Minutes of the 5th Meeting in 2017 of the Traffic and Transport Committee of Tai Po District Council

Date: 15 September 2017 (Friday) Time: 2:32 p.m. – 7:28 p.m. Venue: Conference Room, Tai Po District Council (“TPDC”)

Present Time of Arrival Time of Withdrawal Chairman Dr. LAU Chee-sing Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting

Vice-chairman Mr. WOO Kin-man, Clement Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting

Members Mr. AU Chun-wah Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr. CHAN Cho-leung, MH Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr. CHAN Siu-kuen, MH, JP Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr. CHOW Yuen-wai Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr. KWAN Wing-yip Beginning of the meeting 5:34 p.m. Mr. LAU Yung-wai Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr. LI Kwok-ying, BBS, MH, JP Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr. LI Wah-kwong, Rex Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr. LI Yiu-ban, BBS, MH, JP Beginning of the meeting 5:45 p.m. Mr. LO Hiu-fung Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr. TAM Wing-fun, Eric, MH Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr. TANG Ming-tai, Patrick Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Ms. WONG Pik-kiu, BBS, MH, JP Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr. YAM Kai-bong, Francis Beginning of the meeting 6:55 p.m. Mr. YAM Man-chuen Beginning of the meeting 5:54 p.m. Mr. YU Chi-wing, Ken Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting

Co-opted Members Mr. AU Chun-ho 2:44 p.m. 5:59 p.m. Mr. CHEUNG Kwok-wah Beginning of the meeting 4:05 p.m. Mr. LAU Chung-hon 2:34 p.m. End of the meeting Mr. MO Ka-hung, Joseph Beginning of the meeting 5:47 p.m. - 2 -

Mr. TSANG Hon-man Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr. MUI Siu-fung Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr. WAN Hing-choi Beginning of the meeting 5:41 p.m.

Secretary Mr. LEUNG Chung-wa, Alvin Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Executive Officer (District Council) 1 / Tai Po District Office (“TPDO”) / Home Affairs Department (“HAD”)

In Attendance

Mr. CHENG Chun-ping, JP TPDC Member Ms. LEE Kai-ying, Iris Assistant District Officer (Tai Po) / TPDO / HAD Mr. NGAN Wing-hong, Victor Engineer / 49 (New Territories East) / Civil Engineering and Development Department (“CEDD”) Ms. FUNG Man-ki Engineer / 5 (New Territories East) / CEDD Mr. CHAN Yau-yau, Leo Senior Transport Officer (Tai Po) / Transport Department (“TD”) Mr. WONG Kin-nam, Kenny Engineer / Tai Po 1 / TD Mr. LEE Hoo-tin Senior Engineer (Acting) / New Territories 3 / Highways Department (“HyD”) Mr. LEE Tai-kwan Engineer / New Territories 3-3 / HyD Mr. HUI Ka-kit District Engineer / Tai Po / HyD Mr. YEUNG Chiu-tim, Louis Assistant Housing Manager / Tai Po District Tenancy Management Office / Housing Department (“HD”) Mr. TSUI Yik-fuk Head, Traffic Wing (Tai Po Police District) / Hong Kong Police Force (“HKPF”) Mr. LEUNG Man-tik Assistant Public Relations Manager (External Affairs) / MTR Corporation Limited (“MTR”) Mr. LEE Shut-hang, Imgmar Senior Officer (Planning and Development) / Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited (“KMB”) Mr. SHIH Chiu-keung Operations Officer / KMB Mr. POON Chun-kong Assistant Manager (Bus Operations) / Long Win Bus Company Limited (“Long Win”) Mr. LAW Yiu-wah Planning and Support Officer I / Long Win Mr. CHENG Ping-cheung Executive Director / AECOM Limited Mr. LEE Yu-sau, Terence Senior Executive Officer (District Council) / TPDO / HAD Ms. WONG Yu-hang, Anita Senior Liaison Officer (2) / TPDO / HAD - 3 -

Absent

Mr. CHENG Wai Mr. CHAN Hoi-wing

Opening Remarks

The Chairman welcomed Mr. CHENG Chun-ping to attend the meeting of the Traffic and Transport Committee (“TTC”) and announced the following:

(i) Mr. LO Ka-kan, Gregory of the TD had been transferred and was succeeded by Mr. CHAN Yau-yau, Leo who would attend the meetings from now on. (ii) Ms. MAK Pui-yan of the CEDD was unable to attend this meeting due to other commitments and Mr. NGAN Wing-hong, Victor attended this meeting on her behalf.

I. Confirmation of the minutes of the 4th meeting of the TTC in 2017 on 14 July 2017 (TPDC Paper No. TT 47/2017)

2. The Chairman said that as the Secretariat did not receive any proposed amendments and there were no amendments submitted by Members at the meeting, the above minutes had been confirmed and no amendments were necessary.

II. Demand for the MTR to enhance its service level (TPDC Paper No. TT 48/2017)

3. The Chairman welcomed Mr. LEUNG Man-tik, Assistant Public Relations Manager (External Affairs) of the MTR to the meeting for the discussion of this item.

4. Mr. TAM Wing-fun, Eric introduced the captioned paper.

5. Mr. LEUNG Man-tik responded as follows:

(i) He thanked Members for their comments on the service provided by the MTR. He understood that any delay in railway service would cause inconvenience to passengers and he apologised to the affected passengers on behalf of the MTR.

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(ii) Safety is the top priority of the MTR. The MTR always insisted on safe services and carried out inspection, repair and maintenance on a daily basis. (iii) The MTR ran more than 8 200 trains daily. Some train components might be worn out from daily operations and might malfunction. To minimise mechanical failures, the MTR had stringent asset management and maintenance procedures and had allocated more than $8 billion annually for the repair, maintenance and renovation of its railway assets. (iv) The MTR upgraded the signalling systems of the Island Line, Kwun Tong Line, Tsuen Wan Line and Tseung Kwan O Line at a total cost of $3.3 billion in 2015. To tie in with the Shatin to Central Link (“SCL”) Project, the signalling system of the East Rail Line was being upgraded to cope with the operation of the new trains and automatic platform screen doors. In addition, the MTR had installed on the trains and railroad tracks equipment that was compatible with the new signalling system. Installation of the equipment at the Fo Tan, Racecourse, University, Tai Po Market, Tai Wo and Fanling MTR stations had more or less been completed and the installation along the tracks between the Hung Hom and Lo Wu / Lok Ma Chau MTR stations had also begun. On the other hand, the MTR purchased 93 new trains at a cost of $6 billion to replace the existing ones on the Island Line, Kwun Tong Line, Tsuen Wan Line and Tseung Kwan O Line to provide passengers with a more comfortable travelling environment. The MTR believed that the two measures above would help them maintain a high standard of service. (v) The Remuneration Committee of the MTR Board was responsible for determining the “performance-based remuneration” arrangements for its managerial staff. The committee would consider such factors as the MTR’s performance (including operating performance) and employees’ performance, in order to determine the remuneration level of its managerial staff. (vi) The MTR always valued the safety and reliability of its railway services. It took every incident that had led to delays seriously and conducted investigations and reviews to find rooms for improvements and enhancements. Overall, the reliability of services of the MTR was better than that of railway services in major cities in Europe and the United States. However, the MTR would continue its efforts to keep improving its service performance so as to reduce the inconvenience caused to passengers.

6. Mr. MUI Siu-fung quoted a newspaper report and a university study that there were samples of drug-resistant bacteria in the compartments and handrails of MTR trains, and enquired about the supervision and timetable for the cleaning of MTR train compartments. In addition, he said that the air conditioning in the East Rail Line trains was so insufficient that the compartments were extremely stuffy in hot weather. He asked the MTR to respond to and follow up on the matter.

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7. Mr. KWAN Wing-yip said that the response of the MTR was nothing but cliché and there was no need to compare with the train services of other countries. He asked how the MTR would compensate the passengers apart from being subject to the Government’s penalty mechanism. He stressed that compensating the passengers did not mean that they accepted the delays of MTR trains, but could at least ease their dissatisfactions. He was glad to see that the MTR had devoted resources to renew the systems and train equipment, and to step up its maintenance efforts. However, he opined that the MTR also had to introduce short-term measures to compensate the passengers.

8. Mr. Eric TAM’s comments and questions were as follows:

(i) In his view, when MTR train services had been delayed for a long period of time, the MTR should promptly waive the fares of all passengers so that they could exit the gates free of charge. He also suggested that the MTR should allow passengers to travel for free during the corresponding period of time as compensation. (ii) The MTR once said that with the commission of the SCL, the train signalling of the East Rail Line would be improved and the train services more frequent. Even if the number of cars were to be reduced from 12 to 9, the overall passenger carrying capacity would increase. He said that the quality of the existing signalling system of the MTR was not good. He was worried that there would be greater impact on the passengers if there was no improvement in the signalling system in future with the number of cars reduced. (iii) Although the MTR had invested billions of dollars in system renovation as well as repair and maintenance of facilities, it was so disappointing that its operation was still unsatisfactory.

(iv) As MTR incidents occurred frequently, he asked whether the MTR would initiate its performance-based remuneration mechanism for its managerial staff by holding them accountable and reducing their pay so as to compensate for passenger losses.

9. Mr. MO Ka-hung, Joseph asked whether the MTR had made any service pledges to the public. If so, he opined that the MTR could handle the incidents in accordance with the terms of the service pledges, and he also asked the MTR to provide the TTC with the relevant information for reference. If not, he suggested that the MTR should follow the example of other public bodies to set its own service pledges so that the public could monitor and comment on the operation of the MTR.

10. Mr. YAM Kai-bong, Francis’ comments were as follows:

(i) He noted that the serious delay of train services on Kwun Tong Line a couple of months ago had caused great inconvenience to the passengers. However, the fine - 6 -

was only about $2 to $3 million, which was way below expectation, as the trains did not stop operating completely. He believed that the TD should strengthen the MTR’s penalty mechanism. (ii) Failure of signalling systems on the different MTR lines (including the newly opened South Island Line) had proved that the merger of the two railways years ago had given rise to the incompatibility of signalling systems. While there were many engineers and staff in the MTR operations control centre to oversee and control its operations, he wondered whether the MTR staff was capable of handling such a huge network of railway systems. (iii) As many of the delays on the East Rail Line were caused by passengers jumping onto the tracks and animals getting onto the tracks, etc., he believed that the MTR could reduce these incidents by installing platform screen doors especially at the stations with relatively straight platforms, and should not make any excuse. (iv) As the MTR’s passenger capacity had reached its peak, there were often a lot of passengers waiting on the platforms of different interchange stations. He believed that while upgrading the MTR’s services, the TD should not ignore the importance of public buses. In addition, as the number of cars on the East Rail Line would decrease, the demand for public buses of those living along the rail, especially Tai Po residents, would increase. In light of the above, he hoped that the TD would not get in the way of the proposals to increase the resources of public buses in future.

