North District Council (2020-2023) Minutes of the 3rd Meeting of the Committee on Traffic and Transport
Date : 11 May 2020 (Monday) Time : 9:35 a.m. Venue : North District Council Conference Room
Present:
Committee Chairman Mr LAU Ki-fung*
Committee Vice Chairman Mr CHAN Wai-tat *
Members Ms LAM Shuk-ching* Mr CHOW Kam-ho* Mr YUEN Ho-lun* Mr CHAN Yuk-ming (9:37 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) Mr CHAN, Vincent Chi-fung (9:37 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) Mr KWOK Long-fung* Mr KO Wai-kei (9:35 a.m. – 4:54 p.m.) Mr CHEUNG Ching-ho, Franco* Mr CHEUNG Chun-wai* Mr WAN Wo-tat, Warwick (9:35 a.m. – 4:54 p.m.) Ms WONG Hoi-ying* Mr CHIANG Man-ching* Mr LAW Ting-tak*
Secretary Mr HO Tat-man, David Executive Officer (District Council)3, North District Office
Remarks: * MembersMembers who who attended attended the the whole whole meeting meeting
( ) TimeTime of of attendance Timeattendance of attendance ofof MembersMembers of Members
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In Attendance:
Ms KWONG Ting-lok, Maggie Assistant District Officer (North) 1, Home Affairs Department Ms YEUNG Yuet, Leann Senior Transport Officer/North, Transport Department Mr HUI Yin-hang, Daniel Transport Officer/North 1, Transport Department Mr YIP Cho-yam, Joseph Engineer/North 1, Transport Department Ms TSANG Chui-shan, Jocelyn Engineer/North 2, Transport Department Mr TAM Bit-ching District Engineer/Fanling, Highways Department Mr LUK Yin-choi, Jeffrey Engineer/4 (North), Civil Engineering and Development Department Mr FAN Wai-ho District Operations Officer, Tai Po District, Hong Kong Police Force Mr TSUI Yick-fook Station Sergeant, Tai Po District Traffic Team, Hong Kong Police Force Mr LEE Cheuk-kwong Acting Chief Inspector (Operations), Border District, Hong Kong Police Force Mr TSANG Tin-chu Station Sergeant, Border District Traffic Team, Hong Kong Police Force Mr WONG Tze-kin Manager (Operations), The Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited Mr Jeff TAM Manager (Public Affairs), The Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited
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Mr Desmund TANG Assistant Manager (Transport Planning), The Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited
Mr Kenneth KUNG Assistant Manager (Operations), Shatin Depot, The Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited
Mr CHAN Chung-yi Assistant Officer, Planning and Development, The Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited
Mr KUNG Syu-yan, Louis Operations Manager, Citybus Limited
Items 2 and 3 Mr NG Piu, Lawrence Senior Engineer 4/Universal Accessibility, Highways Department
Mr LEUNG Ka-yin, Tommy Engineer 10/Universal Accessibility, Highways Department
Items 6 to 8 Mr YONG Billy Chak-cheong Public Relations Manager – Projects & Properties, MTR Corporation Limited
Mr Sean LEUNG Assistant Public Relations Manager – External Affairs, MTR Corporation Limited
Items 11 and 12 Ms CHAN Yuet-ming
Absent: Ms LAM Tsz-king
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Opening Remarks
The Chairman welcomed Members, representatives of government departments and organisations to the 3rd meeting of the Committee on Traffic and Transport (“the Committee”) and greeted Mr Kenneth KUNG, Assistant Manager (Operations), Shatin Depot and Mr CHAN Chung-yi, Assistant Officer, Planning and Development of the Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited (“KMB”) in attendance.
2. Mr KWOK Long-fung asked if the Secretariat had received the application for leave from Ms LAM Tsz-king.
3. The Secretary responded that the Secretariat had not received any application for leave from Ms LAM Tsz-king so far.
(Post-meeting note: The Secretary checked back the record while the Committee was discussing agenda items 2 and 3, and noted that Ms LAM Tsz-king had submitted an application for leave to the Secretariat by email before the meeting. The Committee would deal with Ms LAM’s application for leave upon completion of the above agenda items. Please refer to paragraph 33 of this minutes of meeting for details.)
Item 1 - Confirmation of Minutes of the 2nd Meeting held on 9 March 2020
4. The Committee confirmed the minutes of the 2nd meeting.
Item 2 - Special Scheme under the Universal Accessibility Programme (Paper No. 23/2020) Item 3 - Proposal: Request for Provision of Lifts at the Pedestrian Subway at Tai Ping Estate (Paper No. 24/2020)
5. The Chairman welcomed Mr Lawrence NG, Senior Engineer 4/ Universal Accessibility and Mr Tommy LEUNG, Engineer 10/Universal Accessibility of the Highways Department (“HyD”) for their attendance at the meeting. Since Item 2 and Item 3 were both related to the Universal Accessibility Programme (“UAP”), he proposed to discuss the issues together.
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(Mr CHAN Yuk-ming and Mr Vincent CHAN joined the meeting at this juncture.)
6. Mr Tommy LEUNG briefed on Paper No. 23/2020 using slides, which were attached at the annex.
7. Mr Vincent CHAN said that the HyD had submitted a written response to Paper No. 24/2020 and contacted him. He would not brief on the proposal again.
8. Mr CHAN Yuk-ming said that the HyD would not consider retrofitting lift at public walkways where wheelchair ramps were installed (including footbridges connecting Cheung Wah Estate, San Wan Road and Fanling Station Road, and footbridges connecting Luen Wo Hui Market and Regentville Shopping Mall). However, for users of manual wheelchairs, it was very difficult for them to go up the ramp. This reflected that ramps could not help everyone in need. He hoped that the HyD could extend the scope of the UAP to public walkways already provided with wheelchair ramps, and determine whether to retrofit lifts by taking into account factors like population structure of the district, the elderly population, the pedestrian flow of the public walkways, and the gradient of existing wheelchair ramps.
9. Mr Warwick WAN asked whether the lift retrofitting project at Exit A2 of MTR Fanling Station was still at the exploratory stage and the commencement date for the works.
10. Mr CHEUNG Chun-wai said that the HyD proposed to retrofit a lift at the footbridge between Flora Plaza and Wah Ming Estate. Since the road surface at the location was rather narrow and the pedestrian flow was also high, he worried that upon completion of the lift, passengers boarding and alighting from buses would be affected and obstruction to pavement would occur. Besides, he worried that the lights of the lift would affect the residents of Flora Plaza and Wah Ming Estate at their time of sleep. If the aforesaid problems could be resolved, he welcomed the construction of a lift at the footbridge. Moreover, he said that it had taken the HyD two months to replace some simple parts of a lift, so he asked the HyD to provide information on the contact person in charge of cleaning and maintenance of the lift.
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11. Mr CHOW Kam-ho made the following comments:
(a) Apart from the disabled, cyclists were also concerned about the gradient of the pedestrian ramp;
(b) When wheelchair users used the footbridge from Fanling Centre to Dawning Views, they need to make a few turns along the ramp to reach the footbridge deck, which was very exhausting;
(c) No lift was available at the pedestrian subway connecting Cheung Wah Estate on the side of Fan Leng Lau and Luen Wo Hui, people with disabilities could only use the ramps to go up and down. He asked the HyD whether lift would be provided at the subway; and
(d) He learned that the lift construction works at footbridge ND03 was ready to start, and he requested the HyD to provide a tentative completion date of the project.
12. Mr YUEN Ho-lun said that he had used a wheelchair to climb up the pedestrian subway in Tai Ping Estate and found it very exhausting. He opined that the HyD should not consider ramps as facilities that could facilitate wheelchair users. The department should consider the predicament of the disabled and wheelchair users and retrofit lifts at pedestrian walkways with ramps.
13. Mr CHIANG Man-ching was concerned about the progress of the construction of the lifts for pedestrian subway No. NS50 and footbridge No. NF262 under the Third Phase of the UAP, and hoped that the relevant works would be implemented as soon as possible. He pointed out that many elderly people in Sheung Shui Wai were obliged to take footbridge No. NF262 when they went somewhere.
14. The Chairman said that it was necessary to retrofit lift at the footbridge on Luen On Street near Wo Mun Street as soon as possible. Besides, Members pointed out that the ramp could not actually facilitate the disabled and the elderly, nor could it serve the function of a lift.
15. Mr CHAN Wai-tat pointed out that residents of Wah Ming Estate (including wheelchair users) would not use footbridge WM01 to go to platforms 2 and 3 of Wah Ming Bus Terminal. He had once proposed to
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add a zebra crossing and remove the kerb at the drop-off stop of Route 273 at the Wah Ming Bus Terminal, but the Transport Department (“TD”) rejected the proposal. He had reservations about the proposal to retrofit a lift at footbridge WM01, criticising that it was a waste of resources for the Government to retrofit a lift at the footbridge compared to adopting a lower-cost option instead. He also pointed out that in the past, the Government and the North District Council (“NDC”) had carried out many construction works (such as superstructures that could not provide shelter from the rain) that were criticised by residents as a waste of resources.
16. Mr Lawrence NG gave a consolidated reply to Members’ comments and questions as follows:
(a) The Government was implementing the UAP by phases. The “Original Programme” was implemented in response to the recommendations of the Equal Opportunities Commission to add barrier-free access facilities to some public walkways, including the construction of lifts and standard ramps. Since the inception of the “Expanded Programme” in 2012, the Government had also considered retrofitting lifts at walkways where a standard ramp was already installed. While the scope of the “Special Scheme” was extended to cover public walkways in three types of housing estates, including “Tenant Purchase Scheme”, the “Buy or Rent Option Scheme” and public rental housing estates with divested properties (including shopping malls and car parks);
(b) Regarding the construction of lifts at pedestrian subways NS112 and NS113, the HyD would consult the NDC on the preliminary design plan in July 2020;
(c) It was expected that the lift retrofitting works for footbridge ND03 would commence in the third quarter of 2020;
(d) Footbridge lift NF247 was damaged after it was opened for public use. Affected by the epidemic and factory shutdowns, the supply of spare parts for lift maintenance had been delayed. Therefore, the time required for lift maintenance had also been delayed;
(Post-meeting note: The maintenance of footbridge lift NF247 had been completed and re-opened for public use on 29 April.)
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(e) Regarding Members’ concern about the impact to pedestrians during lift construction at footbridge WM01, the HyD would ensure work safety, including the introduction of temporary traffic arrangements during the construction period;
(f) Pedestrian subway NS50 and footbridge NF262 had been incorporated into the Third Phase of the UAP. The 12 projects of the Third Phase of the Programme would be implemented under three batches of engineering contracts, and footbridge NF262 belonged to the first batch of projects. The HyD had planned to solicit the views of the NDC on the preliminary design of the first batch of projects in July 2020, and expected to invite tenders for the construction works by the end of this year;
(g) As Members opined that there was no need to retrofit a lift at footbridge WM01, the HyD would take their views into consideration. Nevertheless, the residents of Flora Plaza would also use the footbridge to reach Wah Ming Bus Terminal; and
(h) Paper No. 23/2020 aimed to invite the Committee to make suggestions on the implementation of the “Special Scheme”. In order to facilitate Members to well consider and express their views, the public walkways listed in Annex II were divided into two groups. The public walkways in “Table 1” were not fully equipped with barrier-free access facilities, and there were no alternative lift facilities or ground crossings nearby. It was initially considered that there was a greater need to retrofit lifts for these walkways. As for the public walkways in “Table 2”, alternative lift facilities were already available nearby, such as ground crossings nearby, adjoining buildings equipped with lifts, or pedestrian passages installed with ramps, so the need to retrofit lifts was relatively lower.
17. Mr CHOW Kam-ho said that the representative of the HyD had not responded to the completion date of the lift construction works at footbridge ND03 and whether a lift would be provided at the pedestrian subway of Jockey Club Road/Sha Tau Kok Road.
18. Mr CHAN Yuk-ming said that the lifts of the public walkways at Wah Sam Estate, Cheung Wah Estate and Tin Ping Estate were often out of
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order, which could last up to one to two months each time. At the last meeting, he had pointed out that the cleaning contractor of the HyD was using high-pressure water jets to clean the interior of the lifts, but the HyD had not followed up the issue. If that was the cause of lift malfunctioning, the HyD should hold the cleaning contractor responsible. He opined that the HyD should find out the cause of the failure of the lifts. He also stated that lift failure might not necessarily be due to social events, it could have been caused by faulty design or materials used.
19. Ms LAM Shuk-ching said regarding the two lifts of footbridge NF247, the utilisation rate of one was very high, while the other side was less used. As pedestrians had to walk round a long way to get to one of the lifts, some elderly people with walking sticks preferred to take the stairs to access the Wah Sam Shopping Centre. She hoped that the Government would take into account the needs of the public when initiating any construction project to ensure that public funds were put to good use and avoid projects that had no practical use. As Mr CHAN Wai-tat had pointed out, residents of Wah Ming Estate would not use footbridge WM01 to go to Wah Ming Bus Terminal. The HyD should get to know the travel patterns of the residents.
20. Mr CHIANG Man-ching said that footbridge NF262 was close to the school district and it was also used by many elderly people. He hoped that a lift could be retrofitted there as soon as possible. He asked whether the project was the first batch under the Third Phase of the UAP, and invited the HyD to inspect the footbridge with him.
21. Mr KWOK Long-fung said that the lifts at the public walkway off Tin Ping Estate often failed. But when the lift of one side failed, no notice was posted correspondingly at the ground entrance/exit of the lift on the other side. People in need would only find out that the lift was not working after they got on the footbridge, but then they would have no choice but to turn back and use the road crossing to get to Tin Ping Estate. He asked the HyD to pay attention to the problem, and reminded contractor to post notices at the entrance/exit of the lift in normal operation under the above circumstances.
22. The Chairman believed that the HyD should review the maintenance of lifts. He pointed out that the frequency of lift failure at footbridges and subways off Tin Ping Estate was high. Moreover, the glass of the subway
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lift had burst before and lift service was suspended for a long time pending the necessary replacement by the Mainland factory.
23. Mr Lawrence NG gave a consolidated reply to Members’ comments and questions as follows:
(a) It was estimated that the lift construction works for footbridge ND03 would be completed in the fourth quarter of 2024;
(b) The HyD had already reminded the contractor not to clean the interior of lifts with high-pressure water jets and posted relevant notice at the lifts;
(c) The lifts at public walkways were maintained by the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (“EMSD”). The HyD would relay Members’ opinions to the EMSD, i.e. when the lift on one side of the walkway failed, a notice must be posted at the lift entrance on the other side; and
(d) There was a total of 12 projects under the Third Phase of the UAP. Pedestrian subways NS112 and NS113, footbridges NF252 and NF262, and elevated walkway N499 were among the first batch of projects. The HyD was almost done with the preliminary design of the projects and would consult the Committee’s opinions in July 2020. If the Committee supported the projects, the HyD would go on with the detailed design and proceed to invite tenders by the end of this year. The relevant projects were expected to commence in early 2021.
