Minutes of the 19Th Meeting of Traffic and Transport Committee, the 5Th Term Kwun Tong District Council

(Translation) Minutes of the 19th Meeting of Traffic and Transport Committee, the 5th Term Kwun Tong District Council Date: 29 November 2018 (Thursday) Time: 2:30 p.m. Venue: Conference Room, Kwun Tong District Office, Unit 05-07, 20/F Millennium City 6, 392 Kwun Tong Road, Kwun Tong, Kowloon Present: Members Ms SO Lai-chun, MH, JP (Chairman) Mr HUNG Kam-in, Kin, MH Mr CHEUNG Pui-kong (Vice-chairman) Ms KAM Kin Mr AU YEUNG Kwan-nok Mr KAN Ming-tung Mr BUX Sheik Anthony Mr LAI Shu-ho, Patrick, BBS, MH, JP Mr CHAN Chun-kit Mr LUI Tung-hai, MH Mr CHAN Kok-wah, Ben, BBS, MH Mr MA Yat-chiu, Marco Mr CHAN Man-kin Mr MOK Kin-shing Mr CHAN Wah-yu, Nelson, MH, JP Mr NGAN Man-yu Mr CHENG Keng-ieong Mr OR Chong-shing, Wilson, MH Mr CHENG Keung-fung Mr SO Koon-chung, Kevin Mr CHEUNG Ki-tang Mr TAM Siu-cheuk Mr CHEUNG Shun-wah, MH Mr TANG Wing-chun Mr CHEUNG Yiu-pan Ms TSE Suk-chun Mr CHOY Chak-hung Mr WONG Chun-ping, MH Ms FU Pik-chun Mr YIP Hing-kwok, BBS, MH, JP Mr HSU Hoi-shan Mr YIU Pak-leung, Perry, MH Co-opted Member Mr FUNG Wang-yui Mr KWONG Sing-yu Mr HUI Chin-pang Representatives of Government Departments Ms CHAN Pik-ki, Eiphie Assistant District Officer (Kwun Tong)1, Kwun Tong District Office Mr LEE Yin-bun, Philip Senior Executive Officer (District Council), Kwun Tong District Office Ms CHEUNG Suk-ling, Cindy Senior Transport Officer/Kwun Tong, Transport Department Miss SZE Suk-wai, Muriel Senior Transport Officer/Kai Tak & Projects, Transport Department Mr HO Ming-him, Donald Engineer/Kwun Tong 1, Transport Department Ms CHAN Ka-yan Engineer/Kwun Tong 3, Transport Department Mr FUNG Cho-kin, Joe Engineer/Kwun Tong 2, Transport Department Mr LEONG Man-hin, Jason District Engineer/Kwun Tong, Highways Department Mr Chu Chi-wai, Boris Representative, Kwun Tong District, Hong Kong Police Force Mr HO Chi-kin Representative, Sau Mau Ping District, Hong Kong Police Force Representatives Present to Assist Discussion of Agenda Items Agenda Item II Provision of Cover to Walkway along Lei Yue Mun Road from Lam Tin Public Transport Interchange to Kwun Tong Police Station Mr TSANG Hin-man Senior Engineer/CWY 2, Works Section/CWY, Works Division, Highways Department 2 Mr KWAN Ka-lung Engineer/C1, Works Section/CWY, Works Division, Highways Department Mr LAW Ho-kin, John Engineer 3/Walkability, Walkability Study Team, Task Force/Walkability, Urban Regional Office, Transport Department Ms LUI Bik-yuk, Pamela Associate, WSP (Asia) Limited Item IV Development of Anderson Road Quarry Site—Pedestrian Connectivity Facilities and Progress Report Mr LEUNG Chung-lap, Michael, JP Project Manager (East), Civil Engineering and Development Department Mr LEUNG Siu-kau, Kelvin Chief Engineer/East 2, Civil Engineering and Development Department Mr CHAN Lun-ming Senior Engineer/6 (East), Civil Engineering and Development Department Secretary Miss CHAN Ka-ying, Candy Executive Officer (District Council)5, Kwun Tong District Office Absent: Members Dr CHAN Chung-bun, Bunny, GBS, JP Mrs POON YAM Wai-chun, Winnie, MH Mr CHAN Yiu-hung, Jimmy Mr WONG Chi-ken Mr HO Kai-ming, Jonathan 3 Opening Remarks The Chairman welcomed Members and departmental representatives to the meeting. I. Confirmation of Minutes of Last Meeting 2. The minutes of the last meeting were confirmed without amendment. II. Provision of Cover to Walkway along Lei Yue Mun Road from Lam Tin Public Transport Interchange to Kwun Tong Police Station (KTDC TTC Paper No. 38/2018) 3. The Chairman welcomed representatives of the Highways Department (HyD) and the consultancy to the meeting. 4. Representatives of the HyD and the consultancy presented the paper. 5. Three Members raised views and enquiries as follows: 5.1 It was opined that the road section between Lei On Court and the Lam Tin Public Transport Interchange (PTI) was the most important part of the project and therefore it was insisted that the cover of the walkway should cover that road section so that the works could truly benefit residents. It was agreed that there were construction difficulties in regard to the construction of the cover on the above road section and hoped that the Transport Department (TD) and HyD would actively study solutions and subsequently re-submit the project to the Traffic and Transport Committee (TTC) for deliberations; 5.2 An example of providing an additional cover to the escalator connecting Exit A, Lam Tin MTR Station to Kai Tin Shopping Centre was raised. Since the provision of the cover, it had become more convenient for residents to commute. Therefore, it was suggested that the HyD should draw on the experience of this project and study the provision of additional covers at the two access roads so that the design could be more comprehensive; and 5.3 The feasibility of handling metal railings and fences altogether was enquired about. It was hoped that the walkway could be widened. 