11. Mr. CHOW Yuen-wai opined that the MTR had not responded to Members’ questions, such as the reasons for frequent malfunctions, ways to prevent delays in peak hours, and how long the delay had to last so that the MTR would waive the fares of passengers, etc. In addition, he said that while the MTR had said that the improved signalling systems could enhance the frequency of its train services to compensate for the decrease of cars on the East Rail Line, he indicated that the number of other cars would actually decrease after deducting the number of first-class cars on the East Rail Line. He believed that the MTR should ensure that when the SCL was commissioned, the relevant signalling systems would be compatible with each other to avoid any breakdown, and the MTR should not be complacent because its railway services were better than that of other countries.

12. Mr. LEUNG Man-tik responded as follows:

(i) The MTR regularly cleaned the cars (including handrails) and sprayed special cleaning agents onto the handrails of escalators to reduce the growth of bacteria. (ii) Stations on the East Rail Line were outdoors. When the car doors opened, hot air outside would flow into the cars and thus raising the temperature inevitably. After - 7 -

the doors had been closed and the train had left the station, the condition would improve. If passengers noticed that the air-conditioning system inside the cars was malfunctioning, they could record the car number and report it to the MTR, which would follow up as soon as possible. (iii) The MTR had in place a Service Performance Arrangement (“SPA”) which had set out the corresponding fines for delays. The fines would be refunded to the passengers by way of a 3% rebate. (iv) According to the MTR’s mechanism, when a delay occurred, the MTR would activate the “accident mode” at the gates of the affected stations as appropriate to allow passengers using Octopus cards to exit the gates without any fare deductions, and would also consider refunding the fares paid by passengers at the affected stations on a case by case basis. (v) Restricted by the geographical environment of Hong Kong Island, the SCL stations could not accommodate the 12-car East Rail Line trains. As a result, the number of cars of the trains on the East Rail Line would be reduced to 9 after the commissioning of the SCL. On the other hand, after the signalling systems of the East Rail Line had been upgraded, its service frequency could increase. As such, the total number of train cars that could provide services would be more or less the same as present. (vi) Part of the SCL was the East West Corridor. The MTR believed that after the commissioning of the East West Corridor, it could relieve the burden of the busiest sections of the East Rail Line. It was expected that about 20% of the passengers would switch to the East West Corridor on the way to Diamond Hill Station and transfer to the Kwun Tong Line at that time.

(vii) Installation of platform screen doors had to align with the operation of the new signalling and train systems of the SCL. The works concerned also had to be carried out in conjunction with the upgrading of the systems. The MTR had completed some of the advance works, such as strengthening the station platforms, etc., and would continue to follow up on the installation of platform screen doors. (viii) The MTR had an operating agreement with the Government, which had set out the requirements for the accuracy of train services. The MTR made public its customer service performance for public reference on a quarterly basis. For the East Rail Line, the target accuracy of train services was 99.5%. In the previous quarter, the accuracy of train services was 99.8%, which was higher than the target set out in the operating agreement.

13. Mr. LO Hiu-fung said that the Transport and Housing Bureau (“THB”) had said that fines should not be levied on the MTR for delays of less than 31 minutes, so as to avoid putting pressure on the MTR staff. He believed that the pressure on the MTR stemmed from its poor services - 8 - rather than any external factors. Therefore, the THB’s statement was inappropriate. In addition, under the existing penalty mechanism, cumulative fines would not be levied on the MTR if its services were only disrupted and not completely suspended. As such, while the MTR services had been delayed for more than 10 hours not long ago and had such a huge impact, the fines were no different from that for general delays. He believed that the mechanism had failed to reflect the impact of service disruption and the severity of the incident. Just now some Members suggested that the MTR should waive the fares of passengers during the corresponding period of time afterwards as compensation, he agreed with the suggestion.

14. Mr. LAU Yung-wai asked about the connection between the installation of platform screen doors and the upgrading of the signalling and train systems. He believed that the MTR could install the platform screen doors first and upgrade the signalling system when the SCL was commissioned. He hoped that the MTR could explain why the installation of platform screen doors and the upgrading of the signalling system had to be carried out at the same time.

15. Mr. MUI Siu-fung’s comments were as follows:

(i) The MTR had a high carrying capacity and a lot of people took its trains every day. As such, cleaning the cars once a day was not enough. He hoped that the MTR would send more staff to enhance its cleaning efforts. (ii) MTR incidents occurred frequently but the 3% rebate scheme would end on 17 December 2017. He hoped that the MTR could extend the scheme. (iii) The early bird discount currently offered by the MTR in 35 stations was popular among the public. He hoped that the MTR would expand the scope of the scheme, such as increasing the number of stations covered by the discount, and pushing back the latest time to exit the gate to 8:30 a.m., etc. (iv) In a meeting with the MTR chairman earlier, it was reflected that there was no feeder bus between Fu Heng Estate / Chung Nga Court and the Tai Po Market MTR Station, and it was also suggested that the MTR should provide a $2 discount for the residents in the area. However, nothing had changed. He hoped that the MTR would renew the discussion and follow up on the issue as soon as possible.

16. Mr. LI Yiu-ban said that there were lines in Beijing, Shenzhen and other cities operated by the MTR, and the MTR also advertised through the television commercials recently that the percentage of its rail services in Sweden that had met the target had improved. He suspected that the MTR had excessively expanded its business outside Hong Kong and exported a lot of talents to other countries which, as a result, had affected the MTR’s services in Hong Kong. He opined that the MTR should review and be more aware of the situation.

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17. Mr. LEUNG Man-tik responded as follows:

(i) On the day of the delay on Kwun Tong Line, the train frequency was relatively low during the early stages of signalling failure. At about 2.30 p.m. that day, the trains were running once about every five minutes, which was more or less the same as during the non-peak hours on weekends. (ii) Pursuant to the SPA, the delay of a train was calculated by comparing the total journey time from the starting point to the terminus and the traveling time required for a normal trip. In that incident, the longest delay was 83 minutes. As such, the MTR had allocated $2 million according to the mechanism and would rebate the passengers by reducing the fares in 2018. (iii) As the platform screen doors were closely linked to the operation of the signalling system and trains, it was difficult to launch the platform screen door installation first. He hoped that Members could understand. (iv) The MTR would deploy staff to do some simple cleaning at the cars at the terminus (e.g., picking up the trash, etc.). Due to time constraint, however, they were unable to clean the cars thoroughly. Therefore, the MTR could only do a thorough cleaning of the cars after train services had ended. (v) He noted the comments on the expansion of the early bird discount scheme and the request for the MTR to provide feeder buses between Fu Heng Estate / Chung Nga Court and the Tai Po Market MTR Station, and would report them to the MTR. (vi) The staff responsible for handling international affairs accounted for only a small proportion of all the MTR staff. As a “home grown” company in Hong Kong, the MTR highly valued its passengers and businesses in Hong Kong.

III. Demand for the prompt setting up of a bus stop on Lam Tsuen Heung Kung Sho Road (TPDC Paper No. TT 49/2017)

18. The Chairman said that the Secretariat had received a letter from Mr. CHAN Cho-leung earlier, demanding for the prompt setting up of a bus stop on Lam Tsuen Heung Kung Sho Road. For details, please refer to TPDC Paper No. TT 49/2017.

19. Mr. CHAN Cho-leung introduced the captioned paper.

20. Mr. LEE Shut-hang, Imgmar responded that the KMB proposed in the Bus Route Planning Programme 2017-2018 that route 373 should travel past Lam Tsuen, and the District Councils (“DCs”) concerned had also supported the proposal. Subject to the resources and facilities in the area, the KMB hoped that the proposal could be implemented as soon as possible. - 10 -

21. Mr. CHAN Cho-leung believed that the TD and the District Lands Office, Tai Po (“TPDLO”) had to study ways to implement the setting up of a bus stop on Lam Tsuen Heung Kung Sho Road.

22. Mr. Francis YAM said that the TD should be responsible for the construction of bus stops, and the construction of a permanent bus stop meant that Lam Tsuen Valley could be a departure station for public buses. As such, it was very important to the residents in the area. In addition, he believed that the KMB’s proposal for route to travel past Lam Tsuen should be based on the fact that there was a bus stop on Lam Tsuen Heung Kung Sho Road. He asked the KMB based on what hardware facilities was the route proposal made.

23. Ms. WONG Pik-kiu believed that it was necessary to set up a bus stop on Lam Tsuen Heung Kung Sho Road. If route 373 was to travel past Lam Tsuen beginning in 2018, the TD and the KMB should start the preparatory work for setting up the bus stop as soon as possible. She said that Lam Tsuen Wishing Square was no less popular than Che Kung Temple in Shatin and was often used for organising large-scale activities of various kinds. As a lot of participants of the activities had to wait for buses at the bus stop on Lam Kam Road, it would have considerable impact on the residents in Lam Tsuen. In the long run, setting up a bus stop at Lam Tsuen Wishing Square would help divert the flow of people. She hoped that this issue could be incorporated into “Matters arising” which would allow the TD to report on the latest developments at every meeting.

24. Mr. Imgmar LEE responded that currently Lam Tsuen residents mainly took routes 64K and 65K to go to Tai Po Market MTR Station and then switched to other modes of transport to areas outside the district. On the other hand, during the Chinese New Year, the KMB had utilised the bus stop at Lam Tsuen Wishing Square as a stop for route 63R to provide temporary bus pick-up services for the public. The KMB opined that it was feasible in terms of operation to arrange for bus routes of other districts to travel past Lam Tsuen and to set up a stop at Lam Tsuen Wishing Square. The KMB, therefore, proposed to the TD that route 373 should travel past Lam Tsuen so as to provide the local residents with direct bus services to areas outside the district.