24. Mr CHOW Kam-ho said that many residents of Luen Wo Hui had to use the lift at footbridge ND03. He asked whether the progress of the relevant works could be speeded up. He also said that the pedestrian subway at Cheung Wah Estate/Sheung Shui Police Station was only installed with ramps, which was very inconvenient for wheelchair users. Nonetheless, that pedestrian subway was not covered in the Third Phase of the UAP. He asked if a lift could be built at the subway.
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25. Mr Lawrence NG responded as follows:
(a) He asked Mr CHOW Kam-ho to provide the structure number of the pedestrian subway at Cheung Wah Estate/Sheung Shui Police Station for follow-up;
(b) Whether a walkway was installed with a ramp or not was not the only factor in considering whether a lift would be retrofitted. The HyD had to review whether individual structure met the conditions under the UAP;
(c) The completion date of the lift construction works for footbridge ND03 was only a preliminary estimation. Generally speaking, each lift contract lasted for three to four years, but this did not mean that the project would take three to four years to complete. He would forward the opinions on speeding up the project to the responsible colleagues for follow-up; and
(d) The HyD welcomed Members’ comments on the items in Annex II of Paper No. 23/2020 and proposals for public walkways for inclusion in the preliminary study.
26. Regarding the items contained in Annex II of Paper No. 23/2020, Mr CHAN Yuk-ming suggested the HyD to inspect the relevant walkways on-site with the local NDC Members and allow them more time to listen to the opinions of residents. Moreover, he said that the lift construction works were generally completed near the end of the contractual period.
27. Mr Warwick WAN noticed that there were lift contractors undertaking seven or eight projects, and the contractor would arrange five personnel to work on different projects in turns. He did not believe that four years were needed to build a lift. He suggested that the HyD should split up the works contracts for different projects to speed up the progress.
28. Mr CHEUNG Chun-wai said that he needed some time to discuss with Mr CHAN Wai-tat about the proposal of retrofitting lift at footbridge WM01 and suggested the HyD to arrange an on-site inspection for the proposal. Besides, he stated that the lift of footbridge NF247 had been out of order for more than two months. He requested the contractor of the
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HyD to stop using high-pressure water jets to clean the lifts and that the contractor who used high-pressure water jets to clean the lifts be replaced.
29. Mr CHOW Kam-ho requested the HyD to expedite the construction of the lift at footbridge ND03. Moreover, he learned that residents of Wah Ming Estate seldom used footbridge WM01, and asked whether the HyD would propose to retrofit lifts for public walkways in other housing estates.
30. The Chairman requested the HyD to conduct on-site inspections at HyD public walkways where lift retrofitting was proposed together with the NDC Members of the local and neighbouring constituencies, and follow up with Ms LAM Tsz-king on the Choi Yuen Estate project.
31. Mr Lawrence NG gave a consolidated reply to Members’ comments and suggestions as follows:
(a) The HyD could conduct on-site inspections with Members and welcomed Members to propose other public walkways that required lift retrofitting, provided that the walkways were located in the eight public housing estates covered by the “Special Scheme” under the UAP;
(b) A works contract would not cover the construction of lifts for a single public walkway alone. The HyD would set priorities for different projects, and he would convey the views on speeding up the footbridge ND03 project to the responsible colleagues for follow-up;
(c) Under normal circumstances, construction of a lift could be completed in just 2 to 2.5 years. Since the Second Phase of the UAP, the HyD had adopted various measures to speed up the progress of the project, including the use of pre-assembled steel structures, and the launch of underground exploration work before contract signing to reduce the impact of underground pipelines on the works progress.
32. The Chairman stated that the previous lift construction projects were not completed on time. He considered that the HyD should increase the penalties for contractors for project delays in order to speed up progress of
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the works. He also asked the HyD to liaise with relevant Members on lift HyD retrofitting proposals.
(Post-meeting note: The HyD had conducted on-site inspections on the footbridges of Choi Yuen Estate and Wah Ming Estate on 21 May and 22 May 2020 respectively. Besides, the Secretariat had received a total of two additional lift retrofitting proposals from two Members for inclusion in the preliminary study of the “Special Scheme”. The HyD was examining whether the proposed projects fell within the scope of the “Special scheme”. If they met the conditions of the “Special Scheme”, the HyD would provide the Committee with detailed information of these public walkways upon completion of the preliminary study to let the Committee consider and select the projects to be launched under the “Special Scheme”.)
33. The Chairman said that Ms LAM Tsz-king was unable to attend this meeting as she was not feeling well. Since her ground for absence conformed to the provisions of the North District Council Standing Orders (the “Standing Orders”) related to Members’ absence, he proposed to tentatively approve her application for leave. Ms LAM’s application for leave would be formally approved upon her submission of medical certificate.
(Post-meeting note: Ms LAM Tsz-king had submitted a medical certificate on 11 May 2020, her application for absence was formally approved.)
Item 4 - Proposal: Request for an Overhaul of the Cycling Tracks in North District (Paper No. 25/2020)
34. Mr YUEN Ho-lun briefed on Paper No. 25/2020 and stated that there were tree roots above the ground, making the cycle tracks uneven. Moreover, he asked about the timetable of the “Super Cycle Tracks” project.
35. Mr TAM Bit-ching responded that the HyD was responsible for the maintenance and repair of public walkways (including cycle tracks) under its purview. The HyD repaired and refurbished cycle tracks from time to time to protect the safety of cyclists. In April 2020, the HyD had repaired several cycle tracks, including the cycle track near the Fanling Station Road, the cycle track at San Wan Road near Fanling Centre, the cycle track at San Wan Road near North District Park, the cycle track at Pak Wo Road near
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Chi Wah Lane and the roundabout; and refurbished the cycle track at Lok Yip Road near Jockey Club Road. The HyD was now arranging renovation works for the cycle tracks at Fanling Highway, San Wan Road, Pak Wo Road, etc. After receiving the proposal, the HyD had contacted Mr YUEN Ho-lun and learned that there were tree roots grown above the cycle track from the section between Greenpark Villa and Ka Fuk Estate. As trees were involved, the HyD would contact relevant departments like the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (“LCSD”) as soon as possible to discuss improvement plans. The HyD welcomed Members to contact the department on problems of other road sections.
36. Mr Jeffrey LUK responded that the North Development Office of the Civil Engineering and Development Department (“CEDD”) was not in charge of the “Super Cycle Tracks” project. He would respond to Mr YUEN Ho-lun’s question after the meeting.
37. Ms LAM Shuk-ching made the following comments:
(a) Cycle tracks in Hong Kong were provided on the side of pavements and occupied extensive road surface in order to mark both bounds, while cycle tracks in Taiwan were delineated with white lines along the side of the road. She hoped that the Hong Kong Government would consider simplifying the design of cycle tracks and provide more cycle tracks for cyclists to ride safely;
(b) There was no cycle track between Cheong Shing Court and the intersection of Pak Wo Road. Due to the declined road section and the unfriendly attitude of large truck drivers to cyclists, cyclists were exposed to greater danger. Yet there was not enough space on the relevant road section to provide cycle track. She believed the problem in question was related to urban planning; and
(c) Apart from cycle tracks, the problem of uneven surface of footpaths was also very serious. The HyD had stated that it would replace the eco-blocks on Wah Ming Road during major repairs, but the repair works had not been carried out. She hoped that the Government would study whether eco-blocks should continue to be used, and seriously consider planting suitable plants along the roadside.
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38. Mr CHAN Yuk-ming agreed with the proposal and requested not to cut off the tree roots above the road surface, so as not to hinder the growth of trees. He asked the HyD to formulate a road repair plan and report to the Committee.
39. Mr Warwick WAN made the following comments:
(a) Hong Kong was a densely populated tiny place and it was difficult to copy the cycle track design of European countries or the United States;
(b) The Government had to improve the design of the cycle tracks to solve the problems of uneven road surface and skidding surfacing;
(c) Tree roots extending above the road surface resulted in stagnant water and mosquito infestation. Some cycle tracks were subsequently closed and cyclists were forced to ride on pavements, causing injuries to pedestrians. Still, the LCSD and the Tree Management Office (“TMO”) had not played the coordinating role, and none of the departments had managed to solve the problem; and
(d) Pedestrians often cross the flower planters between the footpath and the cycle track of Chi Fuk Circuit, resulting in gaps in the flower planters. Some cyclists were seen riding through the gaps onto the footpath, causing danger. He asked the TD and HyD to follow up the issue.
40. Mr LAW Ting-tak asked whether the Government had overall planning for the cycle track network in the entire North District. During holidays, a large number of cyclists would ride from Tai Po to Sha Tau Kok. As there were no cycle tracks along the Sha Tau Kok Road, cyclists could only ride on the sidewalk or road. This posed safety concerns for cyclists, pedestrians and drivers, while it was the responsibility of the TD to ensure road safety. For this purpose, it was necessary to add cycle tracks on Sha Tau Kok Road. The cycle track at River Beas in Kwu Tung was now completed, but there were still no cycle tracks in the Sha Tau Kok and Ta Kwu Ling areas. He suggested building a cycle track along Tan Shan River so that the cycle tracks in North District could link up River Indus, River Beas and Tai Tau Leng.
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41. Mr CHOW Kam-ho asked the Government not to cut off the tree roots above the road surface so as to avoid tree collapse. On the other hand, he pointed out that wear and tear of the road surface of cycle tracks in Hong Kong was high. He suggested the Government to use anti-abrasion materials on cycle tracks to lessen the frequency of maintenance.
42. Mr Franco CHEUNG made the following comments:
(a) No government department had submitted any written response to the proposal. It could be seen from this that they had no idea the issue of cycle tracks was the responsibility of which department. He asked which department was responsible for the positioning, design, maintenance, repair and planning of cycle track;
(b) According to the “Road Users’ Code”, bicycle was a viable means of transportation. However, there was no road supporting facilities to cater for the purpose. Due to lack of space on the road, it was difficult for drivers to give way to bicycles. If there was enough road space, he suggested to follow the practice of other places to designate a track for bicycles beside the driving lane;
(c) If the Government really regarded bicycles as a mode of recreation or sports, then the training facilities in the district were not sufficient; and
(d) He suggested that relevant departments should be invited to attend meetings to discuss matters such as planning, maintenance and repair of cycle tracks in North District.
43. Mr YUEN Ho-lun considered that the HyD was responsible for inspecting the condition of cycle tracks and suggested the department to step up its inspection work, say once every two weeks. He also considered that Hong Kong had not provided a friendly environment for cyclists. Cyclists were prone to accidents when riding through isolated humps on cycle tracks or debris on the roadside; and cyclists could only stay on the side when riding on the road in order not to obstruct other fast-moving vehicles.
44. Mr TAM Bit-ching gave a consolidated reply to Members’ comments, suggestions and questions as follows:
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(a) The HyD had been regularly inspecting the roads (including cycle tracks) under its management. If there was a problem with the road surface, the HyD would arrange maintenance as soon as possible. In response to the views of Mr YUEN Ho-lun, the HyD would study the enhancement of inspection frequency;
(b) Cycle tracks were generally paved with asphalt. He would ask the Maintenance Section of the HyD to provide relevant information and study the use of durable and anti-abrasive materials; and
(c) As the LCSD was more familiar with tree management, the HyD would consult the LCSD on the problem of tree roots emerging from the road surface, with a view to ensuring the safety of cyclists without causing too much harm to trees. The HyD would contact the LCSD as soon as possible regarding the problem of emerging roots at the cycle track of Ka Fuk Estate and conduct on-site inspections to study solutions to improve the problem.
45. Ms Jocelyn TSANG gave a consolidated reply to Members’ comments, suggestions and questions as follows:
(a) Regarding the views of Mr LAW Ting-tak and Mr Franco CHEUNG on the planning and development of the overall cycle tracks network, the CEDD had conducted a study on cycle tracks development. Regarding the proposal of Mr Law Ting-tak to build a cycle track at Tan Shan River and extend the current cycle tracks network in North District to other locations, the TD could forward such opinions to the Development Bureau and the West Development Office of the CEDD;
(b) Cycle tracks in Hong Kong were designed in accordance with the “Transport Planning and Design Manual”, where traffic safety was accorded top priority. According to the design criteria, bicycles, pedestrians and vehicles should stay apart as much as possible. Since the maximum speed of bicycles was 20-30 km per hour, which was much faster than the walking speed of pedestrians, allowing bicycles and pedestrians to use the same footpath would pose a safety risk (especially for the elderly and young children). From the perspective of road safety, due to the different speeds of pedestrians, bicycles and vehicles, shared road use was not an ideal and safe practice. Therefore, it was necessary to provide cycle
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tracks apart. The TD considered that the current practice of designating cycle tracks was a safer approach.
46. Ms LAM Shuk-ching made the following comments:
(a) Japan and Taiwan would cover emerged tree roots with gravels, which was a simple way to keep the road smooth; and
(b) There was no cycle track between Cheong Shing Court and Pak Wo Road. The Police had prosecuted cyclists who rode on the pavement; hence they could only push their bicycles or ride on the road. Yet the safety of cyclists riding on the road was not guaranteed. She agreed that bicycles and vehicles had different speeds and that the two should not share the same road space. She hoped that the Government would provide a safe environment for cyclists.
47. Mr YUEN Ho-lun said that some bicycles could reach speeds of 30 km per hour. He suggested that arrangement should be made for recreational bicycles to use the cycle tracks and sports bicycles to ride on the roadside.
48. Ms Jocelyn TSANG responded that according to the existing laws, except for expressways, government tunnels and certain road sections designated as restricted bicycle zones based on road safety considerations, under the premise of observing traffic rules, bicycles and other road users had the same right to use the roads. If a certain road section did not have a cycle track and did not belong to a bicycle restricted area, bicycles could travel on the road.
49. Mr YUEN Ho-lun opined that drivers were generally unfriendly to bicycles on the roads as they often kept their vehicles close to the bicycles and sounded their horns. Therefore, it would be much safer if bicycle lanes were designated on the roads. He also considered that the Government had insufficient publicity on bicycle safety.
50. The Chairman said that Members had many opinions on the issue. He suggested that the Committee should hold a special meeting to discuss the issue of cycle tracks in North District with relevant departments.
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51. Mr CHAN Yuk-ming had no objection to the Chairman’s proposal and suggested that cycling groups should be invited to provide opinions.
52. The Chairman asked the Secretary to make relevant arrangements Secretariat for the special meeting.
Item 5 - Proposal: Request for Cancelling the Arrangement of Deploying 9-car Trains for the East Rail Line (Paper No. 26/2020)
Item 6 - Proposal: Request for Details from the MTRCL about the Arrangement of Deploying 12-car Trains and 9-car Trains Concurrently (Paper No. 27/2020)
53. The Chairman welcomed Mr Billy YONG, Public Relations Manager – Projects & Properties and Mr Sean LEUNG, Assistant Public Relations Manager – External Affairs of the MTR Corporation Limited (“MTRCL”) for their attendance at the meeting. Since Item 5 and Item 6 were both related to the arrangement of deploying 9-car trains for the East Rail Line, he proposed to discuss the issues together.
