting. (iii) According to the preliminary arrangements, the prefabricated units produced in a workshop would first be transported to Stonecutters Island Public Cargo Working Area before being transported to Nathan Road (near the junction with Mong Kok Road) via Container Port Road South, Lin Cheung Road, Tonkin - 3 - Street and Lai Chi Kok Road. (iv) Regarding the road closure arrangements, full closure of the section of Nathan Road between Bute Street and Argyle Street as well as the section of Mong Kok Road between Shanghai Street and Nathan Road was necessary. (v) As large-scale road closures were involved, relevant traffic diversion measures would be implemented. For the southbound traffic, there would be signs at Bute Street and Prince Edward Road West to direct motorists to the south of Mong Kok and Yau Ma Tei via Sai Yeung Choi Street South and Sai Yee Street. For the northbound traffic, there would be signs at Argyle Street to direct motorists to Prince Edward Road West via Tong Mi Road. All road closure arrangements had been approved by the departments concerned. (vi) The contractor would assemble the prefabricated units of the footbridge section spanning Nathan Road in a workshop. After assembly, inspection and passing relevant tests, the prefabricated units would be transported to the works site. Lifting works were expected to commence in the third quarter of this year. 6. Ms WONG Shu-ming pointed out that there had been a programme reporting on the issue, and she believed that the traffic diversion arrangements had been formulated just because the departments could no longer make any delays. She also had the following enquiries: (i) to facilitate the lifting works of the middle section of the footbridge, how long all the traffic diversion measures would last; and (ii) when traffic diversions were made, how the departments would inform the nearby stakeholders of the arrangements. 7. Mr WONG Kin-san said after the TTHC had arranged to continue the discussion on this item, slight progress of the relevant matters could be seen, with at least two written responses received and route maps clearly showing the coming arrangements. However, he considered that the two maps were quite complicated, and as long-time road closures would be involved, more information was needed in this regard. He was afraid that it would be difficult to have a good communication with the stakeholders with the route maps only. Moreover, he asked: (i) whether the prefabricated units, about 30-odd metres in length, would be assembled after being transported to Mong Kok Road, or their assembly would be completed in the container terminal; and (ii) about the exact time periods when the road closures would take place. (Miss LI Sze-man joined the meeting at 2:40 p.m.) 8. Mr Andy YU said the construction of the footbridge had commenced since 1998, but it had still not been completed after 21 years. He did not understand what made the construction of a 35-metre-long footbridge so difficult, and considered that clearly there were problems in the project. Many members of the public were dissatisfied with the delay. The carriageway had been partially closed since 2010 with only two lanes open for use, seriously affecting the nearby traffic. The media had reported that the public had already forgotten why the lanes were closed and what project was underway. He shared with Mr WONG Kin-san that communication was very important. The District Council had invited the Sun Hung Kai to meetings multiple times, but it had never send any representatives to attend the meetings. He asked the Chairman whether the District Council had the authority to invite the Sun Hung Kai to send representatives to attend meetings. Although the project was targeted to be completed in the first quarter of 2020, it was not known whether the project would be further delayed. He considered that Councillors could do little at present. - 4 - 9. The Chairman strongly condemned that the Sun Hung Kai did not send any representatives to attend the meeting. Nevertheless, as the Sun Hung Kai was not a government department, the District Council had no authority to require that it must send a representative to attend the meeting. He said that as the Sun Hung Kai did not respect the District Council, if he was still the chairman of the Committee in the next term, he would not allow the Sun Hung Kai to send any representatives to meetings. Besides, he asked the HyD the following questions: (i) the Sun Hung Kai had mentioned in its written response that a number of areas in respect of the works still could not be completed, but the HyD had stated that the works would commence soon.

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