25. Mr. WONG Kin-nam, Kenny said that the TD would actively accommodate the proposals to provide more bus services for the residents as soon as possible. He pointed out that the location of the proposed stop was not managed by the TD. He, therefore, found it necessary to clarify the rights and obligations of future repair and management as soon as possible.

26. Mr. TSUI Yik-fuk reminded that the KMB should arrange for suitable bus models to run the road section of Lam Tsuen Wishing Square. The location of the proposed bus stop was currently locked and managed by the TPDLO, and it was necessary to clarify the management issues in future. In addition, he would like to know more about the frequency of route 373 travelling past - 11 -

Lam Tsuen.

27. The Chairman said that according to the responses from the departments concerned, land issues would still have to be resolved before a bus stop could be set up on Lam Tsuen Heung Kung Sho Road. He asked about the specific timeframe for the KMB to implement the plan of route 373 travelling past Lam Tsuen.

28. Mr. CHAN Cho-leung added that the KMB would implement the proposals concerned in the third quarter of 2018, but he hoped that the KMB could speed up the implementation. He agreed to incorporate the issue into Matters arising and asked the TPDLO to send representatives to attend the next meeting.

29. The Chairman agreed with Mr. CHAN Cho-leung’s suggestions.

IV. Demand for solving the serious traffic congestion problem at the boarding / alighting point on Po Nga Road (southbound), Tai Po (TPDC Paper No. TT 50/2017)

30. The Chairman said that the Secretariat had received a letter from Mr. CHAN Cho-leung earlier, demanding to resolve the serious traffic congestion problem at the boarding / alighting point on Po Nga Road (southbound). For details, please refer to TPDC Paper No. TT 50/2017.

31. Mr. CHAN Cho-leung introduced the captioned paper.

32. The Chairman said that he visited the site with representatives from the TD earlier. At that time, he suggested widening the lay-by there to expand the area of the boarding / alighting point.

33. Mr. Kenny WONG said that the boarding / alighting point on Po Nga Road was divided into two sections. The front (near McDonald’s) was a taxi-only area around 30 metres long, while the back was a general drop-off area around 40 metres long. Earlier studies by the TD to widen the general drop-off area revealed that there was considerable difficulty to widen the lay-by due to lack of space caused by pedestrian facilities at the rooftop.

34. The Chairman said that there was no structure at the rooftop of the site proposed to be widened at that time.

35. Mr. CHAN Cho-leung suggested extending the drop-off area for minibuses or private vehicles on Po Nga Road (southbound) to the taxi stand.

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36. Mr. CHOW Yuen-wai said that there was a room of about 1.5 metres at the front of the general drop-off area available for extension to ease the problem of insufficient parking spaces. The TD had proposed setting up a drop-off area on Po Nga Road near the basketball court. However, as the area was not big enough to accommodate a coach, and it was an outdoor area from where the passengers would have to walk a long way to arrive at the Tai Wo MTR Station, it would not be of much help setting up a drop-off area there. He proposed making use of the 1.5-metre room to widen the existing lay-by in the short term to solve the pressing problems, and continue to study other longer-term solutions afterwards.

37. The Chairman suggested visiting the site again with the TD, after which the TD would provide solutions and plans. He asked the Secretariat to assist in arranging for the site visit.

38. Mr. CHAN Cho-leung supported visiting the site. He added that as the big coaches dropping off passengers there had blocked the other vehicles, and a lot of drivers had parked their private vehicles at the drop-off area for several hours, it had given rise to traffic congestion.

(Post-meeting note: The site visit concerned had been tentatively scheduled for 3 November 2017.)

V. Demand for the adjustment to the frequency of routes no. 64K and 65K (TPDC Paper No. TT 51/2017)

39. The Chairman said that the Secretariat had received a letter from Mr. CHAN Cho-leung earlier, demanding for the adjustment to the frequency of routes 64K and 65K. For details, please refer to TPDC Paper No. TT 51/2017.

40. Mr. CHAN Cho-leung introduced the captioned paper.

41. Mr. Imgmar LEE responded that the KMB was discussing with the TD about the improvement proposals for routes 64K and 65K. The KMB would provide Members of the constituencies concerned with details of the improvement proposals once further information was available.

VI. Demand for a full review on the airport bus services for Tai Po District and the departing of route no. A47X from Tai Wo Bus Terminus (TPDC Paper No. TT 52/2017)

42. The Chairman welcomed Mr. POON Chun-kong, Assistant Manager (Bus Operation) of Long Win, and Mr. LAW Yiu-wah, Planning and Support Officer I of Long Win to the meeting - 13 - for the discussion of this item. He said that the Secretariat had received a letter from Mr. KWAN Wing-yip, Mr. Francis YAM, Mr. CHOW Yuen-wai, Mr. AU Chun-wah, Mr. YAM Man-chuen and Mr. LAU Yung-wai earlier, demanding for a full review on the airport bus services for Tai Po District and the departing of route A47X from Tai Wo Bus Terminus, to which Long Win had responded. For details, please refer to TPDC Paper No. TT 52/2017.

43. Mr. KWAN Wing-yip introduced the captioned paper.

44. Mr. POON Chun-kong responded as follows:

(i) After the route rationalisation earlier in 2017, demand of passengers in Tai Po District for routes A47X and E41 had changed. In addition to the increased passenger demand, some of the route E41 passengers had changed to route A47X. (ii) The first two buses of route A47X heading to the airport had relatively more passengers, with a load factor of 40% to 50% on average. The number of new passengers and those switching from route E41 to A47X continued to increase. (iii) Long Win would like to listen to the comments on the airport bus services in Tai Po from different areas (including Tai Wo).

45. Mr. Francis YAM’s comments were as follows:

(i) Relocation of the terminus of route A47X to Fu Heng Estate saw a significant increase in the number of passengers. Currently, route A47X had a maximum load factor of over 50%, while the load factor of other trips was lower. (ii) He had monitored the situation of route A47X during the summer holiday and noticed that many tourists and residents who worked at the airport would take route A47X to the airport. (iii) He agreed that the waiting time of the current passengers of route A47X (namely, passengers at the Fu Heng, Sun Hing Garden, Tai Po Market MTR Station and Kwong Fuk Estate bus stops) should not be affected (currently one bus every 30 minutes). (iv) It was estimated that extending the services of route A47X to Tai Wo would increase the journey time by about 10 minutes. As the proposal would only add a section from Tai Wo to Fu Heng, current passengers of route A47X would not be affected by the route extension. (v) While extending the route might increase the overall journey time of route A47X, the passenger volume would also increase as the coverage of the route had been enhanced. In view of the increase in passenger demand, he believed that Long Win could consider adding additional buses while extending the route so as to - 14 -

maintain the current frequency of services and passengers’ waiting time. (vi) He noticed that the frequency of buses travelling past Tai Po Centre before 8:00 a.m. was stable and many people going to work would take route A47X to the airport. He suggested that Long Win should consider changing the departing station of buses after 8:00 a.m. to Tai Wo so as to serve the residents in Tai Wo, Tai Po Old Market, Lam Tsuen and Tai Wo Service Road West. (vii) Airport bus services being available at every constituency was the ideal solution but was not feasible in actuality. Therefore, it was necessary to select some suitable locations as interchanges and Tai Wo was a suitable location. (viii) In addition to bringing benefits to the residents in Tai Wo, extending route A47X to Tai Wo could also increase the passenger volume. Therefore, Long Win should actively consider the proposals concerned.

46. Mr. POON Chun-kong responded as follows:

(i) Extending the route involved additional journey time and the current frequency of services could not be maintained without additional resources. (ii) As the morning buses of route A47X were those “departing from the terminus” and those departing from the airport would be relatively late, only buses heading to the airport before 8:00 a.m. could travel past Tai Po Centre. (iii) With the same bus resources, Long Win had to consider whether the current frequency of services could be maintained by re-allocating the bus resources if the bus terminus was to be moved to Tai Wo. Long Win could not determine whether Members’ proposals were feasible for the time being.

47. Mr. CHOW Yuen-wai said that compared with Tuen Mun which had five airport bus routes, namely routes E33, E33P, A33P, A33X and A33, there were only two airport bus routes, namely routes E41 and A47X in Tai Po District. In view of the low load factor of route A47X at present, he hoped that its service could be extended to Tai Wo so as to serve the residents in the area. He reiterated that the original proposal for route A47X was to cover the entire Tai Po District. After rationalisation, however, Tai Wo was the only area without airport bus services, and he hoped that the TD and the bus company could pay attention to the situation. Apart from route A47X, he had also suggested adjusting route E41 to serve Tai Wo but received no response from the bus company. He emphasised that the original intention of proposing the relocation of the terminus of route A47X to Tai Wo was not to snatch the resources away from other districts, but to fight from the bus company for the airport bus services Tai Po District deserved. He suggested handing over the issue to the Working Group on Provision of Public Bus and Minibus Services (“Working Group”) for further discussion so as to follow up on and improve the airport bus services in Tai Po District. - 15 -

48. Mr. YAM Man-chuen asked whether route NA47 would become a permanent route and if not, whether Long Win had any plans to provide overnight airport bus services for Tai Po District.

49. Ms. WONG Pik-kiu hoped that Members could understand that bus routes that had been in operation for only a year were at the infancy stages. Many well-established bus routes, such as routes 307 and 271, had only been improved due to the consistent efforts made by the DC. She said that at present, the terminus of route E41 is located north of Tai Po River (where Tai Wo and Serenity Park were located) and the number of passengers of route A47X had also increased after rationalisation. She believed that Members should consider the services of routes E41 and A47X together and had to continue to explore ways to optimise these two airport bus routes, such as increasing bus resources to extend the terminus of route E41 to Tai Wo, etc. In addition, she suggested that passengers should make more use of shuttle service to transfer to airport buses, and the bus company should also step up its publicity efforts on the services of route A47X. She agreed that the Working Group should continue to follow up on and review the bus services between Tai Po District and the airport.

50. Mr. POON Chun-kong responded that apart from having to meet the demand during the peak season of tourism, the airport was also becoming busier and, as such, the demand for overnight bus services in the district was strong. Therefore, Long Win was open to the provision of overnight airport bus services and was glad to see an increase in passengers’ demand which would support them to provide the services concerned on a continued basis.