54. Mr CHOW Kam-ho briefed on Paper No. 26/2020. He said that the population of North District would increase significantly in the future, and asked whether the MTRCL had assessed the carrying capacity of the East Rail line after switching to 9-car trains and the potential worsening crowding condition of train compartments. Besides, although passenger demand had dropped during the epidemic due to school closures and employees working from home, he worried that when the epidemic was over, residents of North District would have difficulty boarding trains.
55. The Chairman briefed on Paper No. 27/2020 and asked whether the MTRCL had taken adequate measures to solve the problems that had occurred on the East Rail Line.
56. Mr Billy YONG responded as follows:
(a) After the commissioning of the Hung Hom to Admiralty section of the Shatin to Central Link (“SCL”) (i.e. the cross-harbour section
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of the East Rail Line), passengers could go to Wan Chai and Admiralty direct from places like North District, Tai Po and Sha Tin within a much shorter journey time;
(b) It was expected that the East Rail Line would start to use the new signalling system and 9-car trains in mid-2020, and it would take about one and a half years to replace all trains with 9-car trains. Should there be a definite date, the MTRCL would report to the Committee as soon as possible. The MTRCL would also try its best to arrange Members to inspect the trains deployed for the East Rail Line;
(c) The Tuen Ma Line Phase I could divert the passenger flow of the busiest section of the East Rail Line (i.e. the section from Tai Wai to Kowloon Tong). The Tuen Ma Line Phase I was commissioned in February 2020. About 10% of the Kowloon-bound passengers of the East Rail Line had switched to the Tuen Ma Line Phase I. It was expected that after the full commissioning of the Tuen Ma Line in 2021, the diversion effect would be more evident;
(d) Due to the epidemic and coupled with the diversion effect of the Tuen Ma Line Phase I, the passenger capacity of the East Rail Line was sufficient to meet demand. The MTRCL expected that the passenger volume would increase after the epidemic subsided and schools resumed, and additional trains would be deployed at various times then;
(e) To enable passengers to adapt to the arrangement of deploying 12-car trains and 9-car trains concurrently for the East Rail Line, the MTRCL would mark the platform floor with green and blue stickers to distinguish the queuing position for 12-car trains and 9-car trains respectively; and
(f) The new signalling system of the East Rail Line was at its final testing stage and government approval was pending.
57. Ms Leann YEUNG responded that the Bus and Railway Branch of the TD and the MTRCL were closely following up the new arrangement of deploying 9-car trains for the East Rail Line. The department had also forwarded the site inspection proposal to the MTRCL for consideration.
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58. Mr CHOW Kam-ho said that the population of North District would grow by hundreds of thousands in a short period of time. Augmented by the fact that the Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau checkpoints would be reopened in due course, there would be a considerable number of passengers on the East Rail Line. He asked whether the East Rail Line could meet the commuting needs of residents in North District after 9-car trains were deployed.
59. Mr CHAN Wai-tat asked how many additional trains would be deployed after the East Rail Line started to use the new signalling system and 9-car trains, and the subsequent change in passenger capacity. He had asked the MTRCL to provide relevant data, but the MTRCL had not provided it. He believed that the MTRCL should provide relevant data to convince Members to support the arrangement of deploying 9-car trains for the East Rail Line.
60. Ms WONG Hoi-ying raised the following questions:
(a) How much time did the MTRCL need to carry out tests on the new signalling system of the East Rail Line;
(b) At present, platform screen doors were not provided for the East Rail Line. After the arrangement of deploying 9-car trains for the East Rail Line was in place, how could the MTRCL prevent possible accidents of passengers falling onto rail tracks;
(c) What would be the train frequency for the East Rail Line after 9-car trains were used, and how many trains would there be every hour;
(d) The existing number of 12-car trains for the East Rail Line and the number of trains after the full deployment of 9-car trains; and
(e) The flow of people at Exit C of Fanling Station would increase whenever minibuses dropped off passengers there. Four to five ticket gates at that exit were yet to be repaired, so she asked when operation of those ticket gates would be resumed.
61. Mr KWOK Long-fung casted doubt on the MTRCL and the KMB who often just stated in their written responses that “the services could cater for the demand”, without providing specific data such as passenger capacity. He demanded the MTRCL to act frankly and open-mindedly and provide the
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relevant data in writing. Besides, based on past experience, service disruption was highly likely whenever the MTRCL switch to a new signalling system. He asked the TD to explain to the Committee the contingency plan when service disruption to the MTR occurred.
62. Mr CHOW Kam-ho asked the MTRCL to explain the details of the replacement of the signalling system and to avoid the arrangement of deploying 12-car trains and 9-car trains concurrently for the East Rail line during peak hours in order to minimise the impact on residents in the event of signal failure.
63. The Chairman said that he heard that the arrangement of deploying 12-car trains and 9-car trains concurrently for the East Rail line would be implemented in May or June 2020. However, the MTRCL had not arranged for Members to conduct on-site inspections so far, neither had any information on passenger volume evaluation been provided to them.
64. Mr Billy YONG gave a consolidated reply to Members’ comments and questions as follows:
(a) When the MTRCL planned to use the new signalling system and 9-car trains for the East Rail Line, it had already taken into account the population growth along the East Rail Line and the situation after the commissioning of the Tuen Ma Line and the SCL. After the commissioning of the Tuen Ma Line Phase I, some passengers had already switched to take that line. It was expected that more passengers would switch to take the Tuen Ma Line after its full commissioning. The MTRCL understood that Members were concerned about the passenger volume of the East Rail Line and the company would closely monitor the situation and report to the Committee on a regular basis;
(b) The arrangement of deploying 12-car trains and 9-car trains concurrently for the East Rail line was tentatively scheduled to be implemented in mid-2020. If there was an exact date, the MTRCL would report to the Committee as soon as possible. The MTRCL would also try its best to arrange Members to inspect the trains deployed for the East Rail Line;
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(c) In the early period of deployment of 9-car trains for the East Rail Line, the MTRCL would try to avoid deploying 9-car trains during the peak hours and at the busiest sections (say city-bound trains during the morning peak hours) so that passengers could gradually familiar themselves with the relevant arrangement;
(d) When the deployment of 9-car trains for the East Rail Line was in full swing, 37 trains would be in operation;
(e) The tests for the new signalling system and the 9-car trains for the East Rail Line were in the final stage; and
(f) The MTRCL had a series of measures to help passengers adapt to the arrangement of deploying 12-car trains and 9-car trains concurrently for the East Rail line, including putting sticker signs on the ground, displaying the number of train cars for each train service on the platform display, and additional staff would be deployed at some important and key platform locations to assist passengers.
65. Regarding Ms WONG Hoi-ying’s concern about the ticket gate facilities at the ground exit of the MTR Fanling Station, Mr Sean LEUNG responded that the Station was damaged to varying degrees earlier on and the MTRCL was actively carrying out repair work. The MTRCL had plans to repair various damaged facilities and work priorities were set, including a vigorous plan to repair the concourse of Fanling Station to restore its operation. Due to the epidemic, the delivery of parts had become a great challenge. On the other hand, Tai Wai to Kowloon Tong was the busiest section of the East Rail Line, the hourly passenger volume of the section during the morning peak hours was about 53 700. If based on the calculation of 4 persons per square metre, the passenger load factor was about 87%.
66. Ms Leann YEUNG responded that the TD was aware of Members’ comments. It would closely monitor the impact of the population growth in the district on the demand for MTR services and conduct regular reviews with the MTRCL. Furthermore, the TD had a contingency plan to deal with the failure of the East Rail Line, including issuing press releases, requesting assistance from public transport operators, and arranging shuttle buses to pick up passengers. Regarding the issue of possible service disruption during the deployment of 9-car trains for the East Rail Line, she
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would relay it to the Bus and Railway Branch of the TD for follow-up. The TD would study with the MTRCL about the need to update the existing contingency plan.
67. Mr CHOW Kam-ho said that under the existing contingency plan, a large number of residents would be stranded in North District whenever the MTR failed. As the shuttle bus to Kowloon was already full in Sheung Shui, residents of Fanling were unable to board the shuttle bus even after waiting for an hour. He hoped that the TD would communicate with the MTRCL and the bus companies to design a contingency plan for MTR service disruption, so as to help residents of North District commuting to and from work.
68. Mr CHAN Yuk-ming said if service disruption to East Rail Line was frequent, he suggested the TD to require Route W3 to stop at Fanling and Route T270 to run throughout the day.
69. The Chairman said that the MTRCL and the TD had not responded to several questions, including whether the Tuen Ma Line could effectively divert passengers, what problems were encountered and how many incidents had occurred during the signalling system tests of the East Rail Line. Moreover, if Members noted lots of problems with the arrangement of deploying 9-car trains for the East Rail line and the MTRCL failed to fix them, would the MTRCL insist on implementing the relevant arrangements in mid-2020. He continued that the existing contingency plan was chaotic and many passengers had been stranded in North District.
70. Mr LAW Ting-tak agreed with the views of Mr CHAN Yuk-ming. The bus companies should strengthen the service of Route W3 or operate new routes to reduce the public’s dependence on MTR services.
71. Mr CHAN Wai-tat asked whether the East Rail line was using the old signalling system or the new signalling system now, and whether the MTRCL would first arrange for all 12-car trains to use the new system first. He asked the MTRCL to explain in detail the timetable for various measures and arranged for Members to inspect the tests of the new signalling system at night.
72. Mr KWOK Long-fung hoped that the TD would study the contingency plan for service disruption of the East Rail Line, including
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whether Route W3 should stop at Tai Po and Sha Tin under those circumstances.
73. Mr CHOW Kam-ho suggested that Route W3 should serve Fanling all day to reduce residents’ dependence on MTR services.
74. Mr Vincent CHAN agreed to strengthen the service of Route W3, saying that there were quite a number of passengers taking this bus route even when the MTR service was in normal operation.
75. The Chairman said Members suggested that bus services should be strengthened across the board to cope with service disruption of MTR in the future.
76. Mr Billy YONG gave a consolidated reply to Members’ comments, suggestions and questions as follows:
(a) The Tuen Ma Line Phase I was commissioned in February 2020. About 10% of East Rail Line passengers had switched to take the Tuen Ma Line Phase I trains to Kowloon. It was expected that when the Tuen Ma Line was fully operational, connected to the West Rail Line and extended its service area to East Kowloon, the diversion effect would be more evident;
(b) The MTRCL had proceeded with the tests of the new signalling system for the East Rail Line step by step. After the static test (i.e. tests without train operation) was successfully done, the MTRCL had gradually conducted slow dynamic tests on individual road sections (i.e. tests with train operation), then full-line dynamic tests were carried out. Now the tests had entered into the final stage. Having regard to the conditions that emerged during the signalling system test of the Tsuen Wan Line, the MTRCL had reviewed the new signalling system of the East Rail Line earlier on. The MTRCL would conduct detailed and rigorous tests and inspections before the commissioning of the new signalling system in order to ensure that the new signalling system could operate properly and smoothly;
(c) The MTRCL anticipated that there would be minor teething problems in the early stage when the new signalling system for the
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East Rail Line was commissioned. The existing system would be reserved as a backup system. At the initial stage of operation of the new signalling system, if the service of the East Rail Line was disrupted, the MTRCL could re-activate the existing system after evaluating the actual situation; and
(d) The service hours of the East Rail Line were relatively longer. The MTRCL had to carry out signalling system testing and maintenance work outside the service hours, so the schedule was very tight. Nevertheless, the MTRCL would still see how they could arrange Members to inspect the signalling system test for the East Rail Line at night.
77. Ms Leann YEUNG responded that Members’ comments were noted and the TD would study and formulate various contingency plans for different scenarios on the East Rail Line.
78. Mr CHOW Kam-ho asked if the TD could submit the new contingency plans that they had formulated to the Committee for discussion.
79. Ms Leann YEUNG responded that she had to check with the TD whether the contingency plans could be made public to Members for scrutiny. She would respond to Mr CHOW Kam-ho’s questions after the meeting.
80. Ms WONG Hoi-ying said that the ticket gate at Exit C of MTR Fanling Station was damaged in October 2019 and had not been fully repaired till now. She hoped the MTRCL would give a firm reply as to the completion date of the repair work. Besides, she understood that the MTRCL planned to increase the service frequency of the East Rail line to make up for the reduced passenger capacity after switching to 9-car trains. She asked about the peak-hour schedules after the arrangement of deploying 9-car trains was in place.
81. Mr CHAN Yuk-ming opined that the TD should consider every contingency option and submit relevant plans to the Committee as soon as possible. In addition to the MTRCL, the TD should also discuss contingency plans with stakeholders in the transportation industry, such as bus companies and minibus companies.
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82. The Chairman requested the TD to submit the contingency plans to the Committee as soon as possible. He understood that in the initial commissioning period of the new signalling system, existing 12-car trains would be used on the entire East Rail Line during the morning peak hours. However, he worried that the arrangement would cause more serious teething problems. He also worried that the MTRCL could not quickly switch back to the old system when the new signalling system encountered problems. For him, switching back to the old system was not a valid contingency plan.
83. Mr Billy YONG gave a consolidated reply to Members’ comments and questions as follows:
(a) In the event of a problem with the new signalling system, the old system could be used as a backup contingency plan;
(b) The MTRCL would try its best to avoid deploying 9-car trains for the East Rail Line during the morning peak hours, in order to allow passengers to adapt to the new East Rail Line service arrangements gradually. Moreover, it would take 18 months to put the 9-car trains in place, so passengers would have enough time to adapt to the arrangements; and
(c) Due to the epidemic and the diversion effect of the Tuen Ma Line Phase I, it was expected that the East Rail Line could well maintain a sufficient passenger capacity from mid-2020 onwards. The MTRCL would continue to pay close attention to the passenger volume of the East Rail Line. If the passenger volume increased after the epidemic and resumption of school classes, the MTRCL would increase the service frequency and deploy special trains at stations with higher passenger flow to ensure that the East Rail Line could well maintain a sufficient passenger capacity at different stages.
84. Mr Sean LEUNG responded that the MTRCL had been paying attention to the facilities at Exit C of Fanling Station. At present, there were two ticket gates at that exit for passengers to get in and get out separately. Although more passengers would be lining up to enter the ticket gate upon arrival of minibuses, the order at the exit was generally
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good. Despite the challenges in the delivery of parts, the MTRCL would repair the remaining ticket gates as soon as possible.
85. Ms Leann YEUNG responded that in addition to the MTRCL, the TD would also discuss contingency plans with different public transport operators. The TD would study with the bus companies to see whether incorporating enhanced bus services into the contingency plan was a viable option.
86. The Chairman requested the MTRCL to provide relevant MTRCL information to the Committee as soon as possible. He also asked the TD to TD submit contingency plans to the Committee as soon as possible. He also asked the TD to respect the views of Members and use its power to request the MTRCL to suspend the new signalling system and the arrangement of deploying 9-car trains for the East Rail Line, if necessary.
