Minutes of the 10Th Meeting of the Transport Affairs Committee of Sham Shui Po District Council (5Th Term)
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(Translation) Minutes of the 10th Meeting of the Transport Affairs Committee of Sham Shui Po District Council (5th Term) Date: 20 July 2017 (Thursday) Time: 9:30 a.m. Venue: Conference Room, Sham Shui Po District Council Present Chairman Mr CHENG Wing-shun, Vincent, MH Members Mr CHAN Wai-ming, MH, JP Ms CHAN Wing-yan, Joephy Mr CHEUNG Wing-sum, Ambrose, BBS, MH, JP Ms CHOW Wing-heng, Zoé (Arrived at 9:50 p.m.) Mr CHUM Tak-shing (Arrived at 11:25 p.m.) Mr HO Kai-ming, Kalvin (Arrived at 11:45 a.m.) Mr KONG Kwai-sang (Arrived at 9:50 a.m.) Mr Lam Ka-fai, Aaron, BBS, JP (Arrived at 9:43 a.m.) Ms LAU Pui-yuk (Arrived at 9:50 p.m.) Mr LEE Tsz-king, Dominic (Arrived at 9:45 a.m.; left at 11:45 a.m.) Mr LEE Wing-man Mr LEUNG Man-kwong Mr LEUNG Yau-fong Ms NG Mei, Carman (Arrived at 9:59 a.m.) Ms NG Yuet-lan (Arrived at 10:02 a.m.) Mr TAM Kwok-kiu, MH, JP (Arrived at 9:40 a.m.) Mr WAI Woon-nam (Arrived at 10:30 a.m.) Mr WONG Tat-tung, Dennis, MH, JP (Arrived at 10 a.m.) Mr YAN Kai-wing (Arrived at 9:45 a.m.) Mr YEUNG Yuk (Arrived at 10 a.m.) Mr YUEN Hoi-man (Left at 12:17 p.m.) - 2 - Action by Co-opted Members Mr LAU Kin-shing Mr LI Chun-hei, Joshua (Arrived at 10:00 a.m.) In Attendance Ms Man Ka-wing, Kelly Assistant District Officer (Sham Shui Po) 1 Mr LAU Kin-hei, Louis Senior Transport Officer/Sham Shui Po, Transport Department Mr LEE Chung-yam, Paul Engineer/Planning 1, Transport Department Mr CHANG Yiu-wa District Engineer/Lai Chi Kok, Highways Department Mr YEUNG Pak-kin, Kelvin Assistant District Operation Officer, Sham Shui Po District, Hong Kong Police Force Mr AU YEUNG Chung-ching Officer in-charge of District Traffic Team, Sham Shui Po District, Hong Kong Police Force Mr LEE Wai-hung Neighbourhood Police Co-ordinator/Police Community Relations Office (Sham Shui Po District), Hong Kong Police Force Mr LEE Hong-ling Manager (Planning and Development), The Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited Mr LAM Sai-shu Assistant Manager (Operations), The Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited Secretary Mr Chan Wing-ho, Patrick Executive Officer (District Council) 3, Sham Shui Po District Office Absent Member Mr CHAN Kwok-wai Co-opted Members Mr CHAN Ming-kei Ms TSE Hiu-hung - 3 - Action by Opening Remarks The Chairman welcomed members and representatives of government departments to the tenth meeting of the Transport Affairs Committee (“TAC”) of the fifth term Sham Shui Po District Council. Agenda Item 1: Confirmation of minutes (a) Minutes of the 9th meeting held on 8 June 2017 2. The Committee confirmed the above minutes. (b) Minutes of the continued meeting of the 9th meeting held on 19 June 2017 3. The Committee confirmed the above minutes. Agenda Item 2 : Matters for Discussion (a) Request for providing a bus-stop outside West Kowloon Law Courts Building as soon as possible (TAC Paper 71/17) 4. Mr LEUNG Man-kwong introduced Paper 71/17. 5. Mr Paul LEE responded that the Transport Department (“TD”) conducted a consultation on the provision of the bus stop in June 2013. The consultation paper showed that no proposal of tree removal at the site was made at that time. However, in 2016, TD, the Highways Department (“HyD”) and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (“LCSD”) inspected the site, including the growth of trees, and confirmed that an application for removal of the tree concerned had to be made before the works commenced. 6. Mr CHANG Yiu-wa responded that HyD had confirmed with TD and LCSD that it was necessary to remove a tree before the works commenced and had submitted an application to the Lands Department (“LandsD”). The removal concerned would commence upon LandsD’s approval. 7. Mr LEUNG Man-kwong raised the following enquiries: (i) the reasons of spending so much time on the tree removal by the departments concerned; (ii) he enquired about the works schedule of the provision of the bus stop; (iii) the bus company said in October 2012 that they had no objection to the works concerned, and the consultation work was completed in 2013. - 4 - Action by He enquired why the works had not commenced yet; (iv) he enquired about the justifications if the works were given a lower priority. 8. Mr Aaron LAM raised the following views and enquiries: (i) there was a certain distance between the West Kowloon Law Courts Building and the MTR station. He hoped that a bus stop would be provided at the above location as soon as possible to bring convenience to the citizens; (ii) he requested the government departments concerned to clearly explain the works process and the time required for each step; (iii) as LandsD and LCSD did not send staff to attend this meeting, he suggested that the Committee should write to these two departments asking them to respond and provide a works schedule. 