51. The Chairman agreed to hand the issue over to the Working Group for their follow-up action.

VII. Matters arising from the minutes of the 4th meeting of the TTC in 2017 on 14 July 2017 (TPDC Paper No. TT 54/2017)

(1) Proposed provision of a vehicular bridge near Kwong Fuk Bridge

52. The Chairman welcomed Mr. CHENG Chun-ping to attend the meeting and welcomed Mr. LEE Hoo-tin, Senior Engineer (Acting), and Mr. LEE Tai-kwan, Engineer, of the HyD to the meeting for the discussion of this item.

53. Mr. LEE Tai-kwan introduced the captioned paper and explained in detail the background, latest progress, preliminary project concepts, design standards, as well as pros and cons of the above project using the PowerPoint.

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54. Mr. CHENG Chun-ping’s comments were as follows:

(i) There was serious traffic congestion in Tai Po and it got worse when Po Heung Estate had been completed. If an incident occurred on Po Heung Bridge (such as traffic accident or water mains burst), traffic in Tai Po District would be paralysed. Therefore, the TPDC had been striving for the construction of the Kwong Fuk Vehicular Bridge in the past few terms. (ii) In the past, the TPDC had invited the Chinese University of Hong Kong to conduct a study, which confirmed that it was necessary to construct the Kwong Fuk Vehicular Bridge. (iii) He understood that the HyD considered that the project would affect the residents and businesses nearby, but he believed that more people would be affected if the Kwong Fuk Vehicular Bridge was not built. (iv) He opined that the vehicular bridge did not have to be as high as in the department’s design. The HyD could consider lowering the water level by excavating the river bed so that the height of the bridge would be in line with that of the roads nearby.

(v) In response to the HyD’s opinion that elevating the bridge deck would affect access to Lam Tsuen Public Wong Fook Luen Memorial School, he said that Mr. LI Kwok-ying, the supervisor of the school, was also supportive of the construction of the Kwong Fuk Vehicular Bridge. As such, the HyD should commence the project as soon as possible. (vi) There used to be no car parks on Fu Shin Street and vehicles would pick up and unload goods on Yan Hing Street. Therefore, closing the metered parking spaces on Pak Shing Street and Kwong Fuk Road would have minimal impact.

(vii) There used to be no refuse collection point on Yan Hing Street either. As there was not much refuse to be disposed of by that station, the project would have little impact on it. (viii) He reiterated that he hoped the HyD could start the project as soon as possible.

55. Mr. LI Kwok-ying’s comments were as follows:

(i) The TPDC initially proposed the construction of the Kwong Fuk Vehicular Bridge in the hope of diverting the traffic as the traffic on Kwong Fuk Road was overloaded. Under the current circumstances, if an incident occurred at the junction of Kwong Fuk Road and Po Heung Bridge, traffic across Tai Po would be paralysed. Therefore, the main reason for the construction of the Kwong Fuk Vehicular Bridge was to provide an alternative route between the two sides of Lam Tsuen River in this situation. In view of the above, construction of the Kwong - 17 -

Fuk Vehicular Bridge was an urgent matter. (ii) He was disappointed that the HyD believed there was only one advantage but seven disadvantages in building the vehicular bridge. He opined that the HyD could well list dozens of disadvantages and portray the construction of the vehicular bridge as a “white elephant” project if it did not want to carry out the project at all. On the contrary, if the HyD was willing to overcome the difficulties, there should not be any disadvantages in the project. (iii) He asked how much higher the proposed bridge was than the existing Kwong Fuk Bridge. He said that there were three bridges along Lam Tsuen River in front of the vehicular bridge (namely Po Heung Bridge, the Nam Wan Road Vehicular Bridge and the Yuen Shin Road Vehicular Bridge). As the decks of these three bridges were lower than that of the vehicular bridge in the existing design, larger vessels could not pass through. As such, it was of little use to elevate the Kwong Fuk Vehicular Bridge. (iv) He believed that it was sufficient to keep the Kwong Fuk Vehicular Bridge at the same height as the Kwong Fuk Bridge. If there was no need to elevate the vehicular bridge, there would not be any of the seven disadvantages just mentioned by the HyD. (v) It was necessary to remove trees in any project and it was mandatory to do so if significant public interest was involved in the project. (vi) The gradient of the road between Pak Shing Street and the Kwong Fuk Bridge was so small that the pedestrians might not feel any difference, and the vehicles would not be affected either. If the Kwong Fuk Vehicular Bridge was at about the same height at the Kwong Fuk Bridge, it would not have any significant impact on both sides of Lam Tsuen River. (vii) He reiterated that the construction of the Kwong Fuk Vehicular Bridge was related to the safety and property of members of the public. If an incident occurred on Po Heung Bridge, traffic on Tsing Yuen Street, Pak Shing Street, Yan Hing Street and even Kam Shan Road would be completely paralysed. In the event of a fatal accident at the other side of the river, no emergency vehicles could get through. (viii) He believed that the HyD could definitely resolve all the technical problems of the project if it was determined to build the vehicular bridge.

56. Mr. TANG Ming-tai, Patrick said that the HyD’s design was based on the principle that the facilities at and river course structure of Lam Tsuen River could not be changed. Therefore, elevating the bridge deck and increasing the gradient on both sides according to the standards would have a serious impact on both sides of the river. On the other hand, however, he believed that the HyD could apply the height design standards of Tai Wo Bridge and Kwong Fuk Bridge to - 18 - the Kwong Fuk Vehicular Bridge, and then explore ways to change the facilities at the river course (such as excavating the river bed) so that the project could be up to standard. He believed that the construction of Kwong Fuk Vehicular Bridge would play an important role in restoring the traffic in Tai Po Market. Also, as the purposes of Lam Tsuen River had changed, he suggested the HyD explore ways to build a vehicular bridge with similar height as the Kwong Fuk Bridge by changing the direction of the river course.

57. The Chairman said he also hoped that the HyD could build the Kwong Fuk Vehicular Bridge. As regards the proposal of excavating the river bed, he added that it would not affect the water level of Lam Tsuen River. In addition, he hoped that the HyD could provide information on the deck height of the Po Heung Bridge, the Nam Wan Road Vehicular Bridge and the Yuen Shin Road Vehicular Bridge for comparison, so as to determine whether the clearance requirement between the Kwong Fuk Vehicular Bridge and the river surface was reasonable.

58. Mr. LEE Hoo-tin responded as follows:

(i) The recommended deck level of the Kwong Fuk Vehicular Bridge was about 7 metres above Principal Datum (“mPD”), which was similar to or slightly lower than the deck height of the Kwong Fuk Bridge (about 7.3 mPD), the Po Heung Bridge (about 6.9 mPD) and the Nam Wan Road Vehicular Bridge (about 7.7 mPD) in the vicinity. (ii) Vehicular bridges had a heavier load, but the deck height now proposed for the vehicular bridge was lower than that of the Kwong Fuk Bridge. The HyD had tried to lower the height of the vehicular bridge as much as possible during the design stage.

(iii) Due to the location’s proximity to the sea, the water level of Lam Tsuen River might be affected by the seawater level at the lower stream. Further studies would be necessary to see whether excavation of the river bed could lower the water level there.

59. Mr. WOO Kin-man, Clement, the Vice-chairman said that there was an actual need behind DC Members’ striving for the construction of the Kwong Fuk Vehicular Bridge over the years. They also relied on the departments concerned to apply their expertise to resolve the technical difficulties in its construction. He said that Tai Po Market was an old community and was subject to certain development restrictions. However, he believed that there would always be solutions no matter how difficult it was technically. As such, he hoped that the HyD would proactively study the proposals. In addition, as regards the TD’s estimation that it would take six years to construct the vehicular bridge, he believed that it was not a big problem as long as the Kwong Fuk Vehicular Bridge could be constructed.

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60. Mr. Francis YAM asked the HyD the reasons for using the height of the Kwong Fuk Bridge, which was higher, as the design standard for the Kwong Fuk Vehicular Bridge instead of that of the Tai Wo Bridge, which was lower.

61. Mr. LEE Tai-kwan responded that the HyD had consulted the Drainage Services Department (“DSD”) on the vertical clearance of the Kwong Fuk Vehicular Bridge. Based on the design requirements of the Kwong Fuk Bridge and Po Heung Bridge, the DSD had initially set out the vertical clearance requirements of the Kwong Fuk Vehicular Bridge. He noticed that the height of the Tai Wo Bridge was similar to that of the roads on both sides of the river, but he was not sure why it was designed like that at that time. However, he estimated that as the Government’s design requirements had been changing over time, the design requirements for the Tai Wo Bridge and the Kwong Fuk Bridge were different. Based on the DSD’s latest requirements and the Government’s design standards, the HyD had conducted the preliminary feasibility study on the Kwong Fuk Vehicular Bridge and set out its deck height. He reiterated that the HyD had tried every means to lower the deck height during the design process, but the building of a vehicular bridge still had its disadvantages and impacts. Therefore, the HyD had given a detailed explanation at the meeting for Members’ reference. He added that as far as the design was concerned, the HyD could have extended the slopes so as to lower their gradient. However, as it would have a greater impact on the residents nearby, a balance had to be struck.

62. Mr. Francis YAM’s comments and questions were as follows:

(i) He could not rule out the possibility that the reason why the DSD’s vertical clearance requirements for the vehicular bridge were similar to that for the Kwong Fuk Bridge was to facilitate the cleaning of river bed. (ii) He asked whether the Tai Wo Bridge would be flooded during rainstorm in general. He said that if it would not, it meant that its deck height was sufficient to cope with the general weather conditions and he would find the height acceptable. (iii) If the vessels used for cleaning the river bed could travel past the Tai Wo Bridge, why the same height standards could not be applied to the Kwong Fuk Vehicular Bridge. (iv) He suggested inviting DSD representatives to the next meeting to explain how the vertical clearance requirements for the Kwong Fuk Vehicular Bridge were calculated, why there was a difference between the standards for the Tai Wo Bridge and the Kwong Fuk Bridge, whether there were flooding at the Tai Wo Bridge, and whether the vessels used for cleaning the river bed could travel past the Tai Wo Bridge, etc. (v) If it was not necessary to elevate the vehicular bridge by two to three metres, the disadvantages mentioned by the HyD earlier could be easily resolved. - 20 -

(vi) While the project would have certain impact on the trees, it could be resolved by transplanting or replanting of trees.