(Post-meeting note: On 19 June 2020, the TD had submitted to the Committee the MTR’s contingency plans during service disruption. The Secretariat had then forwarded the plans to Members on 22 June 2020)
Item 7 - Proposal: Request for MTRCL’s Timetable for Installing Platform Screen Doors for the East Rail Line (Paper No. 28/2020)
87. Mr YUEN Ho-lun briefed on Paper No. 28/2020.
88. Mr Billy YONG responded that under the SCL project, the new signalling system and new 9-car trains would be put into service of the East Rail Line, and automatic platform screen doors would also be installed at stations along the line. The new trains were wider than existing trains and their doors were more evenly distributed, passenger distribution in the compartments would be more even. As the platform screen doors had to match the door design of the new trains, the MTRCL must wait for the time the entire East Rail Line was served by new trains before installation of the screen doors could start. The MTRCL was now carrying out the preliminary work of the screen door installation project, including strengthening the platform and installing related equipment at the stations and different locations of the platform. The work was near its completion.
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89. Mr CHAN Wai-tat asked how much time would the MTRCL need to install platform screen doors for all stations after the entire East Rail Line was served with new trains. He also asked whether the necessary preliminary work beneath the platforms had already been completed.
90. Mr Billy YONG said it was understood that Members and the public were concerned about the installation of automatic platform screen doors. The MTRCL would carry out the preliminary work as soon as practicable and proceed with screen doors installation works immediately after the entire East Rail Line was served with new trains. Nevertheless, the screen doors must work in line with the new signalling system and the new trains, so time was required to test the screen doors.
91. The Chairman invited the MTRCL to closely follow up the MTRCL installation of platform screen doors on the East Rail Line with the Committee.
Item 11 - Proposal: Request for Widening the Bend at the Junction of Ping Che Road and Ping Yuen Road and Providing a Pedestrian Crossing at Side of Ping Che Tsuen Village Office (Paper No. 32/2020)
92. The Chairman suggested discussing agenda items 11 and 12 first and asked Members if they had any comments on the arrangements. No Members made any comments.
93. The Chairman welcomed Ms Chan Yuet-ming for attending the meeting on agenda items 11 and 12.
94. Mr KO Wai-kei briefed on Paper No. 32/2020.
95. Ms Jocelyn TSANG responded that the TD was now collecting traffic data and other relevant information of the junction at Ping Che Road and Ping Yuen Road and conducting study on it. If the results of the study showed that the intersection needed improvement, the TD would design a traffic improvement plan and conduct consultation.
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96. The Chairman asked the TD to follow up the proposals with Mr KO TD Wai-kei and Ms CHAN Yuet-ming.
Item 12 - Proposal: Provision of a Cross-boundary Coach Stop in Front of Man Kam To Control Point to Provide Convenience for Residents (Paper No. 33/2020)
97. Mr KO Wai-kei briefed on Paper No. 33/2020.
98. Mr WONG Tze-kin responded that the proposal suggested that a bus stop be provided for Sheung Shui-bound Man Kam To cross-boundary coaches at the terminus of Route 73K. However, the buses parked at the terminus may affect cross-boundary coaches dropping-off and picking-up passengers. KMB had already reflected the relevant opinions to the TD.
99. Mr KO Wai-kei said that if the cross-boundary coaches at Sha Tau Kok Control Point could stop at Tam Shui Hang, it would facilitate the residents in restricted areas and rural areas. There were already bus stops in the Man Kam To area, and there was also a lot of government land that could be used to set up bus stop. Therefore, it was considered feasible for cross-boundary coaches to have a stop in front of the Man Kam To Control Point. He hoped that the TD and cross-boundary coach operators would consider the proposal to save commuting residents the trouble of travelling to Sheung Shui.
100. The Chairman requested the TD to follow up the proposal with Mr TD KO Wai-kei.
Item 8 - Proposal: Request for Providing Additional Car Parks in North District to Tackle Illegal Parking Problem (Paper No. 29/2020) Item 9 - Proposal: Review of the Shortage of Parking Spaces for Commercial Vehicles to Tackle Illegal Parking Problem at Source (Paper No. 30/2020)
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101. The Chairman said that since the two proposals were related to parking facilities in North District, he proposed to discuss the issues together.
102. Mr Vincent CHAN briefed on Paper No. 29/2020 and asked why the paper displayed on the traditional Chinese website of the NDC were in simplified Chinese.
103. The Secretary responded that the documents displayed on the traditional Chinese website of the NDC should be in traditional Chinese. The Secretariat would follow up on relevant technical issues after the meeting.
(Post-meeting note: After the NDC webpage was updated on 6 May 2020, there were errors in the language versions of some papers. The Secretariat had already rectified the language version of Paper No. 29/2020 on the traditional Chinese website of the NDC on 11 May 2020.)
104. Mr Franco CHEUNG briefed on Paper No. 30/2020.
105. Mr Joseph Yip responded that the TD would pursue the principle of “single site, multiple use” in public car parks construction, increasing the number of parking spaces through planning and increasing the number of commercial parking spaces in short-term lease car parks. Besides, if the TD found that illegal parking was particularly serious in certain locations, it would request the Police to strengthen law enforcement.
106. Mr CHAN Yuk-ming supported the proposal. He said that the site designated for the construction of the New Territories East Cultural Centre was originally an unpaved open space parking lot. Although after lengthy negotiations, about 200 parking spaces would be provided at the Cultural Centre. Yet he believed that the Government should build an underground multi-storey car park at the Cultural Centre in accordance with the principle of “single site, multiple use”. Moreover, he asked the Police if they would continue to follow the past practice of allowing Members to directly contact the sergeant in charge of illegal parking violations, or call the 999 emergency hotline to report such cases.
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107. Mr Franco CHEUNG raised the following comments and questions:
(a) Regarding commercial vehicle parking spaces, the “Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines” mainly recommended the parking ratio standard for light goods vehicles (LGVs) and medium goods vehicles (MGVs). It also recommended the maximum parking ratio of 35% for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs). However, no parking places for articulated vehicles were recommended;
(b) Logistics companies were obliged to provide parking spaces for HGVs and articulated vehicles. These vehicles should not occupy road space for parking;
(c) He asked the TD to what level it planned to increase the proportion of commercial vehicle parking spaces in short-term lease car parks;
(d) The TD had tried to provide commercial vehicle parking spaces on non-Strategic Routes at night. He asked whether the results of the trial scheme were satisfactory;
(e) The TD stated in 2016 that it would provide more public parking spaces in the development projects of North District. Although many development projects in North District had been completed, parking spaces in the district were still not enough and the problem of illegal parking was still serious. The TD had not considered building multi-storey car parks at sites near Po Wing Road and Fung Ying Seen Koon; and
(f) There were still many areas under development in North District. He asked whether the TD would provide commercial vehicle parking spaces in those development projects.
108. Mr Vincent CHAN said that although the TD stated that public parking spaces would be provided at the public housing development projects located at Sheung Shui Areas 4 and 30 Site 2 and the site at Jockey Club Road, Fanling, the sites in question were not located in the Yu Tai Constituency and Ching Ho Estate. That could not help to solve the serious illegal parking problem in the relevant areas. If the TD would study the Po Wing Road car park proposal, he hoped to join the discussion.
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109. Mr CHOW Kam-ho said the TD emphasised that it would build public car parks in accordance with the principle of “single site, multiple use”, but would not consider building multi-storey car parks in new development areas. He questioned the TD’s ability to provide enough public car parks in North District under the principle of “single site, multiple use”. Hence, the problem of illegal parking would not be solved. Illegal parking posed a danger to all road users. The TD should start from the perspective of solving the livelihood problems of people and actively consider building parking lots at different locations to solve the problem of illegal parking in North District.
110. Mr CHIANG Man-ching stated that many proposals in the simplified Chinese website of the District Council were in traditional Chinese. He maintained that the NDC should use Traditional Chinese as the official language.
(Post-meeting note: After the NDC webpage was updated on 6 May 2020, there were errors in the language versions of some papers. The problem was fixed on 12 May 2020.)
111. The Chairman asked Mr CHIANG Man-ching to focus on the problem of insufficient parking spaces.
112. Mr CHIANG Man-ching said that the problem of illegal parking off Tsui Lai Garden at Fung Nam Road was serious. Illegally parked HGVs were posing a danger to pedestrians and private car drivers when they reversed. He believed that there was a demand for parking of HGVs and the problem of illegal parking could not be stemmed even if prosecutions were strengthened. He suggested prohibiting large vehicles from entering certain road sections at certain times.
113. Mr CHEUNG Chun-wai said that only a total of some 400 public parking spaces would be provided at the public housing development projects located at Sheung Shui Areas 4 and 30 Site 2 and the site at Jockey Club Road, Fanling, which was insufficient to meet the parking demand in North District. Besides, after reclaiming the parking lot next to Fung Ying Seen Koon for housing construction, the Government had not offered an alternative plan to re-provide the number of recovered parking spaces elsewhere during the development period of the housing project. At present, both sides of the section of Pak Wo Road outside Flora Plaza, Wah
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Sum Estate and King Shing Court were fully parked with large commercial vehicles. He hoped that the Government would find a location in Fanling South to provide commercial parking spaces.
114. Mr LAW Ting-tak said that he had proposed at a pre-meeting in January 2020 to add car parks to the stadium sites under the management of the LCSD. He believed that the proposal was very suitable under the principle of “single site, multiple use”. At that time, the relevant department stated that it had to study whether the entrance to the On Lok Mun Street Playground was wide enough. He asked whether the relevant department had continued to follow up on the suggestion.
115. Mr Joseph Yip gave a consolidated reply to Members’ comments, suggestions and questions as follows:
(a) The “Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines” had stipulated the ratio of parking spaces for articulated vehicles in industrial buildings. The TD would review whether it was necessary to increase the relevant ratio;
(b) According to the principle of “single site, multiple use”, whenever there was construction of public housing or public facilities (such as hospitals and recreational facilities), the TD would request relevant departments to conduct surveys on the demand for public parking spaces in order to understand the utilisation rate of nearby parking lots and the illegal parking situation at nearby road sections. Based on the demand, the TD would provide public parking spaces in the relevant structure as required;
(c) In the written response, it was confirmed that public parking spaces would be provided in the two public development projects in North District. If provision of public parking spaces was confirmed in other projects, the TD would consult the NDC; and
(d) The TD would increase the supply of parking spaces through measures such as allowing school buses to park inside schools after school hours and adding more bus parking spaces along the roadside. Under the above measures, a total of 53 parking spaces were added throughout Hong Kong in 2019.
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116. Mr TSUI Yick-fook responded that the Traffic Enforcement Team had resumed its duty in mid-March 2020, working on particular days and at particular hours. However, due to manpower constraints, operation of the dedicated telephone line had yet to be resumed. If the dedicated line resumed operation, the Police Public Relations Branch (“PPRB”) would notify Members.
117. Mr Franco CHEUNG asked whether the addition of evening roadside parking spaces and school bus parking spaces at schools was a territory-wide measure, and whether the relevant measures would be implemented in North District.
118. Mr KO Wai-kei said that during the holidays, many tourists would visit the outskirts of North District like Nam Chung Tin Hau Temple, Luk Keng and Kai Kuk Shue Ha. However, there were not enough parking spaces at the scenic spots to cope with the flow of people. He suggested that the TD should identify rural government land to set up temporary parking lots. He also advised the TD and the Planning Department (“PlanD”) to study relaxation of land use and allow parking facilities to be provided on private lands.
119. Mr Vincent CHAN asked whether the measure of school bus parking inside schools at night would be implemented in North District.
120. The Chairman said that the number of parking spaces for commercial vehicles was relatively small. Large vehicles often illegally parked at bus stops along Ma Sik Road and Tin Ming House bus stop on Jockey Club Road at night. He requested the Police to step up law enforcement. He considered that under the principle of “single site, multiple use”, the number of new parking spaces was less than the number of parking spaces lost. In order to eradicate the problem, the Government’s planning should be well-positioned.
121. Ms Jocelyn TSANG responded that the TD had been monitoring the supply and demand of parking spaces. In addition to providing some 130 private car parking spaces for residents, the housing development project next to Fung Ying Seen Koon would also provide 92 private cars, 35 LGVs, 35 MGVs/HGVs and 10 public bus parking spaces.
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122. Mr Joseph YIP responded that the TD had a dedicated team to deal with parking space issues. As some measures to increase the supply of parking spaces were not applicable in North District, such measures were not mentioned in the written response. The TD was studying the increased supply of parking spaces (including commercial vehicle parking spaces) in various development projects in North District. If Members thought that there was a suitable place to increase parking spaces, they could reflect to the TD.
123. Mr CHOW Kam-ho pointed out that illegally parked vehicles hindered the street cleaning work done by the contractor of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department. This showed that the problem of illegal parking not only affected the safety of road users, but also routine work for our livelihood.
124. Mr CHAN Wai-tat said that after the site of the parking lot next to Fung Ying Seen Koon was recovered for housing construction, the commercial parking spaces in Fanling South were in short supply. He requested the Police to strictly enforce the law against illegal parking of private cars, and suggested that the TD should increase night parking spaces for commercial vehicles along Wah Ming Road.
125. Mr CHAN Yuk-ming said that although the New Territories East Cultural Centre would provide 200 parking spaces, the former unpaved parking lot at the site used to have 300 parking spaces. The number of parking spaces to be provided by the Cultural Centre would be less than those existed before.
126. Ms Jocelyn TSANG responded as follows:
(a) Regarding the views of Mr CHAN Yuk-ming, the TD had checked the utilisation of the unpaved parking lot and found that the rate was about 50%. The consultant company in charge of the New Territories East Cultural Centre would explain to the NDC about the situation of parking spaces;
(b) The TD could conduct an inspection with Mr CHAN Wai-tat and study the proposal for adding parking spaces along Wah Ming Road at night;
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(c) A short-term lease car park would be provided at Chi Wa Lane, Fanling South; and
(d) The TD would request the Lands Department to impose additional clauses to the new short-term lease car parks, requiring operators to provide a certain number of commercial vehicle parking spaces in the car parks.
127. Mr CHIANG Man-ching suggested that expressway service areas should be added to provide facilities like restrooms and chain fast food shops to divert large trucks parked in Sheung Shui.
128. Ms Jocelyn TSANG responded that the TD had noted Mr CHIANG Man-ching’s proposal and would study on it.
129. The Chairman concluded that Members were all very concerned about the supply of parking spaces in North District. He asked the TD to TD submit to the Committee the location and number of additional parking spaces to be provided in North District.