9. Mr TAM Kwok-kiu raised the following views and enquires (i) there was a need for the provision of a bus stop at the above location to facilitate citizens’ travelling to and from the West Kowloon Law Courts Building; (ii) he requested the departments concerned to provide a works schedule and explain the works that had been carried out since completion of consultation; (iii) he opined that the departments concerned should have proper co-ordination when the works were being carried out. 10. Mr LAU Kin-shing pointed out that the departments concerned said the works were delayed because it took time to remove the tree. He hoped that the problem could be solved as soon as possible and the works would be completed early. 11. Mr Paul LEE responded that after receiving a request for the provision of a bus stop at the above location in 2012, TD discussed with the Architectural Services Department (“ArchSD”), which was in charge of the works of the West Kowloon Law Courts Building, to discuss the feasibility for the contractor who undertook the works of the law courts to build the bus stop together. However, as ArchSD did not agree at last, TD conducted consultation on the works concerned in June 2013. 12. Mr CHANG Yiu-wa responded as follows: (i) after receiving TD’s request for the provision of a bus stop in August 2016, HyD conducted an inspection with TD and LCSD and confirmed that removal of a tree was needed for the works. In March 2017, HyD applied to LandsD for the tree removal and learned that LCSD had specific requirements on the species and height of the compensatory trees. HyD found the tree species required by LCSD recently and LandsD had started vetting the application concerned; (ii) after LandsD approved the application concerned, HyD would need to apply for an Excavation Permit before the works commenced. The works were expected to commence in around February 2018 and would take about four months. - 5 - Action by 13. Mr LEUNG Man-kwong raised the following views and enquiries: (i) the consultation was conducted in June 2013 but TD did not ask HyD to commence the works until August 2016. He enquired what the Department had done during this period; (ii) it was not acceptable for the works to commence in 2018. The works had been delayed for many years so priority should be accorded to the works. He hoped that the Committee would ask LandsD and LCSD to handle the matters related to the works as quickly as possible. 14. Mr Aaron LAM raised the following views and enquires: (i) a lot of citizens went to the West Kowloon Law Courts Building every day. He hoped that the works concerned would commence as soon as possible; (ii) he enquired how long this type of works would normally take. 15. Mr TAM Kwok-kiu said that he agreed to speed up the pace of the works. However, as there might be other important works scheduled to be done, there might be major impact if this works commenced earlier. The Government should handle this with caution. 16. Mr Paul LEE responded as follows: (i) the consultation of the works concerned was completed in September 2013. According to record, TD did not issue a works order to HyD right after that. He guessed that as there was still some time to go before the West Kowloon Law Courts Building was completed and the passengers’ need to board and alight at the said location was not great, the Department adjusted the construction time to make it in line with the date of completion of the law courts building. Later, as there was staff movement, the works concerned did not continue until 2016. However, as the growth of trees at the site had changed, the tree concerned needed to be removed before the works could commence; (ii) the Department was studying the provision of a temporary bus stop in Tung Chau Street near Lai Chi Kok Road during the period of construction to satisfy citizens’ need to travel to and from the West Kowloon Law Courts Building. 17. Mr CHANG Yiu-wa responded that HyD would study whether resources could be increased to commence the works as soon as possible. 18. The Chairman concluded as follows: (i) the Committee was concerned about the progress of the provision of a bus stop outside the West Kowloon Law Courts Building, and requested the department concerned to commence the works as soon as possible and provide a temporary bus stop before the completion of the works; (ii) he requested the Secretariat to convey the Committee’s concern about the progress of the works to LCSD and LandsD after the meeting.