63. Mr. CHAN Cho-leung asked why the HyD did not consider building a vehicular bridge on Shui On Street. He added that not that many fishing vessels would travel along Lam Tsuen River and past these vehicular bridges at present, and only a small number of sampans would go back to Tai Wo via that location.

64. Mr. CHAN Siu-kuen said that the proposal of building the vehicular bridge had been in place for several years. He said that years ago when Po Heung Estate was being constructed, the HD was asked to construct the Kwong Fuk Vehicular Bridge at the same time so as to solve the traffic problems. Now residents had moved into Po Heung Estate and the population and number of vehicles had both increased, but the transport facilities remained unchanged and the traffic in Tai Po would become even busier during weekends. He said that all the parties in Tai Po were looking forward to the early completion of this vehicular bridge. He believed that with the current technologies in bridge construction, all the technical difficulties could be overcome and he hoped that the HyD could proactively explore the solutions. However, while the construction of the vehicular bridge would help ease the traffic congestion in the district, the overall traffic in Tai Po would still be heavy. He suggested constructing more vehicular bridges and reviewing ways from various perspectives to improve the transport network in Tai Po.

65. Mr. Patrick TANG indicated that the HyD should be proactive in overcoming the difficulties in the construction of the vehicular bridge instead of presenting them to Members for suggestions. He believed that the HyD putting forward a number of disadvantages of the project was in a sense vetoing to the project which, as a result, had let down many Members. He asked if the HyD believed that the initial design was not feasible, whether it could come up with other feasible alternatives.

66. Mr. AU Chun-wah believed that the construction of a vehicular bridge of similar height next to the Tai Wo Bridge would resolve the problem. He asked why the HyD did not consider this proposal but decided to build a more complicated vehicular bridge near the Kwong Fuk Bridge instead.

67. Mr. CHENG Chun-ping said that when the rainstorm hit earlier, the water level of Lam Tsuen River was less than half of the height of the river course and would be even lower under normal weather conditions. As such, the water would not flow over the deck of the vehicular bridge. He suggested that the HyD should send staff to the scene to measure the water level on a daily basis. In addition, he believed that if the river bed had to be cleaned, cranes could be deployed to do so on both sides of the river and vessels would not have to travel along the river. Also, he stressed that it was not acceptable for the HyD to take six years to complete the construction of this vehicular bridge, and he hoped that the HyD could carry out the design work - 21 - and launch the project as soon as possible.

68. Mr. LEE Hoo-tin responded as follows:

(i) The deck level of the Tai Wo Bridge was about 5.2 mPD, which was lower than the other bridges. (ii) The deck height requirement of the Kwong Fuk Vehicular Bridge was based on the water level and clearance requirements set by the DSD. The HyD would discuss with the DSD whether it was possible to relax the deck clearance restrictions of the vehicular bridge and would use the height of the Tai Wo Bridge as the benchmark. (iii) He emphasised that the design standards of the Tai Wo Bridge were set many years ago and as the Tai Wo Bridge was located at the upstream of Lam Tsuen River, the height requirements might be lower. The HyD would continue to follow up on this issue. (iv) The TTC had sent a clear message opining that the Kwong Fuk Vehicular Bridge could help improve the traffic problems in Tai Po District, and hoped that the HyD would proactively study the feasible design proposals. (v) With reference to the deck height of the three vehicular bridges nearby and the flood relief needs of Lam Tsuen River, the HyD did not expect that the designed deck height level of the Kwong Fuk Vehicular Bridge at present could be substantially modified. When carrying out the works, it would be inevitable to elevate the connecting roads on both sides of the river, but the HyD would study feasible ways to reduce the impact of the project.

69. The Chairman said that the HyD would come up with a design based on the vertical clearance requirements set by the DSD. Meanwhile, Members also suggested that the HyD should refer to the height of the Tai Wo Bridge as the basis of the height standard of the vehicular bridge, so that the deck height could be lowered as much as possible and the height level of the roads on the south and north sides of the river and the vehicular bridge could be closer to each other, thus reducing the impact of the project. He asked the HyD to convey Members’ views to the DSD and discuss the feasibility of lowering the deck height restrictions. The TTC would also invite DSD representatives to the next meeting to explain to Members the reasons why the deck height requirements could not be relaxed.

70. Mr. CHOW Yuen-wai said that if works were to be carried out near the Kwong Fuk Bridge, Po Nga Road would be converted into a single-lane road for two-way traffic. As the traffic there was very heavy, he was worried that it would lead to serious congestion. He, therefore, asked if the vehicular bridge could be shifted towards the Tai Wo Bridge.

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71. Mr. Eric TAM emphasised there was no doubt that it was necessary to construct a vehicular bridge connecting the south and north sides of Lam Tsuen River. He was also supportive of the Chairman’s suggestion of inviting the departments concerned to attend the next meeting to give the justification for the height requirements of the vehicular bridge. He believed that Members had made many suggestions today and he hoped that the HyD would work with the DSD to come up with an optimised proposal after the meeting so as to reduce the time required for the construction of the vehicular bridge. Also, he did not want to see this project, which was supposed to benefit members of the public, to get complicated.

72. Mr. LEE Tai-kwan added that river works could only be carried out during the dry season. As the department also had to repair the river course before the rainy season, it would take a longer time to complete the project. If the final proposal could reduce the amount of works in the river course, the time needed for the entire project could be shortened.

(2) Request for more parking spaces in Tai Po

73. Mr. Kenny WONG said that the TD was committed to increasing the number of parking spaces from three aspects, including identifying roadside parking spaces, setting up temporary car parks on vacant government sites and adding parking spaces in new development projects. In light of the low usage rate of the roadside private vehicle parking spaces in some parts of Tai Po District (such as Tai Po Industrial Estate) in the evening, the TD was planning to turn these private vehicle parking spaces into ones for good vehicles in the evening. The TD would carry out a consultation on these dual-purpose parking spaces in due course.

74. Mr. CHAN Siu-kuen believed that these dual-purpose parking spaces could only alleviate the shortage of goods vehicle parking spaces temporarily. In addition, he said that the neighbouring areas, such as Singapore and the Mainland, had already been using mechanical parking racks in government car parks. As they did not need a lot of land to build car parks while the underground space could also be fully utilised to accommodate more vehicles, he suggested the TD identify government sites in the district to set up mechanical parking racks on a trial basis. He knew that some operators had the technology to build mechanical parking parks and he suggested the Government try to work with them. He added that there was a shortage of parking spaces in the district and coupled with the fact that the parking spaces provided by public or private development projects only accounted for a small portion, he believed that constructing these mechanical parking racks could help resolve the shortage of parking spaces.

75. Mr. Clement WOO, the Vice-chairman, said that he welcomed the TD rolling out short-, medium- and long-term measures to cope with the shortage of parking spaces. He believed that the TD should enhance its communication with other government departments so as to increase the number of parking spaces in the district through different channels in a proactive manner. He - 23 - gave an example that in Area 9 of Tai Po, the public housing development projects were still providing parking spaces at a ratio of 26:1 (namely, one parking space for every 26 housing units of three or more persons). He believed that the TD could contact the HD to study ways to increase the number of parking spaces in these projects so as to alleviate the shortage of parking spaces.

76. Mr. Francis YAM believed that the dual-purpose parking spaces might not be able to effectively alleviate the shortage of parking spaces. Firstly, taking Tai Po Market as an example, the number of private vehicles would not decrease in the evening. They would take up the roadside parking spaces, leaving no parking space for goods vehicles. Secondly, even if there were dual-purpose parking spaces at the Tai Po Industrial Estate, the goods vehicle drivers would have to take transportation back to Tai Po after parking their vehicles. As such, it was not a measure that would benefit them. He believed that the root of the problem was the shortage of parking spaces for both goods vehicles and private vehicles. He said that many countries had been using mechanical parking racks for a long time and even Taiwan had constructed car parks of different sizes in the underground space of parks or schools. He could not understand why Hong Kong was still unable to do so. He said that there were a lot of parks in Tai Po and the TD could make use of the underground space to construct car parks. In addition, there was plenty of vertical room on Shan Tong Road underneath the Tolo Highway flyover, where a two- to three-storey car park could be constructed. He hoped that the TD would not be so conservative and, instead of rolling out measures like dual-purpose parking spaces that could not really solve the problem, should follow the practices of other countries and study ways to make use of these parking facilities to increase the number of parking spaces.

77. Mr. YAM Man-chuen said that while the TTC had discussed about the construction of mechanical parking racks or other parking facilities in the district on numerous occasions, the TD only said that it would conduct a study each time and no progress had been made. He asked if the TPDC could take a leading role as regards the provision of additional parking spaces, and take a proactive role to propose to the Government that Tai Po District would be the first district to set up mechanical parking racks on a trial basis.

78. Mr. Kenny WONG responded as follows:

(i) The TD had been taking proactive measures to provide additional parking spaces. The construction of multi-storey car parks would normally be carried out together with development projects and the TD would require the developers to provide multi-storey or underground car parks in the development projects. (ii) Mechanical parking racks had to be manned. He had approved the construction of mechanical parking racks earlier in other districts and was happy to see that private developers had continued to introduce this new technology in their development - 24 -

projects.

79. The Chairman hoped that the TD would seriously consider Members’ suggestions and would continue to discuss this issue at the next meeting.

(3) Proposed addition of a lane / covered taxi stand next to the Kwong Fuk Roundabout

80. Mr. Kenny WONG said that the TD proposed to set up a taxi stand, which was expected to accommodate two taxis, near the entrance to the car park of Kwong Fuk Park. As the site of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (“LCSD”) was involved, the TD still had to discuss with the LCSD on this proposal.

81. The Chairman suggested that the TD should discuss with the LCSD on the proposal first. It should then report on the latest developments and provide the relevant plans for Members’ reference at the next meeting.