130. Mr YUEN Ho-lun suggested to adjourn the meeting first and resume the discussion after lunch.
131. The Chairman proposed to adjourn the meeting at 1:30 p.m..
132. Mr CHAN Wai-tat suggested to adjourn the meeting after the Committee had finished discussing the next item.
133. The Committee agreed to adjourn the meeting after discussion of the next item was done.
Item 10 - Proposal: Provision of a Proper Urban Taxi Stand at Fanling MTR Station (Paper No. 31/2020)
134. Mr Franco CHEUNG briefed on Paper No. 31/2020.
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135. Ms WONG Hoi-ying said that Members were concerned about the planning and development of Fanling. As the taxi stand and minibus stand at MTR Fanling Station were located at the same place, she suggested the TD to collect both the utilisation figures of the taxi stand and the data on minibus flow, and then redesign the entire taxi stand and minibus stand to allow the provision of an urban taxi stand and accommodation of more minibus routes.
136. Mr CHAN Yuk-ming opined that the proposal was worthy of consideration. He considered Fanling Station to be a large station where urban taxi should be available. At present, urban taxis were found beside the New Territories taxi stand, yet the location was not a formal urban taxi stand and some urban taxi drivers were confused about the arrangement of ‘stop to wait for hire’. If the Fanling Station taxi stand could be re-planned, the arrangements for urban taxis waiting to be hired would become clearer.
137. Mr CHOW Kam-ho agreed with the proposal, saying that many residents had to take urban taxis. Besides, the current stopping point of urban taxis was close to the exit of minibus stations, which was not a satisfactory arrangement for waiting urban taxi drivers. He hoped that a formal urban taxi stand could be provided at Fanling Station to avoid danger during vehicles access.
138. Mr Franco CHEUNG said that many taxi stands (such as Chi Fuk Circuit and Fung Ying Seen Koon taxi stands) were not used by passengers and had become vehicle parking spaces. The TD could consider abolishing some taxi stands. On the contrary, many locations that need taxi stands were not provided with one. For him, people like to take taxis with the least hassle. For example, passengers would take taxis at the opposite side of Landmark North after leaving the southbound platform of Sheung Shui Station, rather than using the taxi stand at Choi Yuen Estate. Therefore, the TD should consider the needs of the public when setting up taxi stands.
139. Mr CHOW Kam-ho said that a taxi stand in the old market of Luen Wo Hui was always fully parked with out-of-service taxis, and the public could not take taxis at the taxi stand. He believed that the TD should pay attention to the utilisation rate of taxi stands and the positioning of taxi stands was also very important.
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140. Mr CHAN Wai-tat said that the taxi stand at Wah Ming Bus Terminal was relocated to Lui Ming Road a year or two ago, but no residents would take taxis there. Residents of Wah Ming Estate, Cheong Shing Court and Yung Shing Court would take taxis at the taxi stand outside the Yung Shing Shopping Centre. He believed that residents would go to the most convenient location to take taxis. The TD should carry out a comprehensive review to improve the design of taxi stands.
141. Mr KO Wai-kei said that the taxi stand located in the restricted area of Sha Tau Kok was not used by any taxis. He believed it would be more practical to change the taxi stand to a public light bus terminus.
142. The Chairman asked the TD how long it would take to collect traffic data at taxi stands and complete related studies.
143. Ms Jocelyn TSANG responded that as Members mentioned that some taxi stands were under-utilised, the TD would conduct a study on those taxi stands. The TD would also complete the traffic data collection and re-design work of the taxi stand at Fanling Station as soon as possible, and then discuss the findings with relevant Members. Moreover, any persons who wanted to provide parking spaces on private land could apply for temporary change of land use under Section 16 of the Town Planning Ordinance. The PlanD would solicit the views of relevant departments (including the TD) upon receipt of the application.
144. Mr Franco CHEUNG said that he could assist the TD to follow up the issue of taxi stands in various areas of North District.
145. Ms Leann YEUNG responded that the TD would study Members’ views towards various taxi stands, but the taxi stand at Fanling Station would be dealt with first with road traffic flow survey conducted as soon as possible. She said that the Fanling Station taxi stand was jointly used by New Territories taxis and urban taxis, so one could not say that there was no urban taxi stand at the Fanling Station.
146. Mr Franco CHEUNG pointed out that the taxi stand at Fanling Station was equipped with road kerbs, and taxis could not drive away at its will once they had reached the front part of the line. He criticised the design of dual-use taxi stand by New Territories taxis and urban taxis as unwise.
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147. Ms Leann YEUNG responded that the TD would make improvement proposal for the Fanling Station taxi stand in line with practical conditions.
148. The Chairman invited the TD and Mr Franco CHEUNG to follow TD up the said proposal. He announced adjournment of the meeting for a lunch break till its resumption at 2:15 p.m..
(The meeting was adjourned at 1:10 p.m. and resumed at 2:19 p.m..)
Item 13 - Proposal: Revising the Minibus Route Plying between Queen’s Hill and the North District Hospital to Operate Via Luen Wo Hui and Ching Ho (Paper No. 34/2020) Item 14 - Proposal: Replacing the Proposed Minibus Route Plying between Queen’s Hill and the North District Hospital with Regular Bus Service (Paper No. 35/2020)
149. The Chairman stated that since the two proposals were both related to the proposed Queen’s Hill minibus route, he proposed to discuss the issues together.
150. Mr YUEN Ho-lun briefed on Paper No. 34/2020.
151. The Chairman briefed on Paper No. 35/2020.
152. Mr LAW Ting-tak supported that the route between Queen’s Hill and the North District Hospital (“Queen’s Hill Route”) be operated by buses, saying that if the Queen’s Hill Route was operated by minibuses, passengers in the area of Tin Ping Estate and Fung Tsui would not be able to board the minibuses because they would be already full by then. In this case, he suggested that the routing of Queen’s Hill Route be diverted via Sha Tau Kok Road (Lung Yeuk Tau) off the Pui Ling School to the North District Hospital In lieu of Tin Ping Estate and Fung Tsui. He also suggested that the return routing of Queen’s Hill Route should serve Yu Tai and Ching Ho Estate to facilitate residents in the area to go to Luen Wo Hui for daily supply. Besides, he considered that the proposed fare ($13.4) of the
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Queen’s Hill Route too high. It was even higher than the fare for the whole journey and the express service fare ($10.3) of minibus Route 55K.
153. Mr Vincent CHAN said that the proposed fare for the Queen’s Hill Route reached $13.4, and he considered the fare level unfriendly to residents of Yu Tai travelling to Luen Wo Hui.
154. Mr CHIANG Man-ching agreed that the Queen’s Hill Route should be operated by buses in order to cope with the long-term development of Queen’s Hill and allow access by the residents of Sheung Shui. He also asked about the progress of the Sheung Shui Wai minibus route.
155. Mr CHOW Kam-ho said that although residents of Luen Wo Hui may not need the minibus route to North District Hospital, the service interval of Route 70K was long and the problem of lost trips was also serious. He hoped that the TD would strengthen the service of Route 70K.
156. Mr YUEN Ho-lun expressed surprise at the proposed fare of the Queen’s Hill Route, saying that it was a regional route but the fare was even higher than that of Route 502 going to Tai Po. Moreover, in order to avoid overlapping services between buses and minibuses, he proposed to use buses to serve Tin Ping Estate, while the minibus route should serve Luen Wo Hui, Ching Ho Estate and North District Hospital before turning back to the MTR Sheung Shui Station.
157. The Chairman said that lost trips of Route 70K via the Kai Leng roundabout were common.
158. Ms Leann YEUNG gave a consolidated reply to Members’ comments, suggestions and questions as follows:
(a) The 2020-2021 North District Bus Route Planning Programme (“BRPP”) proposed to introduce Route 78A plying between Queen’s Hill Estate and MTR Fanling Station. The TD hoped to provide diversified public transport services, and wished that convenient hospital connection services could be provided by minibuses;
(b) Members were concerned that passengers at halfway stations would not be able to get any seating places. The TD would discuss with the minibus operators the feasibility of running short-distance
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routes;
(c) The TD set the proposed fare for the Queen’s Hill Route based on the mileage and minibus fare scale. Since it would be operated as a circular route, the fare was determined based on the total distance of the route back and forth. The TD was actively considering arranging a terminal station for the Queen’s Hill Route in Sheung Shui, making it a two-way route in order to minimise the proposed fare. The TD would also consider allowing the Queen’s Hill Route to provide sectional fares. Nevertheless, the actual fares would be determined by the minibus operator; and
(d) The TD and KMB would follow up on the unstable frequency of Route 70K.
159. Mr KWOK Long-fung asked whether the TD would request the minibus operator to introduce low-floor minibuses to run on the Queen’s Hill Route.
160. In response, Ms Leann YEUNG said that it was proposed to have five minibuses running on the Queen’s Hill Route. As the route passes through the North District Hospital, one of the minibuses was expected to be a low-floor minibus.
161. Mr YUEN Ho-lun considered that the TD had not accepted Members’ opinions and pointed out that San Fung Avenue was very congested. He suggested that the Queen’s Hill Route should divert via Choi Yuen Road to go to the MTR Sheung Shui Station.
162. Mr LAW Ting-tak criticised the TD for ignoring Members’ suggestions. He opined that the fare of the Queen’s Hill Route was high and the proposed route was not that user-friendly. Moreover, it also passed through congested road sections. He believed that if the Queen’s Hill Route skipped the Tin Ping Estate area, the journey time would be shortened by ten minutes.
163. Mr Franco CHEUNG said that according to the proposed routing of the Queen’s Hill Route, even no passengers from the Queen’s Hill Estate was getting off midway, the minibus still had to take a circuitous routing to arrive at North District Hospital. At present, Route 70K was concurrently providing services between Ching Ho Estate and Luen Wo Hui, but it also
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had to pass by Sheung Shui. He asked the TD about its estimation of road section with major passenger source along the Queen’s Hill Route.
164. Mr Warwick WAN said that the routing of the Queen’s Hill Route should not be too circuitous. He also believed that the TD would find it difficult to monitor the operation mode of minibuses and regulate the service quality of minibuses. He cited the example of minibus route 502 which had multiple problems like shortage of manpower and vehicles, deliberate non-stopping and circuitous routing in Fanling South.
165. The Chairman said that the TD’s work on monitoring of minibus services and service stability was mediocre. To him, asking minibus operators to improve their services was even more difficult than asking bus companies to do so.
166. Ms Leann YEUNG gave a consolidated reply to Members’ comments, suggestions and questions as follows:
(a) The TD had conducted preliminary traffic assessments when designing the Queen’s Hill Minibus Route and believed that the area along San Fung Avenue still had residual carrying capacity, and the Queen’s Hill Minibus Route via the relevant sections would not cause serious traffic congestion;
(b) The TD was consulting the minibus industry on the Queen’s Hill Minibus Route and had planned to proceed with selection of minibus operator by 2020. Subject to the results of the consultation exercise and the comments of Members, the department would consider whether it was necessary to revise the routing in order to shorten the journey time and distance;
(c) The TD hoped that the Queen’s Hill Minibus Route would not overlap existing public transport services, and that it would facilitate the residents of Queen’s Hill to travel to different locations in Sheung Shui; and
(d) According to the preliminary idea, sectional fare for the Queen’s Hill Minibus Route (North District Hospital bound) would be set at Tin Ping Road.
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167. Mr CHOW Kam-ho said given that supervision of green minibuses was an issue, Members suggested to replace the service operator of the Queen’s Hill Route by bus company. Even though Members had voiced a number of issues regarding public light bus services, no service improvement had been seen so far.
168. Mr YUEN Ho-lun considered that the Queen’s Hill Minibus Route had overlapped Route 70K in certain road sections. At present, there was no public transport service at Luen Wo Hui going to Ching Ho Estate via the Kai Leng roundabout. He asked why the Queen’s Hill Minibus Route could not adopt that routing.
169. The Chairman stated that Queen’s Hill Estate would house a large population and residents would have a demand for public transportation services to the hospital. He believed that the Queen’s Hill Route could be split into a minibus route and a bus route.
170. Ms Leann YEUNG gave a consolidated reply to Members’ comments as follows:
(a) In response to Mr Yuen Ho-lun’s suggestion that the Queen’s Hill Minibus Route should go via the Kai Leng roundabout, the TD must consider the impact of the minibus route on the traffic of the relevant road section. She would discuss the feasibility of the proposal with the Projects Division of the TD. At the time district consultation was conducted, the TD had received some public comments expressing concern that the Queen’s Hill Minibus Route would increase the traffic load;
(b) The TD hoped that the Queen’s Hill Route would be operated by minibuses to facilitate passengers to reach the main entrance of North District Hospital; and
(c) In line with population growth and passenger demand, the TD would review with the minibus operator about adequacy of its service frequency. The frequency listed in the Paper was just the basic frequency.
171. The Chairman concluded that Members still had many questions on the Queen’s Hill Route. At present, only Route 70K was providing service
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between Tin Ping Estate and Luen Wo Hui. If the Queen’s Hill Route was operated by buses, it could meet the transportation needs of residents along the way. He asked the TD to study Members’ views and consult the TD Committee again.
Item 15 - Proposal: Request for Deploying More 19-seat Minibuses for Routes 52A, 54A and 56A (Paper No. 36/2020)
172. Mr CHOW Kam-ho briefed on Paper No. 36/2020 and stated that the TD’s field study was conducted during the time of the epidemic (11 March). He believed that when the epidemic was over, the number of people queuing for Routes 52A, 54A and 56A would greatly increase.
173. Ms Leann YEUNG responded that the TD would arrange field study as soon as the epidemic was over. If there were many waiting passengers for Routes 52A, 54A and 56A failing to get on board, the TD would ask the minibus operators to consider deploying 19-seat minibuses.
174. The Chairman asked when the minibus operators would deploy 19-seat minibuses to Routes 52A, 54A and 56A.
175. Ms Leann YEUNG responded that the minibus operators would consider the deployment of 19-seat minibuses based on the actual passenger volume. Due to the epidemic, the operators had yet responded when they would deploy 19-seat minibuses to Routes 52A, 54A and 56A. The TD would arrange on-site study as soon as the pandemic was over and then negotiate with the operators based on the actual situation.
176. The Chairman requested the TD to closely follow up the operation TD of Routes 52A, 54A and 56A.
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Item 16 - Proposal: Priority be Given by KMB to Resuming Normal Services of Urban Routes During Peak Hours and Then Resuming Normal Operations of the Remaining Routes Gradually (Paper No. 37/2020)
177. Mr YUEN Ho-lun briefed on Paper No. 37/2020.
178. Mr Jeff TAM responded that from 1 May 2020, the peak-hour frequency of KMB routes had returned to normal. However, the KMB had noticed that the travel pattern of the public during non-peak hours had changed. For example, some people would immediately go home after work instead of going out for entertainment, causing the number of passengers to drop at night-time. It would require KMB some time to understand the travel patterns of the public and adjust its services according to actual circumstances.
179. Mr YUEN Ho-lun asked when Route W3 would resume its service.
180. Mr Desmond TANG responded that service of Route W3 was still suspended. KMB would pay attention to the arrangement of the West Kowloon Station of the High Speed Rail (“HSR”) and then discuss the service arrangement of Route W3 with the TD.