4 6. The representative of the consultancy responded that the road section between Lei On Court and Lam Tin PTI was found to be an emergency vehicular access and waterworks reserve of the Water Supplies Department (WSD). The underground of the reserve was densely packed with manhole facilities, making the underground space inadequate to accommodate the foundations of the cover and therefore the provision of an additional cover on the road section was not recommendable. 7. The representative of the TD responded that a cover built on an emergency vehicular access should be 5 metres tall at least. This height would make the cover fail to shelter the road from wind and rain. Therefore, according to the TD’s Transport Planning and Design Manual, the TD advised that an additional cover should not be provided at an emergency access. 8. The representative of the HyD noted the view of handling metal railings and fences altogether and remarked that the feasibility of the works would be considered when formulating the detailed design. 9. Three Members raised follow-up views and enquiries as follows: 9.1 It was pointed out that the WSD had promised to spare 1.5 metres of space for the landing point of the cover. It was also mentioned that covers had been provided for the entrance and exit of the escape route of Hong Tin Court and a location on Sin Fat Road near the entrance of Red Cross. Therefore, it was incomprehensible as to why the departments advised against the provision of a cover at the road section between Lei On Court and Lam Tin PTI; and 9.2 It was reiterated that residents could be benefitted only after the construction of a cover at the road section between Lei On Court and Lam Tin PTI was confirmed. It was hoped that the departments could listen to the views of District Councilors and members of the public of the constituency concerned and actively examine solutions to the problem. 10. The TD responded that it had requested for works reports from the Home Affairs Department (HAD) earlier and had discovered that the consultancy of the HAD, taking the underground facilities of the WSD as a justification, had also considered the provision of a cover at the road section between Lei On Court and Lam Tin PTI infeasible. In regard to the feasibility of providing a cover at the emergency vehicular access, the TD would study it further after making reference to other taller designs. However, the TD reiterated that the rain and wind resistance performance of covers with a height of 5 metres or above were not satisfactory and complaints in relation to its performance had been received in other districts. The TD could in due course provide Members with information for reference. 5 11. The HyD responded that there were two large fresh water pipes on site, one with a diameter of 700 millimetres (mm) and the other with a diameter of 900 mm, making it difficult to relocate the pipes in-situ for accommodating the foundations of the cover. If the concerned pipes were relocated and adopted a new alignment, the works would be of an enormous scale. Therefore, the TD suggested shelving the provision of a cover at the concerned road section. 12. Two Members raised follow-up views and enquiries as follows: 12.1 It was reiterated that the WSD had promised to spare 1.5 metres of space for the landing point of the cover two years before. Therefore, it was incomprehensible as to why the HyD said the works were not feasible; 12.2 Enquiries were raised regarding the reasons why the works at Sin Fat Road and other projects related to the provision of covers had been considered as feasible; 12.3 Enquires were raised on whether the TD knew that the WSD had agreed to spare 1.5 metres of underground space; and 12.4 Enquires were raised on whether the 1.5 metres of underground space that the WSD had promised to spare was enough for constructing a landing point of a cover. 13. The representative of the HyD responded that as Sin Fat Road was not under the purview of the HyD, the HyD was not certain about the constraints of the concerned works in relation to the provision of a cover. The HyD also reiterated that the cover’s performance of resisting wind and rain would be greatly weakened if the cover was built to be too high. In addition, the HyD remarked that providing a cover at the road section between Lei On Court and Lam Tin PTI might involve water pipe diversion works.

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