(4) Concerns over illegal parking in Tai Po District

82. Mr. TSUI Yik-fuk said that the HKPF had been cracking down on the illegal parking in Tai Po District through road safety measures and the Selected Traffic Enforcement Priorities initiatives. In June and July 2017, the HKPF had issued 11 532 and 11 854 fixed penalty tickets respectively in Tai Po District to deal with offences such as blocking the vehicles, parking on double yellow lines and parking on pavements, etc. The Tai Po Police District would stay in touch with DC Members and take prosecution action according to the priority and severity of the complaints that took place on trunk roads or the locations concerned.

83. Mr. Kenny WONG introduced the traffic improvement plan on Po Heung Street (Annex I).

84. Mr. LI Kwok-ying’s comments and questions were as follows:

(i) Vehicles were often illegally parked on both sides of the central divider in the middle of Po Heung Street, and he asked why the TD drew up double yellow lines only on the section of Po Heung Street near the community centre. He opined that it would encourage vehicles to park at the exit of the car park. (ii) Was the section of Po Heung Street towards Po Heung Lane gradually narrowed from two lanes to one? He hoped that it could remain a two-lane carriageway so that vehicles could either turn left to the market or turn right to the car park.

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(iii) Double yellow lines ended in front of the entrance to the car park on Po Heung Street. He asked whether it was for the purpose of reserving space for vehicles waiting to enter the car park. He said that in the morning there were many vehicles waiting outside the car park of Po Heung Estate and the line of vehicles extended all the way to the end of the street. If the reserved space (the section without double yellow lines) could only accommodate three vehicles, did it mean that the fourth vehicle could not wait there?

85. Mr. Patrick TANG’s comments and questions were as follows:

(i) He supported converting the area with planters (the area marked yellow in Annex I) into carriageway. He said that many vehicles were waiting outside the car park of Po Heung Estate in the morning, and asked whether these vehicles could still line up on the left side of the roundabout in the new design proposal. (ii) If vehicles were lining up on the left side of the roundabout, would the arc and space be still enough for other vehicles (including goods vehicles) to make a turn and drive away?

(iii) He suggested drawing up lines on the road at the roundabout dividing it into different lanes, telling the vehicles where to line up for the car park so as not to obstruct the flow of traffic on the adjacent lane.

86. Mr. AU Chun-wah’s comments and questions were as follows:

(i) As the hourly rate of the car park in Tai Po Complex was higher than that of the car park in Po Heung Estate, drivers preferred using the latter. As a result, while there were often parking spaces available in the former, vehicles often had to line up at the latter. He asked how the TTC could inform the management committee of Tai Po Complex of the situation and ask them to consider adjusting the hourly rate of the car park in the next tender exercise for the car park, so as to correct the imbalance between the two car parks. (ii) He opined that double yellow lines should be drawn on both sides of the entrance to the car park on Po Heung Street so as to prevent vehicles from being parked in front of the traffic lights and blocking the vehicles behind.

(iii) He asked the HKPF whether it was illegal for the vehicles to wait to enter the car park at a double yellow line zone. He said that if it was not, the double yellow lines on Po Heung Street could be extended to the entrance to the car park. (iv) In addition to morning hours, there were also a number of vehicles waiting outside the car park in Po Heung Estate at noon. The line of vehicles extended all the way to the roundabout and not even private vehicles had enough space to make the turn. - 26 -

(v) He suggested shortening the central divider on Po Heung Street near Po Heung Lane so as to provide more space for large vehicles to make the U-turn. (vi) If vehicles were lining up on the left side of the roundabout but could not move into the hatched area in the middle of the roundabout, how could other vehicles get through?

87. Mr. CHAN Siu-kuen’s comments were as follows:

(i) He agreed that reducing the gap in hourly rate between the car parks in Tai Po Complex and Po Heung Estate would help balance the demand for both car parks. (ii) Drawing up double yellow lines on both sides of Po Heung Street could indeed reduce the number of vehicles parked there. However, as there was a taxi stand at the side of the community centre and many private vehicles would drop off passengers there, it would lead to inconvenience for members of the public if there was no parking area. (iii) Double yellow lines should be drawn between the entrance to the car park and before the traffic lights to prevent vehicles from stopping there and blocking the vehicles behind. However, the double yellow lines at the waiting area of the car park should be shortened to prevent vehicles from continuously circling the area and leading to congestion. (iv) He suggested that the TTC should arrange for a site visit, where the TD, DC Members of the constituencies concerned and other Members should visit the site to study ways to optimise the proposal.

88. Ms. WONG Pik-kiu said that vehicles could not turn around at the roundabout as both sides of Po Heung Street were parked with vehicles. If double yellow lines were drawn at the drop-off area on Po Heung Street near Tai Po Community Centre, vehicles would not be able to pick up and drop off passengers there and would be stranded on Po Heung Street. In addition, vehicles waiting outside the car park would not leave even if the police arrived as it was not illegal to wait in the double yellow line zone. Under these circumstances, drawing double yellow lines on Po Heung Street would not reduce the number of vehicles waiting there either. She suggested putting up additional road signs on Po Heung Street to clearly inform the drivers that it would be difficult to make a U-turn on Po Heung Street, so that they should choose to pick up and drop off passengers on nearby streets. She also suggested that double yellow lines should not be drawn outside Tai Po Community Centre so that there would still be space for vehicles to pick up and drop off passengers.

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89. The Chairman agreed that the Secretariat should arrange for a site visit of Po Heung Street and he invited the TD, the HKPF and the interested Members to participate.

(Post-meeting note: The site visit was carried out on 23 October 2017.)

90. Mr. TSUI Yik-fuk responded that in accordance with the Road Traffic Ordinance, vehicles were not allowed to wait at any road sections (including double yellow line sections and prohibited zones) except that they were dropping off passengers or unloading goods in a legitimate manner. In theory, even if the car park was full, vehicles were not allowed to wait at the double yellow line area outside the car park, and the HKPF also had the rights to prosecute the drivers. In general, the HKPF would deal with the situation in a flexible manner, like asking the drivers to drive away, and hoped to avoid more serious traffic congestion caused by quarrels between the vehicle owners over queuing issues.

91. The Secretary responded that the TPDC Secretariat was one of the user departments of Tai Po Complex, and he would convey Members’ comments on the car park fares to the management committee of Tai Po Complex for their information.

(Post-meeting note: The Secretariat conveyed Members’ comments on the car park fares to the management committee of Tai Po Complex on 25 October 2017.)

92. Mr. LO Hiu-fung said that if the HKPF did not take any enforcement action, there would not be much difference even if double yellow lines were drawn on Po Heung Street. In addition, he said that the illegal parking of large vehicles on Ma Wo Road had improved recently. However, he reiterated that there were three major illegal parking problems on Ma Wo Road. Firstly, non-large vehicles were parked at the parking spaces for large vehicles. Secondly, large vehicles were parked in parking spaces not designated for large vehicles. Thirdly, large vehicles were parked at parking spaces for large vehicles outside the designated hours. He hoped that the HKPF would continue to crack down on the problem. He added that at the previous meeting, the HKPF was asked to send more officers to the Tai Po Market MTR Station to divert the traffic between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and he hoped to know about the follow-up work and law enforcement efforts of the HKPF in the past two months.

93. Mr. LAU Yung-wai said that a number of restaurants had been opened on Chui Lok Street, Chui Yi Street and Mei Sun Lane recently. As a result, a lot of vehicles were illegally parked there during lunch and dinner hours. Despite the enforcement action taken by the HKPF there, illegal parking was still serious. He hoped that the HKPF could take note of the situation and step up its enforcement efforts. In addition, due to traffic congestion, vehicles often travelled in the opposite direction on Chui Lok Street, and he hoped that the HKPF could follow-up on this issue.

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94. Mr. TSUI Yik-fuk responded as follows:

(i) There were an outdoor car park and several metered parking spaces on Ma Wo Road. During the patrol in the morning and night time, the HKPF noticed that several vehicles were parked at the roundabout (near Chung Woo Ching Sai), but fewer vehicles along the section of Classical Garden and Dynasty View. (ii) There were parking spaces for large vehicles from 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. on Tat Wan Road. The HKPF noticed that some vehicles were parked there outside the above hours and some were parked at the pedestrian crossing on Tat Wan Road in the early hours. From January to July 2017, the HKPF had prosecuted 654 illegally parked vehicles on Tat Wan Road. (iii) He inspected the traffic outside the Tai Po Market MTR Station with the TD representatives not long ago. As a lot of residents’ buses or coaches picking up and dropping off passengers there but the lay-by was not long enough, it had led to congestion. At that time, the TD suggested lengthening the lay-by by utilising the planters near Elegance Garden to resolve the problem.

(iv) The HKPF had sent officers to patrol the area outside the Tai Po Market MTR Station at specified hours and if the traffic was confirmed to be in normal condition, they would patrol at the next spot. He had also arranged for frontline officers to inspect the traffic during adverse weather condition or when the station was crowded. (v) The HKPF had inspected the traffic on Chui Yi Street, Mei Sun Lane and Kau Hui Chik Street with Mr. LAU before, and had arranged for police officers to patrol the area during meal breaks. The HKPF would focus on deploying officers there during peak hours for enforcement action.

95. Mr. MUI Siu-fung said that there had been traffic problems on On Pong Road and On Tai Road for years. Traffic congestion was very serious during holidays and after work. He said that there were always coaches dropping off passengers on On Tai Road (from Tai Po Centre to Tai Po Mega Mall), blocking the vehicles behind. He hoped that the HKPF would step up its enforcement efforts in the early evening. In addition, vehicles were often parked at the corner from On Pong Road to On Tai Road (near the multi-storey car park of Tai Po Centre) and he hoped that the HKPF would step up its patrolling and enforcement efforts.

96. Mr. LO Hiu-fung said that since the HKPF was aware that a number of coaches would pick up and drop off passengers outside the Tai Po Market MTR Station between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., it was reasonable for him to ask the HKPF to be there at those hours to help divert the traffic. He hoped that the HKPF would follow up on his comments and deploy officers to direct the traffic there at designated time. In addition, some residents recently told him that calls to the police - 29 - station were not answered and he hoped that the HKPF could pay attention to this issue.

97. Mr. TSUI Yik-fuk noted the comments above and would deploy personnel to follow up on the issue accordingly.

(5) Improving the facilities of Tolo Highway (TPDC Paper No. TT 55/2017)

98. The Chairman welcomed Ms. FUNG Man-ki, Engineer of the CEDD and Mr. CHENG Ping-cheung, Executive Director of AECOM Limited to the meeting for the discussion of this item.