181. Mr CHOW Kam-ho said that many residents of North District were taking Route W3 to travel to Sha Tin and Jordan. The route did not only provide connection services to the HSR West Kowloon Station. He asked KMB to consider the actual situation and resume the service of Route W3.
182. The Chairman said that KMB was granted a franchise by the Government and had received government assistance during the epidemic. He criticised the KMB for reducing service frequency at off-peak hours due to the decline in passenger volume, which greatly affected the livelihood of residents. He considered such move unreasonable.
183. In response, Mr Jeff TAM stated that what he had just said was about the overall arrangement in various districts of Hong Kong. KMB would pay attention to operational data. If the passenger demand in North District was different from that in other districts, KMB would study and adjust the bus service in North District.
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184. The Chairman believed that the TD was playing a supervisory role and asked whether the department had found any problems with the services provided by the KMB and what follow-up actions would be taken by the department.
185. Ms Leann YEUNG responded that the TD had been closely monitoring the performance of bus companies, including arranging on-site examinations. If a particular route had a high lost trip rate, the TD would write to remind the bus company to maintain the service level specified in the service schedule.
186. Mr Jeff TAM responded that the KMB had disclosed the service schedule of non-peak hours and after 9 p.m. for passengers’ reference. The arrangement had been approved by the TD and the KMB would provide services in accordance with the approved schedule.
187. The Chairman asked the TD to continue its monitoring work and TD hoped that the bus schedules would return to normal as soon as possible.
Item 17 - Proposal: Following the Practice of Other Districts like Tuen Mun and Yuen Long to Install Octopus Processors in North District for Refund of Section Fares on a Trial Basis (Paper No. 38/2020)
188. The Chairman briefed on Paper No. 38/2020 and asked whether KMB could implement the Octopus card sectional fare pilot scheme in North District immediately after the scheme was launched in Tuen Mun, Yuen Long and Tin Shui Wai.
189. Mr Desmond TANG responded that as there were fewer feeder routes in Tuen Mun, Yuen Long and Tin Shui Wai, the KMB chose to launch the pilot scheme in those areas and the application to the TD was in process. If approved by the TD, KMB would formally implement the pilot scheme and see whether the scheme was popular among passengers, its impact on passengers and its financial implication to KMB.
190. The Chairman requested KMB to note the proposal and hoped that KMB would implement the scheme in North District.
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Item 18 - Proposal: Request for Introducing a New Route under Bus Route 978 Series by KMB to Serve Residents of Ching Ho and Tai Ping Estate (Paper No. 39/2020)
191. Mr YUEN Ho-lun briefed on Paper No. 39/2020.
192. Mr WONG Tze-kin responded that Route 978 Series have always been popular among residents of North District and the KMB had increased bus frequency at various time periods. KMB staff were also sent to the MTR Sheung Shui Station on a regular basis to check the passenger volume of Route 978 Series. It was found that the existing service of the route could meet the needs of passengers. When the population of Ching Ho Estate increased, KMB would increase service frequency in response to passenger demand.
193. Mr CHOW Kam-ho stated that according to the passenger volume stated in the written response of the TD, there were standing passengers on the Route 978 Series. He asked the TD to consider passenger comfortability and strengthen the services of Route 978 Series.
194. Mr Franco CHEUNG said that Route 978B was already full at the terminus. In order to get a seat, residents of Cheerful Park and Greenpark Villa would walk to the terminus to take the bus. According to the TD’s service improvement indicators, the number of standees was included in the passenger capacity of buses. The TD should review and improve its service indicators. When calculating the passenger load factor, the passenger capacity should include only seating. In the long run, bus companies should study how to increase the number of bus seats. On the other hand, the TD could increase the number of days for field surveys, and add special services departing from Ching Ho Estate or Sheung Shui when necessary.
195. Mr Warwick WAN said that some passengers would walk from MTR Fanling Station to Chi Fuk Circuit Terminus to take Route 978B in order to avoid standing on the bus. He found it unrealistic for the TD to include standees when calculating the passenger capacity. He also believed that the service frequency of both Routes 978 and 978B should be increased.
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196. Mr Vincent CHAN said that many residents in Yu Tai would take Route 978 to go to work on the Hong Kong Island, and it was very tiring for them to stand throughout the hour-long journey. He hoped that the TD would improve the calculation method of passenger load factor.
197. Mr YUEN Ho-lun said that when a bus was full, there may be passengers standing or sitting on the stairs, causing safety problems. He hoped that the TD would review the calculation method of passenger load factor.
198. The Chairman said that the passenger load factor of 79% was a very high one, and the TD should review its calculation method. He also asked whether the KMB could prepare to increase the resources for Route 978 Series before intake of Phase IV of Ching Ho Estate.
199. Ms Leann YEUNG responded that the TD had noted Members’ views on Route 978 Series. The department would closely monitor the demand for buses of those routes and request the KMB to strengthen services in accordance with the Guidelines for Service Improvement. According to the Guidelines, the TD must review the operating efficiency of the bus company and the load implications on busy road sections when considering increasing the service frequency. The TD had taken note of Members’ comments that passengers on long-distance bus routes would like to have a more comfortable commuting environment.
200. Mr WONG Tze-kin responded that the KMB understood that passengers on long-distance routes would like to be seated. For this purpose, KMB had increased the service frequency of Route 978 Series in response to growing passengers, and 12.8m long buses had also been introduced to run the relevant routes. If the passenger volume of Route 978 increased after the intake of Po Shek Wu Estate and Phase IV of Ching Ho Estate, KMB would apply to increase the frequency.
201. The Chairman invited the TD and KMB to closely follow up the TD matter. KMB
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Item 19 - Proposal: Request for Introducing an Overnight Bus Route Travelling between Sheung Shui and Sha Tau Kok/Ta Kwu Ling (Paper No. 40/2020)
202. Mr LAW Ting-tak briefed on Paper No. 40/2020. Regarding TD’s written response that existing overnight public transport services were mainly provided on trunk roads, he said that Sha Tau Kok Road was the only major road connecting Fanling and Sha Ta area. He asked whether Sha Tau Kok Road was a trunk road. Besides, the Queen’s Hill and Sha Ta area had a population of over 30,000, yet there were no overnight public bus routes serving the relevant areas. The TD didn’t even have any plans to trial run overnight routes there. He asked the TD about its estimated passenger volume of late-night bus routes serving the Sha Ta area.
203. Ms Leann YEUNG responded that the TD and the bus company would explore the feasibility of operating overnight bus routes to and from Sheung Shui and Sha Ta area when formulating next year’s BRPP, with a view to provide additional services to cater for the future population of Queen’s Hill Estate.
204. Mr Desmond TANG responded that KMB was aware of the future development and population growth along Sha Tau Kok Road and would explore the feasibility of adding overnight services when formulating the BRPP for the coming year.
205. Mr KO Wai-kei said that the population of the Sha Ta area had increased significantly in recent years, and he supported the introduction of overnight bus routes between Sheung Shui and Sha Ta area. Also, when 24-hour operation of the Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point was commissioned, passengers would use that control point to travel to and from the Mainland. Should the bus company worry about the low passenger volume of overnight routes, he suggested to use other public transports to provide overnight service. He said that there were public light bus operators interested in providing the service, only that they could not go directly to Sha Tau Kok Town due to the frontier closed area restriction.
206. Mr LAW Ting-tak made the following comments:
(a) Although the TD stated that it would continue to monitor the development of the Sha Ta area, he wondered if the TD was just
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having its subjective judgment on the demand for overnight routes in the Sha Ta area;
(b) Route N73, which served the rural areas along Tai Wo Service Road West, provided service only on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at the inception of its operation. He suggested that a trial run of overnight routes in the Sha Ta area be conducted on those days; and
(c) At present, the last departure of Routes 78K and 79K was earlier than that of the East Rail Line. He proposed extending the service time of Routes 78K and 79K for two hours till early morning, and pointed out that the last departure of Routes 251A and 251B serving Pat Heung, Yuen Long was at 1:30 a.m..
207. Ms Leann YEUNG responded that the current service hours of minibus routes 52K and 55K were until midnight. In response to Mr LAW Ting-tak’s comments, the TD and KMB would pay attention to the load factor of Route N73 and explore the feasibility of extending the service hours of Routes 78K and 79K. If the KMB considered that the proposal was not viable from the operational point of view, the TD would still hope to explore the enhancement of overnight services in the Sha Ta area in next year’s BRPP.
208. Mr CHAN Wai-tat said that the last term of NDC had also discussed transportation services in the Sha Ta area at night. He considered that the service hours of the relevant routes should be extended to match the service hours of the MTR.
209. The Chairman requested the TD to actively look into the viability of TD trial running an overnight route serving the Sha Ta area, otherwise it would be impossible for them to collect passenger volume data on the route.
210. Mr LAW Ting-tak said that after midnight, some passengers did not queue up for taxis at the taxi stand outside Fanling Station, and disputes among passengers had arisen as a result.
211. The Chairman asked the TD to follow up the issue with Mr LAW TD Ting-tak.
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Item 20 - Proposal: Request for Providing Whole-day Service of Overnight Bus Route 270S (Paper No. 41/2020)
212. The Chairman briefed on Paper No. 41/2020.
213. Mr CHAN Wai-tat said that many North District residents working in restaurants located in Yau Tsim Mong finished their work at 3 a.m. and could only walk for more than half an hour to the toll plaza of the Hung Hom Cross-Harbour Tunnel to take Route N373. Although the passenger load factor of Route 270S was only about 20%, residents of the North District did have a demand for this route. Indeed, other areas were being served overnight routes running along Nathan Road. He said that not all routes could be profitable and hoped that the KMB would cater for the needs of residents in the North District.
214. Mr Franco CHEUNG suggested that the newly added departures of Route 270S could be operated by single-deck buses, and frequent service was not necessary. He said that Route N373 passed through Princess Margaret Road and Waterloo Road, while Route 270S passed through Nathan Road and Cherry Street. The service areas of the two routes did not overlap. Besides, he believed that the load factor of Route N271 was also low, but the route was still in operation. He hoped that the KMB would arrange for Route 270S to provide service throughout the night.
215. Mr CHOW Kam-ho said that there were occasions that the overnight minibus route between Mong Kok and North District was not running for a whole hour, and the public could only take “pooling taxi” to North District. He hoped that the TD and KMB would provide overnight bus service for Route 270S.
216. Mr CHIANG Man-ching believed that the newly added departures of Route 270S could be operated by single-deck buses and on an hourly interval. He said that Members could assist to get to know the travel habits of passengers on Route 270S and work with the TD and bus companies to improve the services of the route.
217. The Chairman asked whether the KMB could use single-deck buses for departures of Route 270S after 2:30 a.m.. He said that the frequency of the new service hours need not be frequent, and hoped that the service time
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of Route 270S would cover the whole night so that the service level was at par with the Tai Po District.
218. Mr WONG Tze-kin responded that the KMB would review the passenger volume on Route N373 at the toll plaza of the Hung Hom Cross Harbour Tunnel, and the passenger volume using Route N271 to transfer to Route N73 or N373. In view of the low passenger volume of Route N373, KMB would study with the TD the feasibility of adjusting the service of this route to serve passengers in the Yau Tsim Mong area.
219. Mr CHOW Kam-ho said that night returners wanted to go home in a convenient and quick manner. This was a basic demand from passengers. However, KMB had not studied the extension of the service time of Route 270S but suggested passengers to go to North District by bus-bus interchange instead. He also said that service of the minibus route from Mong Kok to North District was very unstable. He had once waited for two hours and there were no signs of any minibus.
220. Mr CHAN Yuk-ming said that Members only hoped that overnight transport service in North District could be at par with the Tai Po District. The bus-bus interchange scheme was very complicated and passengers seldom made use of it. The KMB stated that it would assess the passenger volume on Route 270S outside the service hours, but refused to extend the service hours of the route on a trial basis. He questioned the rationality of their decision.
221. Ms WONG Hoi-ying said that residents of North District hoped to have an overnight minibus or bus route that could provide stable services. The service interval of this route need not be frequent. There were many restaurants in the Yau Tsim Mong District. For those working in these restaurants and finishing late, it was not an ideal arrangement for them to go home by bus-bus interchange.
222. The Chairman said that KMB should treat residents in North District fairly and the overnight bus service in North District should be on par with other districts. He asked the KMB to actively consider using single-deck KMB buses to run the service schedule of Route 270S after 2:30 a.m. and collect the data in question.
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Item 21 - Proposal: Request for Introducing Return Trips for Bus Routes 270C and 270D and Upgrading the Routes to Whole-day Services (Paper No. 42/2020)
223. Mr CHOW Kam-ho briefed on Paper No. 42/2020. In response to the TD’s written response which said that residents of Luen Wo Hui could take KMB Route 278K to MTR Fanling Station and interchange to Routes 270A or 270B, he believed that residents would just switch to MTR after reaching Fanling Station and seldom use the bus-bus interchange scheme. He also said that for Route 270C and Route 270D, there was only one respective departure. The departure time may not match the working hours of passengers, and passengers could easily miss the only departure. Therefore, the load factor of the two routes was low. He believed that the introduction of return trips for Routes 270C and 270D could ease the passenger volume of Route 270B.
224. Ms Leann YEUNG responded that the written response of the TD was mainly about bus services, which explained why the bus-bus interchange arrangement between Routes 278K and 270A and 270B was mentioned in the written response but not the option of switching to the MTR.
225. The Chairman considered it ridiculous to ask Luen Wo Hui residents to interchange to Routes 270A or 270B. The Committee would continue to strive to strengthen the service of Routes 270C and 270D.
Item 22 - Proposal: Request for Providing Whole-day service of Bus Route 261X (Paper No. 43/2020)
226. Mr CHAN Wai-tat briefed on Paper No. 43/2020.
227. Mr CHAN Yuk-ming agreed with the proposal. Since bus route rationalisation was done in North District, many locations in the district had lost direct services connecting to Tuen Mun and Yuen Long. Residents in the Fanling north and Fanling south did hope that Route 261X would provide whole-day service.
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228. Ms Leann YEUNG responded that on 16 September 2019, the maximum load factor of Route 261X was 38%. Generally speaking, the service of this route was able to cope with passenger demand. Based on the actual passenger volume, the TD would review with KMB to see whether it was necessary to provide whole-day service for Route 261X.
229. Mr Desmond TANG responded that the current passenger demand for Route 261X was low. KMB noted the proposal and would study its routing in Tuen Mun to improve the service and operation of the route.
230. Mr CHAN Yuk-ming said that many residents of North District would go to Tuen Mun or Yuen Long for shopping. He criticised the KMB for habitually abstaining from trying out Members’ proposals. He wondered how the KMB could learn about the number of passengers outside the current service hours without increasing departures.
231. Mr CHAN Wai-tat proposed to extend Route 261X to areas around Tuen Mun Pier to increase passenger volume in order to make whole-day service of the route possible. The residents of Fanling hoped to have direct bus service to Yuen Long and Tuen Mun. He had also proposed at the last meeting to extend Route 76K to Wah Ming Estate.
232. Mr Franco CHEUNG said that North District was quite far from Tuen Mun and Yuen Long and it was not suitable for passengers to transfer to and from the relevant areas by means of bus-bus interchange. He believed that provision of whole-day service of Route 261X could not only serve commuting passengers, but also encourage residents of North District to go shopping at Yoho Mall in Yuen Long and V City in Tuen Mun. Therefore, passenger demand would increase after whole-day service was provided by Route 261X.
233. Mr CHOW Kam-ho believed that in addition to serving people at work, certain routes should also serve residents going out for entertainment. He believed that the bus company should not refuse to strengthen services on the grounds of insufficient passenger volume. Instead, they should try to strengthen services and expand their customer base.
234. Ms LAM Shuk-ching said that the KMB would proceed to strengthen services only after repeated requests by Members. Members even suggested specific routing to ensure that the proposed routes could get sufficient passengers. Although some routes (such as Route 270B) may
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not have enough passengers at the initial stage of operation, they would ultimately become popular among passengers and turn out to be profitable.
235. Mr YUEN Ho-lun considered it a waste of time for residents of Wah Ming going to Yuen Long or Tuen Mun by interchanging at Sheung Shui. North District was subdivided into multiple zones, but there were only a few routes in the district going to Yuen Long or Tuen Mun. He suggested reviewing the overall bus route planning in North District, such as cutting the number of bus routes running via the Kai Leng roundabout, and considering the introduction of routes serving Sheung Shui North, Fanling North and Luen Wo Hui.
236. Mr Cheung Chun-wai said that Route 261X had to pass through the highly congested Pok Oi Interchange twice. He suggested that Route 261X be split into two routes: one departing from Tuen Mun City Centre and the other departing from Yuen Long Main Road, bound for North District via Yoho Mall.
237. The Chairman stated that the lack of competition faced by bus companies under the franchise system had rendered Members’ proposals TD futile. He asked KMB whether the Committee should invite Citybus to KMB consider operating routes that were not attractive to KMB. He asked the TD and KMB to carefully study the stated proposal.
Item 23 - Proposal: Extending Bus Route 74D to Wah Ming Bus Terminus (Paper No. 44/2020)
238. Mr CHAN Wai-tat briefed on Paper No. 44/2020. Regarding TD’s reply in the written response that the proposal would increase the journey time of Route 74D by eight minutes, he suggested that the departures be advanced by eight minutes after the route was extended to Wah Ming. He believed that the proposal could increase the passenger volume of Route 74D and would win the support of KMB. He also pointed out that there were no toilets, restaurants and other facilities near the Kau Lung Hang Bus Terminus. The extension of Route 74D to Wah Ming could make it possible to provide rest rooms for bus captains.
239. The Chairman believed that the extension of Route 74D had certain advantages, but the TD rejected the proposal. In the last term of NDC, he
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had also opposed Route 73B going via Tai Wo Service Road West, but the TD insisted on implementing the relevant arrangements. He wondered if the TD deemed the status of the NDC inferior to other DCs.
240. Ms Leann YEUNG responded that the TD considered the proposal from the viewpoint of journey time and the convenience and affordability of existing services. Residents in North District could take the East Rail Line to University Station, and then interchange to Route 272K to the Science Park. The total fare ($10.1) was lower than that of Route 74D ($14.8). Besides, the service frequency of Route 272K was also relatively high. Furthermore, there were already staff shutter buses in North District going to the Science Park. Based on the above factors, the TD believed that the existing transportation services could meet the needs of passengers going to the Science Park. Nevertheless, the TD would still take Members’ views into consideration.
241. The Chairman asked whether the KMB could advance the departure time of Route 74D to tie in with the extension of the route to Wah Ming.
242. Mr WONG Tze-kin responded that the extension of Route 74D would increase the mileage and journey time, and the route may not be able to maintain the current frequency. KMB remained open-minded to the proposal and would discuss with the TD and Members about the feasibility of the proposal.
243. The Chairman requested the KMB and TD to follow up the KMB proposal. TD
Item 24 - Proposal: Request for Providing Whole-day Service of Bus Route 273S and Providing Interchange Concession for the Route (Paper No. 45/2020)
244. Ms Lam Shuk-ching briefed on Paper No. 45/2020 and said that the bus stop of Route 273 was quite far from Yung Shing Court and Cheong Shing Court. Residents would rather take minibus route 501A to the MTR Fanling Station, making it hard for those passengers taking route 501A to Luen Wo Hui to get on board. If Route 273S was providing whole-day service, it would ease the passenger volume of minibus route 501A.
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245. The Chairman said that it was necessary for Route 273S to provide whole-day service and introduce interchange concession. He hoped that the relevant arrangements would be implemented as soon as possible.
Item 25 - Proposal: Request for Introducing a Circular Bus Route Plying between Fanling South and Luen Wo Hui through Tender (Paper No. 46/2020)
246. Ms LAM Shuk-ching briefed on Paper No. 46/2020. In her opinion, the service of minibus routes 501A and 501K was poor all along. Route 501K should be served by three minibuses, but she once found that there was only one minibus serving the route. On the other hand, the routing of Route 70K was quite long, which could not facilitate the residents of Fanling South travelling to Luen Wo Hui. She said that residents of Fanling South would go to restaurants, the market and library in Luen Wo Hui. They desperately needed an alternative bus route to replace minibus routes 501A and 501K.
247. Ms Leann YEUNG responded that the TD would pay attention to the community development and population growth of individual areas when deciding whether to introduce a bus route through tender, and whether existing services could provide the required point-to-point services. At present, Route 70K and minibus routes 501A and 501K were providing services between Fanling South and Luen Wo Hui. According to the data collected during site surveys, the service could generally meet the needs of passengers. Therefore, the TD had no plans to provide an additional bus route between Fanling South and Luen Wo Hui. On the other hand, the TD learned from the operators of minibus routes 501A and 501K that due to the epidemic, the service frequency of the two routes had become unstable. The TD would continue to follow up the issue.
248. Mr CHEUNG Chu-wai questioned the reliability of the TD’s data. The survey on Route 70K was conducted on the seventh day of the Lunar New Year and during the epidemic, while the survey on Routes 501A and 501K was conducted during school examinations (June 2019) and summer holidays. The survey had ignored students as a source of passenger base. He said that there would be 4,000 people moving in to Fai Ming Estate, and residents would have a certain demand for transportation to Luen Wo Hui. Given that the TD was experiencing hardship in monitoring minibus
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services, he suggested that the trial operation of a bus route between Fanling South and Luen Wo Hui be conducted as soon as possible.
249. Mr CHOW Kam-ho made the following comments:
(a) The service frequency of Route 70K had been unstable and it failed to meet passenger demand;
(b) The instability of minibus routes 501A and 501K had caused students to arrive late. The problem had emerged even before the outbreak of the epidemic;
(c) Minibus route 501K often cleared passengers at Yung Shing Court or Wah Sum Estate and passengers could not reach the Terminus at Yan Shing Court, Wai Ming Road; and
(d) The operator of Routes 501A and 501K often expressed that they were short of manpower and could only provide low service frequency. He asked if the TD could strengthen the service by means of penalty or subsidy to the operator.
250. Ms LAM Shuk-ching stated that she had once noticed amalgamation of routes 501A and 501K at 12 noon. At that time, no relevant notice was posted at the station. She asked what follow-up actions the TD would take.
251. Mr CHAN Yuk-ming said that the services of routes 501A, 501K and 502 were already poor before the outbreak of the epidemic. He believed that the TD could replace those half-hearted minibus operators. He asked how the TD supervised the service of minibuses and meted out penalty to under-performed operators.
252. Mr Franco CHEUNG considered that the service quality of buses was more reliable than that of minibuses. Therefore, Members proposed to introduce the bus route between Fanling South and Luen Wo Hui through tender. He also said that both Members and residents had raised many questions about the services of routes 501A and 501K, but the TD still maintained that the service of the two routes generally met the needs of passengers and the requirements of the service schedule. From this, it was evident that the way the TD monitored minibus services was questionable.
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He asked how the TD checked the services of minibuses, and how under-performed operators were punished or even replaced.
253. Mr CHOW Kam-ho said that the service problems of routes 501A and 501K were more serious than those of route 70K. He hoped that the TD would follow up.
254. The Chairman asked the TD to avoid advising passengers to take the circuitous Route 70K when responding to various proposals on bus service enhancement.
255. Ms Leann YEUNG responded that the TD hoped to strike a balance among various public transport modes as much as possible. When considering enhancing bus services, one had to take into account the impact of proposed services on existing services. Regarding the supervision of public transport services, the TD generally got to know the operation mode of minibus operators through site surveys, on-board surveys and daily communication. It also followed up with the operators the complaints raised by the public or referred by Members. According to the service schedules, routes 501A and 501K would be amalgamated from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m.. If the particular route got more complaints or failed to follow the routing specified in the service schedule, the TD would deliberate on the situation during the mid-term review. That could affect the rating of the operator during its renewal of Passenger Service Licence, and revocation of licence was possible in the worst-case scenario.
256. Mr CHAN Yuk-ming asked the TD to submit the number of complaints received related to the services of routes 501A and 501K in the past six to twelve months. He also said that if the number of complaints received by TD were far fewer than those received by Members, he would appeal to Member to encourage the public to lodge the complaints to the TD.
257. Mr CHOW Kam-ho said that service instability of routes 501A and 501K had been existent for many years. He asked the TD to consider public opinions when handling the renewal of minibus licences, and inform the Committee about the number of complaints received against the services of routes 501A and 501K.
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258. Ms LAM Shuk-ching stated that at 4:27 p.m. on 1 May 2020, the operator merged routes 501A and 501K on its own. She asked when the two routes would apply for renewal and the rating standards for renewal.
259. The Chairman asked if any minibus route operators in North District had their licences revoked in the past due to poor service.
260. Ms Leann YEUNG responded that it was expected that the mid-term review of routes 501A and 501K would be carried out in August 2021. At that time, the TD would review the services of the two routes during the period from September 2019 to July 2021. On the other hand, she would respond after the meeting whether any minibus route operators in North District had their licences revoked in the past due to poor service.
261. The Chairman requested the TD to conduct inquiries on routes 501A TD and 501K as soon as possible, and submit the figures asked by Members and the rating standards for renewal before the next meeting.
(Post- meeting note: On 19 June 2020, the TD had provided the Committee with the number of complaints on routes 501A and 501K in the past year and the rating standards for GMB Passenger Service Licence mid-term review. The Secretariat had already forwarded the relevant information to Members on 22 June 2020.)
Item 26 - Proposal: Request for Providing Interchange Concession for Bus Route 270 Promptly (Paper No. 47/2020)
262. The Chairman briefed on Paper No. 47/2020.
263. Mr Desmond TANG responded that the KMB would study the expansion of the interchange network of Route 270 to facilitate residents of Tin Ping Estate and Tsui Lai Garden to interchange to other routes.
264. Mr CHIANG Man-ching said that Route 273B serving Ching Ho Estate and Route 278K serving Luen Wo Hui provided comprehensive interchange concession. He hoped that the KMB would provide interchange concession for Route 270 as soon as possible, and hoped that the KMB would not use Route 70K skipping Tsui Lai Garden as a condition for providing interchange concession for Route 270.
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265. Mr YUEN Ho-lun asked about the available routes providing interchange concessions for Route 273B.
266. Mr KWOK Long-fung said that there were still no interchange concessions for Route 270 and several other routes. He asked why the KMB had not expanded the interchange concession for Route 270.
267. Mr Desmond TANG stated that he would provide relevant information to Mr YUEN Ho-lun after the meeting. He said that KMB understood that Members wanted interchange concession be extended to Route 270. Hence, when new interchange concessions were offered, the company would consider whether interchange concessions could cover a larger service network and their financial impact on KMB.
268. The Chairman said that the Committee would continue to strive for provision of interchange concession for Route 270 and hoped that the KMB would actively follow up.
Item 27 - Proposal: Request for Setting up a Working Group on Matters Relating to Railways (Paper No. 48/2020)
269. Mr CHAN Wai-tat briefed on Paper No. 48/2020 and said that the East Rail Line would implement the arrangement of deploying 12-car and 9-car trains concurrently before the next committee meeting. Frontline staff of the MTRCL were also concerned about arrangements related to issues like the wider body of the new trains, or the height difference between the doors and the platform. Therefore, it was necessary for the Committee to set up a working group to follow up related issues with the MTRCL.
270. The Chairman said that in order to facilitate Members to focus on railway issues and refer to the experience of the last committee, he supported the establishment of a Working Group on Matters Relating to Railways.
271. Mr CHOW Kam-ho agreed to set up a Working Group on Matters Relating to Railways, saying that residents of North District were very concerned about the new signalling system of the East Rail Line, the
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arrangement of deploying 12-car and 9-car trains concurrently and the contingency measures for service disruption of the East Rail line. He said that in the past few years, residents were often stranded in North District during service disruption of the East Rail Line.
272. Mr CHAN Yuk-ming agreed to set up a Working Group on Matters Relating to Railways to enable Members to focus on and follow up the services of the MTRCL. He said that since the representatives of the MTRCL had already left, he could not ask them further questions.
273. The Committee supported the establishment of a Working Group on Matters Relating to Railways. The Chairman asked the Secretary to draft Secretariat the terms of reference of the Working Group and invite Members to join the Working Group.
(Post-meeting note: The Secretariat had invited Members to join the Working Group by email on 3 June 2020. The first meeting of the Working Group was held on 23 June 2020.)
Item 28 - Motion: Removing the Metal Fences on the Bridges (Paper No. 49/2020)
274. The Chairman stated that the Secretariat had received a motion from Mr Franco CHEUNG after the Committee issued its agenda. The motion was seconded by Mr LAW Ting-tak, Mr CHOW Kam-ho, Mr YUEN Ho-lun, Mr Vincent CHAN, Mr CHEUNG Chun-wai and Mr CHIANG Man-ching. The motion was contained in Paper No. 49/2020. Mr Franco CHEUNG had submitted the motion to the Committee on Land Development, Housing and Works on 4 May, i.e. before the deadline for paper submission. After discussion, it was deemed more appropriate to discuss the motion in this meeting. According to Order17 of the Standing Orders, he approved the impromptu motion to be added to the agenda.
275. Mr Franco CHEUNG briefed on Paper No. 49/2020.
276. Ms Wong Hoi-ying said that the HyD had stated that the installation of metal fences was a decision of various government departments and that the metal fences were just temporary installation. However, the department had not said when and under what circumstances the metal fences would be removed. Moreover, the corners of the metal fences were
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protruding and the workmanship was not good, people could remove the metal fences and throw them onto the road. She believed that the metal fences had failed to serve its purpose and requested its removal.
277. Mr CHAN Yuk-ming supported the motion and believed that all social movements were results of the Government’s evil deeds, which compelled the public to revolt. The installation of metal fences could only cure the symptoms, not the root cause. He also believed that government departments would not remove the metal fences in response to this motion.