99. Ms. FUNG Man-ki and Mr. CHENG Ping-cheung introduced the background of the project and the preliminary proposal as regards temporary traffic management.

100. Mr. Clement WOO, the Vice-chairman, welcomed the project. He said that Tai Po Road (Shatin section) was the trunk road between North District / Tai Po District and the urban area. Widening that section would help mitigate the congestion on Tolo Highway due to obstruction. He asked whether the speed limit of the section had to be reduced to 50 kilometres per hour during the construction period, and whether it would still have two lanes only at the section of Tai Po Road between the Jockey Club Staff Quarters and Wo Che Estate after the project had been completed.

101. Mr. LAU Yung-wai welcomed the project. He enquired the expected commencement and completion date of the project and whether the footpath from Shatin Tsung Tsin School to Sha Tin Government Offices (“STGO”) would be removed because of the project.

102. Mr. MUI Siu-fung asked whether the CEDD would co-ordinate with the TD, the MTR and the bus company, etc. during the construction period so as to reduce the project’s impact on traffic congestion.

103. Ms. WONG Pik-kiu believed that the project would bring about positive changes. She asked about the route from Tai Po to Tai Wai in future, and whether the department would put up clear road signs on Tai Po Road to remind the drivers of the way to Tai Wai.

104. Mr. AU Chun-wah said that the project would include the construction of a downhill bypass from Sha Tin Rural Committee Road to Shing Mun Tunnel and Tsing Sha Highway. He asked how the bypass would be connected to the original three-lane carriageway.

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105. Ms. FUNG Man-ki responded as follows:

(i) As the project was in the detailed design stage, there was no expected commencement and completion date for the time being. (ii) When construction began, the contractor would submit a detailed temporary traffic diversion proposal to the TD and the HKPF for review and approval. If necessary, the contractor would also listen to the views of the bus company as regards the temporary traffic diversion proposal. The CEDD would also strive to minimise the impact of the temporary traffic diversion measures on the traffic.

106. Mr. CHENG Ping-cheung responded as follows:

(i) Temporary traffic diversion measures would in place during the construction period, and the recommended speed limit would be 50 kilometres per hour to ensure road safety during the construction period. (ii) As the traffic would be heavier during the peak hours, he believed that lowering the speed limit to 50 kilometres per hour during the construction period would not have much impact during the peak hours. (iii) As the section of Tai Po Road between the Jockey Club Staff Quarters and Jockey Club Ti-I College could not be widened due to the pier structure of Sha Tin Road, two-lane traffic would remain at the junction of Tai Po Road and Sha Tin Road. As some of the southbound vehicles on Tai Po Road would be diverted to Sha Tin Road before reaching Jockey Club Ti-I College, the two-lane carriageway could cope with the traffic flow in future according to the traffic assessment. (iv) During the construction period, all the walkways and cycle tracks on Sha Tin Rural Committee Road would remain intact wherever possible and would not be removed for no reason at all. (v) Members of the public could take Tai Chung Kiu Road or go south along Tai Po Road towards the exit of Tsing Sha Highway to the Tai Wai MTR Station. (vi) The section of Tai Po Road near Citylink Plaza was a three-lane carriageway at present. A downhill bypass would be constructed on Sha Tin Rural Committee Road connecting the middle lane of the above section, so that vehicles could directly proceed to Tai Po Road from Sha Tin Rural Committee Road, and head for Tsing Sha Highway or Shing Mun Tunnel without having to change lanes. As such, congestion at this section caused by vehicles changing lanes could be alleviated, and drivers at the upper stream of the southbound Tai Po Road could also switch to the slow lane or fast lane well in advance for Tsing Sha Highway or Shing Mun Tunnel respectively.

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107. Mr. LAU Yung-wai said that there was a walkway leading to the STGO next to Kwai Wo House of Lek Yuen Estate. According to the initial design plan and traffic light layout of the department, however, pedestrians could not cross the road near Sheung Wo Che. He said that it was the only walkway connecting Lek Yuen Estate with the STGO. He would like to know whether the department would remove the entire walkway and if there was any plan to make up for it.

108. Mr. CHENG Ping-cheung said that images in the PowerPoint only showed the design of the proposed carriageway. The walkway and cycle track from Lek Yuen Estate to the STGO mentioned by Mr. LAU would both be retained, and two lifts would also be set up there to make it easier for those in need to cross Tai Po Road commuting between Lek Yuen Estate and Sheung Wo Che.

109. Mr. CHAN Siu-kuen said that the above project should be supported. As the project included the installation of noise barriers at Shatin District, he hoped that the TTC would approve the plan and urge the departments concerned to launch the project as soon as possible.

110. The Chairman asked the department, before the project began, to submit to the TTC the plans and relevant information as regards the temporary traffic diversion measures so that Members could be informed of the specific details of the measures concerned.

111. Mr. CHOW Yuen-wai said that as some of the information in the PowerPoint was not included in the meeting papers, he would like to obtain the PowerPoint file concerned for reference.

112. Mr. CHAN Cho-leung asked whether the department would visit the TTC again for consultation in future as it was only a preliminary proposal.

113. Mr. Eric TAM hoped that the department would provide detailed information for the TTC after the final proposal had been confirmed. As the traffic diversion measures would be carried out in phases, he hoped that the TD could forward the information concerned to Members for reference in a timely manner.

114. Mr. AU Chun-wah hoped that the TD would provide Members with the latest project information through the Secretariat, such as changes to the project and the plans concerned, etc. In addition, he hoped that apart from consulting Sha Tin District Council (“STDC”), the TD could also continue to explain to the TTC the latest developments of the project and listen to Members’ comments.

115. Mr. LAU Yung-wai also hoped that the department would provide Members with the latest project information and the plans concerned in a timely manner. - 32 -

116. Mr. MUI Siu-fung agreed with Mr. Eric TAM’s comments and made the same request. He believed that the information was very important as passengers or drivers could choose different modes of transportation or different driving routes according to the road condition so as to minimise the impact on them.

117. The Chairman asked the department to provide Members with the project information in a timely manner, and the Secretariat to forward the PowerPoint file used at the meeting to Members after the meeting.

118. Ms. FUNG Man-ki responded that the TD would be willing to inform the STDC, the TPDC and the North DC by any means once the construction timetable and other detailed information had been confirmed.

(Post-meeting note: The Secretariat had forwarded the PowerPoint file used at the meeting to Members by e-mail after the meeting.)

VIII. Situation report on traffic improvement works completed in the past two months and to be carried out in the next three months in Tai Po District by the Highways Department (TPDC Paper No. TT 56/2017)

119. Mr. HUI Ka-kit asked Members to note the captioned paper.

120. Mr. CHAN Cho-leung said that Item 7 in the paper, namely “Provision of traffic signs and road markings at the junction of Lam Tsuen Heung Kung Sho Road”, had been planned for two to three years but works did not start until October 2017. He could not understand why it took several years to put up road signs and, therefore, would like to understand the terms of reference and workload of the TD Engineers responsible for following up on the projects in Lam Tsuen area.

121. Mr. Kenny WONG said that the TD would handle each project as soon as possible. If a project required the definition of boundaries and lots, it would take a longer time to process as more departments would be involved. He would provide information as regards the terms of reference for Mr. CHAN after the meeting.

122. Mr. Patrick TANG said he understood that the TD colleagues were busy with their work, and Mr. CHAN Cho-leung and he had no doubt about their work capability. They were only worried about the manpower shortage in the TD that all the work initiatives were followed up by a single colleague, thus slowing down the progress of all the projects.

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IX. List of items and schedule concerning the provision of additional barrier-free access facilities in Tai Po District (TPDC Paper No. TT 57/2017)

123. Mr. HUI Ka-kit asked Members to note the captioned paper.

124. Mr. Clement WOO, the Vice-chairman, said that the installation of lifts No. NS69 and NS70 had been completed. However, they had broken down as the pedestrian subway was flooded with rainwater during the rainstorm in late August 2017. He said that many lifts in Tai Po District were installed in pedestrian subways, and their operation was under the threat of severe weather, such as frequent typhoons and rainstorms, due to climate change. As it took a long time to repair the lifts, he asked the HyD how to minimise the impact of severe weather on the lifts and the ways to better protect them. In addition, he would like to know the repair work of lifts No. NS69 and NS70.

125. Mr. AU Chun-wah said that a lift installation project was being carried out on Tai Po Tai Wo Road near Nam Wan Road (lift No. NS77). However, the typhoon last month coincided with astronomical tide and, as a result, water had flown over the embankment and flooded half of the lift. He said that there were many barrier-free lifts in Tai Po District. They all cost a lot to build and if frequently flooded, it would be a waste of resources. Therefore, he asked about the ways to protect the lifts under severe weather conditions. He added that the colleagues responsible for the barrier-free facility projects had once said that the lifts were equipped with sensors and pumping systems and would automatically move to an upper floor and stop operating when rainwater came in, so as to reduce the likelihood of being flooded. In this rainstorm, however, the lift did not automatically move to an upper floor and the pumping systems did not drain the rainwater away effectively. Even if the lift could move to an upper floor automatically, the machinery in the lift shaft would still be flooded and damaged. Therefore, he was worried that a huge sum of maintenance fees would be incurred in future.

126. Mr. LAU Yung-wai said that the lift on Nam Wan Road did not move to an upper floor automatically on that day. He asked that if the lift was equipped with sensors, why the system was not activated to move the lift to an upper floor automatically on that day.

127. Mr. HUI Ka-kit responded as follows:

(i) On 23 August 2017, Hong Kong was hit by a typhoon, which coincided with an astronomical tide and a storm surge at the same time. The sea level was up to 4 mPD, the second highest ever in the record books and there were back flows of seawater and river water at the riverside on that day.

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(ii) The two lifts in pedestrian subway No. NS69 were damaged in the rainstorm and it was estimated that the maintenance work would take one to two months. (iii) The lifts were equipped with drainage systems that would allow the lifts to maintain limited operation under a certain degree of flooding. As to whether there were sensors in the lift shafts that could move the lifts to an upper floor automatically when flooded, he said that he did not have the information concerned. However, he would find out from his colleagues in the lift maintenance team of the HyD. (iv) The HyD would learn lessons from the incident and consider ways to protect the lifts in pedestrian subways in future, including moving the lifts to an upper floor during rainstorms which, he believed, could minimise the damage to the lifts and shorten the repair time.