278. Mr CHOW Kam-ho believed that the protruding metal fences were posing a danger to the users of footbridges (including cyclists). Moreover, he found the metal fence an eyesore and illumination of the footbridge also became very poor, which was extremely unsafe for people with vision problems.
279. Mr CHAN Wai-tat believed that the Government should start to resolve social problems through administrative means. The installation of metal fences would not help solving the problem; they would just cause inconvenience instead. Their presence also reminded the public of what the Government had done last year. He asked government departments to remove the metal fences as soon as possible.
280. Mr TAM Bit-ching responded that for public safety reasons, the HyD had recently installed metal fences on the footbridges. The installation of metal fences was a temporary measure. The Government would review the situation in due course and consider various factors to determine whether the relevant measure needed to be continued. On the other hand, he would reflect to the responsible personnel about the design and workmanship of the metal fences, including blockage of sunlight and the potential danger of injuring pedestrians.
281. Mr Franco CHEUNG asked why the HyD had not repaired all uneven roads if the department was in charge of public safety. He asked when the Government had recently reviewed the measure of installing metal fences and under what circumstances would the government remove the metal fences.
282. Mr CHAN Yuk-ming said that Members were asking for the removal of the metal fences, rather than discussing whether the metal fences would snag passers-by or cause illumination problem.
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283. The Chairman stated that Members were not asking the HyD to repair the metal fences, but pointed out that the installation of metal fences was not a sensible measure.
284. Mr TAM Bit-ching responded that installation of metal fences was a collective decision of the Government. As the HyD was responsible for the maintenance of the footbridges, the measure was executed by the department. He did not have detailed information on the factors that dominated the Government’s decision on removal of the metal fences. He would follow up the issue with the responsible personnel. Though public safety was an important factor, the Government would also consider the views of Members.
(Mr KO Wai-kei and Mr Warwick WAN left the meeting at this juncture.)
285. Mr YUEN Ho-lun believed that the Government was empowered by the people and asked whether the collective decision of government departments was superior than public demand. He believed that most residents of North District would like to have the metal fences removed. If the Government insisted on their installation, it was going against the people.
286. Mr CHOW Kam-ho believed that removal of the metal fences, not improvement to the design, was the wish of the NDC and the majority of the people. However, it could be seen from the response of the HyD representative that the Government was refusing to remove the metal fences. He criticised that the Government’s collective decision was overriding public opinion, which was an act of a totalitarian regime.
287. The Chairman said that Members had expressed their opinions on the motion and it was time to proceed to voting. According to Order 31(1) of the Standing Orders, the passage of the motion would require an absolute majority iof votes, which meant more than half of the valid votes cast excluding abstentions.
288. The Chairman announced that the result of the voting was 13 affirmative votes, with no opposition or abstention votes. The motion was passed with the support of an absolute majority.
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Item 29 – Any Other Business (Paper No. 33/2020)
289. Mr LAW Ting-tak said that he understood that the CEDD would conduct a feasibility study report for the traffic in Fanling Area 48, and the report would be submitted to the TD for follow-up. He asked about the responsibilities and division of labour amongst various departments.
290. Mr Jeffrey LUK responded that he did not have the relevant information on hand and would ask the person in charge to reply to Mr CEDD LAW Ting-tak after the meeting.
Item 30 - Date of Next Meeting
291. The Chairman announced that the next meeting would be held at 9:30 a.m. on 13 July 2020 (Monday) in the NDC Conference Room.
292. The meeting was adjourned at 5 p.m.
North District Council Secretariat July 2020
66 Annex 路政署
北區區議會轄下 交通及運輸委員會 （2020年5月11日會議)
「人人暢道通行」計劃下的 「特別計劃」
1 「人人暢道通行」計劃
• 政府於2 0 1 2 年 推 出 「 人 人 暢 道 通 行 」 計劃， 積極 為公共行人通道加建無障礙通道設施（ 即升降機或 標準斜道） 。 其後， 我們陸續在「 人人暢道通行」 計劃下推出多個階段的計劃， 以期涵蓋更多行人通 道 ， 利便市民出行
• 現時， 北 區 區 內 「 人 人 暢 道 通 行 」 計 劃 下 有 31個 加 建 升 降 機 項 目 ， 當中13個 項 目 已 經 完 成 ， 另有4 個項目正在施工或即將動工 ， 而 餘 下 的 14個 項 目 正在進行勘測或設計工作
2 北區項目的推展進度
路政署 位置 最新進度 結構編號 原有計劃
HS49A 橫過馬會道近沙頭角公路迴旋處
NF76 橫跨馬會道近天平邨 橫跨東鐵線路軌沿粉嶺公路近百和路及和 NF83 興路 已完工 NF84 橫跨彩園道近上水港鐵站及彩園邨彩玉樓
NF96 橫跨新運路及粉嶺車站路近新運路迴旋處 橫跨東鐵線路軌沿粉嶺公路近百和路及和興 NF180 路
3 北區項目的推展進度（續）
路政署 位置 最新進度 結構編號 NF212 橫跨和興路近華明路
NF227 橫跨新運路及粉嶺車站路近新運路迴旋處 已完工 NF247 橫跨百和路近偉明街
NF296 橫跨龍琛路近新發街
NF104 橫跨粉嶺公路及新運路 施工中 NF122 橫跨彩園路及新運路近百和路
NS106 橫跨粉嶺公路近大頭嶺 設計中
4 北區項目的推展進度（續）
路政署 位置 最新進度 結構編號 擴展計劃 NS51 & 橫跨馬會道近天平邨天美樓及智順里 NS128 NF134 橫跨粉嶺公路近港鐵粉嶺站 已完工
NF295 橫跨新運路近上水廣場 第二階段計劃
ND01 橫跨粉嶺公路連接彩園邨及太平邨 即將動工 ND03 橫跨粉嶺車站路近粉嶺港鐡站
ND02 橫跨彩園路連接彩園廣場及上水港鐵站 設計中
5 北區項目的推展進度（續）
路政署 位置 最新進度 結構編號 第三階段計劃
NS50 橫跨馬會道近符興街 NS112 & 橫跨百和路及保健路近太平邨 NS113 NS120 橫跨馬會道及寶石湖路近興仁村 勘測中 NF121 橫跨新運路近上水港鐵站A4出口
NF133 橫跨粉嶺公路近百福田心遊樂場
NF157 橫跨粉嶺公路近雙魚河
6 北區項目的推展進度（續）
路政署 位置 最新進度 結構編號 NF158 橫跨粉嶺公路近古洞
NF165 橫跨粉嶺公路近金錢村何東學校
NF252 橫跨聯安街近和滿街 勘測中 NF262 橫跨馬會道近天平路
NF304 橫跨一鳴路近景盛苑商場
N499 橫跨粉嶺公路的百和路天橋
7 「特別計劃」
• 除了「 人 人 暢 道 通 行 」 計 劃 外 ， 香 港 房 屋 委 員 會 （ 下 稱 「 房委會」）亦 透 過 加 裝 升 降 機 計 劃 ， 為 不 少 公 共 租住屋邨提供無障礙通道設施
• 然而， 「 租 者 置 其 屋 計 劃 」 屋邨、 「 可 租 可 買 計 劃 」 屋邨和已拆售物業（ 包 括 商 場 及 停 車 場 ） 的 公 共 租 住 屋邨， 雖然有不少居民仍是房委會租戶 ， 由 於 部 分 業 權經已出售， 因此未能完全受惠於上述兩個計劃
• 政府在2 0 1 9 年 的 施 政 報 告 中 宣 布 ， 在 「 人 人 暢 道 通 行 」 計 劃 下 推 展 一 個 「 特 別 計 劃 」 ， 為 上 述 三 類 屋 邨 的行人通道加建升降機， 協助這些屋邨的居民可享用 無障礙通道設施
8 「特別計劃」（續）
• 為 確 保 公 帑 用 得 其 所 ， 正 如 在 現 時 「 人 人 暢 道 通 行 」 計劃下為非由路政署負責維修保養的行人通 道加建升降機的項目須符合若干條件 ， 在 「 特別 計劃」 下推行的項目亦須不涉及收地 ， 並 且 須 符 合下列條件：
(a) 行 人 通 道 處 於 或 連 接 「 租 者 置 其 屋 計 劃 」 屋邨、 「 可 租 可 買 計 劃 」 屋邨和已拆售物業的公共屋 邨的公用地方;
(b) 行人通道橫跨現有道路；
(c) 有關屋邨的公用地方可提供足夠的土地以建造 升降機；以及
9 「特別計劃」（續）
(d) 該屋邨的公契經理人或全體業主同意下述三方 面的安排， 並簽署地役權契約以確認： (i) 提供土地以設置升降機設施； (ii) 賦予政府通行權在這些屋邨的範圍內施工 及其後為新建設施進行維修保養；及 (iii) 負責建成後升降機的日常運作及管理
• 建 成 後 升 降 機 的 電費、 維修保養及相關費用會由 政府負責， 而建成後升降機的日常管理及相關費 用 （ 當 中 包 括 保安、 清潔、 協助處 理 緊 急 事 故 等 ） 則由有關屋邨的業主負責
• 行人通道的現時管理和維修責任維持不變 ， 即 繼 續 由現時管理及維修人士或機構負責
10 「特別計劃」（續）
北區區內「租者置其屋計劃」屋邨、「可租可 買計劃」屋邨及已拆售物業的公共屋邨
屋邨 屋邨種類 華明邨 租者置其屋計劃 祥華邨 租者置其屋計劃 太平邨 租者置其屋計劃 天平邨 租者置其屋計劃 雍盛閣 可租可買計劃 彩園邨 已拆售物業的公共屋邨 華心邨 已拆售物業的公共屋邨 嘉福邨 已拆售物業的公共屋邨
11 「特別計劃」的推展項目
三類屋邨內的行人通道 • 北 區 區 內 共 有 12條 位 於 上 述 三 類 屋 邨 ， 並橫跨 現有道路的 行 人 通 道 ， 當中6 條 早前已 納入「 人 人 暢 道 通 行 」 計劃， 另外1 條 已 配 備 升 降 機 ， 其 餘 5 條 行人通道符合「 特別計劃」 的 範疇
• 為方便議員考慮，我們將該 5 條行人通道分成 兩組，圖則及相關資料載於討論文件附件二： 表一: 行人通道未配備無障礙通道設施，而鄰近亦沒有 替代升降機設施/地面過路處 表二: 行人通道已配備斜道或鄰近已有替代升降機設施 / 地面過路處
12 「特別計劃」的推展項目（續）
三類屋邨內的行人通道
表一: 行人通道未配備無障礙通道設施，而鄰近亦沒有替代升降機設施/地面過路處
屋邨內的 曾收到為行人 行人通道 屋邨人口 鄰近的 屋邨 屋邨種類 長者人口(人) 位置 通道加建升降 編號 (人) 交通交匯處 [比例] 機的建議
橫跨雷嗚路及華明邨 租者置其屋 1,849 華明邨巴士總 WM01 華明邨 15,611 巴士總站連接華明商 沒有 計劃 [約12%] 站 業中心及花都廣場
13 表一: 橫跨雷嗚路及華明邨巴士總站連接華明商業中心及花都廣場的行人天橋 （行人通道編號：WM01）
4 2
花都廣場
4 沒有地面過路處 升降機 樓梯 2 只有華明商業中心出口 及花都廣場出口已設置 升降機設施 1 3 沒有斜道 1 華明商業中心
3
升降機 「特別計劃」的推展項目（續）
三類屋邨內的行人通道
表二: 行人通道已配備無障礙通道設施或鄰近已有替代升降機設施/地面過路處
屋邨內的 曾收到為行人 行人通 屋邨人口 鄰近的 屋邨 屋邨種類 長者人口(人) 位置 通道加建升降 道編號 (人) 交通交匯處 [比例] 機的建議 橫跨現有道路連接 彩園邨巴士 CY04 彩園邨彩玉樓及彩 沒有 總站 園邨彩珠樓 橫跨現有道路連接 彩園邨巴士 CY05 彩園邨彩珠樓及彩 沒有 已拆售物 3,434 總站 12,178 園邨彩湖樓 彩園邨 業的 [約28%] 橫跨現有道路連接 公共屋邨 彩園邨巴士 CY06 彩園邨彩珠樓及彩 沒有 總站 園邨彩華樓 橫跨現有道路連接 CY07 彩園邨彩屏樓及彩 沒有 沒有 園廣場
15 表二: 橫跨現有道路連接彩園邨彩玉樓及彩園邨彩珠樓的行人天橋 （行人通道編號：CY04）
2 1
地面過路處
彩玉樓
1
有地面過路處 升降機 只有彩珠樓出口已設置升降機設施 2 沒有斜道 彩珠樓 表二: 橫跨現有道路連接彩園邨彩珠樓及彩園邨彩湖樓的行人天橋 （行人通道編號：CY05）
1
彩珠樓
彩湖樓 2 2
地面過路處 有地面過路處 1 沒有升降機設施 沒有斜道 表二: 橫跨現有道路連接彩園邨彩珠樓及彩園邨彩華樓的行人天橋 （行人通道編號：CY06）
2 1
彩珠樓
2 1
有地面過路處 彩華樓 沒有升降機設施 地面過路處 沒有斜道 表二: 橫跨現有道路連接彩園邨彩屏樓及彩園廣場的行人天橋 （行人通道編號：CY07）
1 有地面過路處 只有彩園廣場出口已設置升降機設施 沒有斜道 地面過路處
彩屏樓
3 2 2 1 3 彩園廣場
升降機 「特別計劃」的推展項目（續）
諮詢意見
• 邀請委員就「 特別計劃」 的推展項目提出建議
「 表一」 的行人通道 並 未全面配備無障礙通道設施 ， 而 鄰 近 亦 沒 有 替 代升降機設施或地面過路處 ， 我們初步認 為 較 有 需要為這些行人通道加裝升降機
「 表二」 的行人通道 已 配 備 斜 道 或 鄰 近 已 設 有 地 面 過 路 處 、 鄰 近 建 築 物 （ 例 如 商 場 ） 已 設 有 升 降 機 ， 故此， 加 裝 升 降 機的需要相對較低
20 未來路向
• 收集委員會的建議後， 會就建議進行初步研究， 包括 評估人流數字、 可能影響將來人流的因素、 鄰 近 有 否 長者或傷健人士相關設施、 初步技術可行性、 初 步 估 算建造成本等
• 計劃在本年年底向委員匯報初步研究的結果， 屆 時 將 邀請委 員 選 出 不 多 於 3 條現有行人通道， 作為「 特 別 計 劃 」 下 優先的推展項目
• 之後， 我們將聯絡該等行人通道所處屋邨的屋邨公契 經理人， 以確定有關項目是否符合 討論文 件中第 4 段 ( d ) 所 述 的 條 件 。 若 項 目 符 合 所 需 條 件 ， 我 們 將 盡 快 展 開勘測及相關設計工作， 以期盡快展開加建工程
21 歡迎各委員就「特別計劃」的 推展發表意見，並提名行人通道， 以納入初步研究
謝謝
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