X. Reports of working groups

(1) Working Group on Provision of Public Bus and Minibus Services

128. Ms. WONG Pik-kiu, Chairman of the Working Group, reported that the Working Group held its fourth meeting in 2017 on 17 August 2017 and the main discussion items were as follows:

(i) Regarding public bus services, the Working Group continued to discuss with the TD and bus companies the service improvement proposals for the routes 271 series, routes 307 series, as well as routes 64K, 65K, 74A and 72. At the meeting, some Members also requested constructing a cover at the Wan Tau Tong Bus Terminus and setting up a bus route between Lam Tsuen and Kwun Tong as soon as possible. In addition, the TD had earlier proposed to change the route of route E41 and its stops at the airport area. The Working Group unanimously objected those proposals. (ii) Regarding green minibus services, the Working Group discussed the service improvement proposals for routes 20K, 501S, 502, 21A, 807K and 807B, and the feasibility of providing a green minibus stop for route 26 near Dai King Street. The Working Group would continue to follow up on the situation of the bus and minibus routes above and report to the TTC should there be any actual changes.

(iii) At the meeting, the Working Group also commissioned a consultancy to conduct a survey on the public bus services in Tai Po District. Therefore, it would later apply to the TTC for a funding of $100,000 and would like to seek Members’ support. (iv) The TD solicited Members’ comments on the fare increase application for green minibus routes 26 and 26A in late August 2017 and subsequently received six written objections (three each from Tai Po and Sha Tin). According to the application of - 35 -

the minibus operator, the fare of green minibus route 26 would be increased from $13 to $13.8, and that of route 26A from $6 to $6.4. Since most of the written objections did not oppose to the fare increase, the TD would follow up on examining the application concerned if there was no other comment from Members. She had doubts about the fare increase application for the routes above. However, as the minibus operator said that it would allocate three more green minibuses to enhance the services, she hoped that Members would help enhance the monitoring efforts.

129. Mr. Leo CHAN said that the fare increase rates for green minibus routes 26 and 26A in this application were 6.2% and 6.7% respectively, and the last time the fare for route 26 was increased was in June 2013, which was four years ago. During these four years, the average inflation rate was over 10%, while the operating costs of minibus operators (especially drivers’ salaries) had also increased. He understood that Members had a lot to say about the service frequency and drivers’ attitude of the routes above. To further enhance the service standard in general, minibus operators would commit resources, including three green minibuses, to enhance the stability of its service frequency, while efforts would also be made to further manage the drivers’ attitude and their driving awareness.

130. Members did not have any other comments. The Chairman proposed to support the fare increase application for the green minibus routes above.

(2) Working Group on Road Works Concerning “Tolo Highway / Fanling Highway / Liantang Boundary Control Point” (Tai Po Section)

131. Dr. LAU Chee-sing reported as the Chairman of the Working Group that the Working Group did not meet recently, and the Secretariat would notify Members once the date of the next meeting had been confirmed.

132. Mr. CHAN Cho-leung said that the temporary diversion measures on Tolo Highway would easily lead to traffic accidents, which would give rise to serious traffic congestion. It would be necessary to notify the parties concerned to follow up on the matter.

133. The Chairman said that the Working Group would meet as soon as possible to inform the parties concerned of the problem.

(3) Working Group on Improvements to Major Roads in Rural Areas

134. Mr. Patrick TANG, Chairman of the Working Group, reported that the Working Group held its second meeting in 2017 on 28 July 2017 to follow up on the improvement works on Lam Kam - 36 -

Road, Ting Kok Road and Sai Sha Road. The Working Group hoped that the departments concerned would proactively follow up on the improvement works. The Secretariat would notify Members to attend the meeting once the date of the next meeting had been confirmed.

135. Mr. CHAN Cho-leung said that the work progress of the TD had always been slow. Despite short time in office, Mr. Kenny WONG had shown a good work attitude and was more motivated than his predecessors. He hoped that Mr. Kenny WONG and his colleagues could continue to proactively follow up on various projects.

(4) Working Group on Road Safety Campaign and Cycling Network Development

136. Mr. Clement WOO, the Vice-chairman, reported as the Chairman of the Working Group that the Working Group had not met recently. In the past two months, the Working Group continued to follow up on the activities held this year. At present, the Road and Traffic Safety Campaign Carnival in Tai Po District 2017/18 and the Road and Traffic Safety Competition and Campaign in Tai Po District in the Academic Circle 2017/18 were underway as scheduled. The Working Group would continue to follow up on all the matters of the activities above, and report regularly to the TTC on their progress. The Working Group was going to convene a meeting soon, and the Secretariat would notify Members once the date of the next meeting had been confirmed.

XI. Application for DC Funds (TPDC Paper No. TT 58/2017)

137. The Chairman said that one DC Funds application would be vetted at this meeting. Pursuant to Orders 48(9) and (10) of the TPDC Standing Orders, a Member should declare interests at the meeting if he found that he had direct personal interests, pecuniary interests or other interests in an application for DC Funds under consideration, or had links with the benefitted party or the potential benefitted party. As this activity was led by the Working Group on Provision of Public Bus and Minibus Services, Working Group Members did not have to declare interests as Working Group Members. However, a Member had to declare interests if he had other interests in the activity. He invited Members to declare interests in respect of the one DC Funds application to be vetted at this TTC meeting where necessary.

138. No Members declared any interests at the meeting.

139. The Chairman invited Members to refer to TPDC Paper No. TT 58/2017. He said that if Members were satisfied that the activity should be covered and funded by DC Funds and could benefit those who lived, worked or went to schools in the district, they could consider approving the funding application set out in the paper. - 37 -

(I) Survey on public bus services in Tai Po District

140. The Secretary briefly introduced the direction of the above study report. He noted that the Working Group agreed to include in this year’s study report a survey on the demand of Tai Po residents for public bus services between Tai Po District and Kwai Tsing District, Island East and New Territories West, so as to optimise the existing routes or to suggest new routes to the TD and bus companies to meet the needs of passengers.

141. The TTC resolved to allocate $100,000 to the Working Group on Provision of Public Bus and Minibus Services for carrying out the survey on public bus services in Tai Po District.

XII. Any Other Business

(1) Reply letters by departments

142. Mr. AU Chun-wah said that the TTC had written to the HKPF asking for more traffic wardens in Tai Po District. He hoped that the HKPF would reply as soon as possible.

143. The Secretary said that the TTC Chairman wrote to the HKPF in early August expressing his views. Any reply would be forwarded to Members for reference.

(Post-meeting note: Records showed that the Secretariat received a reply from the HKPF on 25 August 2017, and the Secretariat also forwarded the TTC’s letter together with the HKPF’s reply to Members for reference by email on 29 August. The Secretariat had informed Mr. AU Chun-wah of the above information after the meeting.)

(2) Shared bicycles related issues

144. Mr. MUI Siu-fung said that “shared bicycles” were actually online bicycle rental businesses and their illegal parking problem was getting increasingly serious. According to his observation, a total of 137 shared bicycles were parked at Blocks 9, 10 and 16 of Tai Po Centre on the day of the meeting, while Kwong Fuk Estate and many roadsides were also fully parked with these bicycles. They had not only occupied public parking spaces for business purposes, but had also obstructed the pavement and the public bicycle parking spaces. He hoped that the TD, the TPDLO, the HKPF or the HyD could provide clear guidelines at the next meeting stipulating that shared bicycles could only be parked for 24 hours, and suggest ways to deal with vehicles that had been parked for more than 24 hours. - 38 -

145. Mr. Eric TAM said that the alarm devices of shared bicycles had been causing quite a nuisance and he hoped that the departments concerned would take follow-up action.

146. Mr. LAU Yung-wai said that the shared bicycles had occupied more than 100 public bicycle parking spaces outside the swimming pool, and he also agreed that their alarm devices had been causing quite a nuisance. Therefore, he hoped that the Working group on Road Safety Campaign and Cycling Network Development could take follow-up action.

147. Mr. Patrick TANG said that he wrote to the departments concerned on 4 September to complain about the shared bicycles occupying the private premises on Fung Yuen Road and their illegal parking problem, but had not received any response yet. He hoped that a special agenda item could be arranged for the discussion of shared bicycles.

148. The Chairman said that the Working Group on Road Safety Campaign and Cycling Network Development, which would meet in October, would also invite the departments concerned to attend the meeting and discuss with Members issues related to shared bicycles.

149. Mr. YU Chi-wing, Ken said that “shared bicycles” were actually online bicycle rental businesses. They had occupied public parking spaces and the problems they had given rise to were also very annoying. He opined that the departments concerned should carry out joint operations to crack down on the illegally parked shared bicycles in a stringent manner, so that people could clearly understand the consequences of illegal parking.

150. Mr. AU Chun-wah said that he had mentioned at the Environment, Housing and Works Committee meeting that it would not be possible to remove all the illegally parked bicycles simply through one to two joint operations per month. Therefore, he proposed that the TPDO should co-ordinate the departments concerned to carry out removal operations at the bicycle parking spaces, where bicycles occupying the public parking spaces would be removed.

151. Mr. MUI Siu-fung said the public thought that the Government approved the business approach of shared bicycles which had an impact on society. He said that the Government had to clarify if it did not approve the operation of shared bicycles.

152. Mr. LAU Yung-wai added that the departments concerned could track down the location of the shared bicycles through the mobile applications for removal.

153. Mr. Clement WOO, the Vice-chairman, said that the Working Group on Road Safety Campaign and Cycling Network Development had informed the shared bicycle operators of a number of problems at the previous meeting. However, the problems remained unresolved. Coupled with the fact that the departments concerned had only removed a limited number of - 39 -

shared bicycles, the Working Group would discuss these issues.

154. The Chairman suggested only inviting the departments concerned to attend the next Working Group meeting as it would be mainly about discussing ways to deal with the shared bicycles.

XIII. Date of next meeting

155. The Chairman announced that the next meeting would be held at 2:30 p.m. on 10 November 2017 (Friday).

156. There being no other business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:28 p.m.

Tai Po District Council Secretariat October 2017