(Translation)

Minutes of the 4th Meeting of the the Traffic and Transport Committee (2019) of Council

Date： 2 September 2019 Time: 2:30 p.m. – 5 p.m. Venue: K&T DO Conference Room

Attendee Time of Arrival Time of Departure (p.m.) (p.m.) Mr TSUI Hiu-kit (Chairman) Start of Meeting End of Meeting Ms KWOK Fu-yung (Vice-chairman) Start of Meeting End of Meeting Mr CHAN Siu-man, Simon Start of Meeting 4:55 Ms CHEUNG Wai-ching, Clarice Start of Meeting 3:53 Mr CHOW Yick-hay, BBS, JP Start of Meeting 3:31 Miss CHU Lai-ling 3:54 4:48 Mr HUI Kei-cheung 2:50 4:45 Ms LAM Chui-ling, Nancy, MH Start of Meeting 4:00 Mr LAM Siu-fai Start of Meeting End of Meeting Ms LAU Mei-lo Start of Meeting 3:45 Mr LAW King-shing, BBS, MH, JP Start of Meeting 4:41 Mr LEE Chi-keung, Alan, MH 3:05 4:14 Mr LEUNG Chi-shing 5:00 End of Meeting Mr LEUNG Wai-man, MH 2:40 4:49 Mr LEUNG Kam-wai Start of Meeting End of Meeting Mr LEUNG Tsz-wing, Dennis Start of Meeting End of Meeting Mr LI Sai-lung Start of Meeting 3:43 Miss LO Yuen-ting Start of Meeting End of Meeting Mr NG Ka-chiu 3:25 End of Meeting Mr NG Kim-sing 2:41 3:48 Mr PAU Ming-hong Start of Meeting End of Meeting Mr POON Chi-shing, MH Start of Meeting End of Meeting Ms TAM Wai-chun, BBS, MH Start of Meeting 4:01 Mr WONG Bing-kuen 2:38 End of Meeting Mr WONG Yiu-chung, MH Start of Meeting End of Meeting Mr WONG Yun-tat 2:44 End of Meeting Mr HON Chun-yin Start of Meeting End of Meeting Mr TAM Ka-chun, Warren Start of Meeting End of Meeting Mr SIN Ho-fai, Henry Start of Meeting End of Meeting Ms LAU Kwai-mui Start of Meeting End of Meeting Mr MA Ka-chun Start of Meeting 4:40 Miss WONG Sze-hung Start of Meeting 4:52

In Attendance Mr POON Ka-man Senior Engineer 1/ Road, Mr LEUNG Allen Engineer 2/Tsuen Wan Road, Highways Department Mr LO Isaac Project Director, AECOM Asia Company Limited Mr TAI Derek Project Manager, AECOM Asia Company Limited Mr LAW Ho-kin, John Engineer 3/Walkability, Transport Department Mr WONG Wa-kei Senior Engineer/NT2, Highways Department Mr LEUNG Wai-chiu Engineer/NT2-1, Highways Department Mr WONG Sing-wah Senior Engineer/HK 1, Highways Department Mr LEE Wing-chun Engineer/HK 1-2, Highways Department Mr HO Dennis Assistant Operations Manager, New World First Bus Services Limited Mr WONG Bryce Senior Operations Officer, New World First Bus Services Limited Mr LI Hok-lai, Matthew Engineer/Special Duties 1, Transport Department Mr WONG Ka-chun, Danny Senior Transport Officer/ Kwai Tsing 1, Transport Department Miss LAW Hoi-Ching, Janice Senior Transport Officer/ Kwai Tsing 2, Transport Department Mr FUNG Ka-kit, Peter Engineer/ , Transport Department Mr KONG Tze-man, Stephen Engineer/ New Territories West, Civil Engineering and Development Department Ms CHOW Hoi-yi District Engineer/ (East), Highways Department Mr TSANG Yiu-tim Officer-in-Charge, District Traffic Team, Kwai Tsing Police District, Police Force Ms WONG Man-yan District Operations Officer (Kwai Tsing), Hong Kong Police Force Mr LEUNG Wang-cheong Assistant Manager (Operations), The Kowloon Motor Bus Co. (1933) Ltd Ms WONG Peggy Assistant Manager (Planning and Development), The Kowloon Motor Bus Co. (1933) Ltd Miss YIM Yik-huen, Bonnie Assistant District officer (Kwai Tsing), Kwai Tsing District Office Miss CHEUNG Hoi-ni, Cheryl Executive Officer (District Council) 1, (Secretary) Kwai Tsing District Office

Absent with Apologies Mr CHOW Wai-hung, Rayman (Without prior notice) Mr MAN Tsz-yan (Without prior notice) Mr CHOW Elson (Without prior notice)

Responsible Department Opening Remarks

The Chairman welcomed Members and representatives of government departments and organisations to the 4th meeting of the Traffic and Transport Committee (2019) of Kwai Tsing District Council (“K&TDC”).

Confirmation of Minutes of the 3rd Meeting (2019) held on 13 June 2019

2. Mr PAU Ming-hong moved a motion to confirm the minutes. The motion was seconded by Mr POON Chi-shing and Miss LO Yuen-ting. Members endorsed the minutes unanimously.

Introduction of /Consultation Paper

Widening of Tsuen Wan Road, extension of the existing vehicular bridge at Texaco Road and the associated junctions improvement works – Investigation (Proposed by the Highways Department) (TTC Paper No. 35/D/2019)

3. Mr LEUNG Allen, Engineer 2/Tsuen Wan Road, Highways Department (HyD) briefly introduced the Paper.

4. Mr WONG Yun-tat opined that there was the need to connect the incomplete flyover to the ground level so that vehicles would not have to pass through the roundabout to travel to Tsing Yi. As Kwai Tsing District was constantly developing, high vehicle flow had made the traffic at the roundabout busy, connecting the incomplete flyover would help divert traffic to Tsing Yi.

5. Miss LO Yuen-ting put forth opinions as follows:

(i) She hoped that the Department would provide the presentation slides to Members after the meeting.

(ii) The Department should pay attention to traffic congestion during the construction period as traffic accidents often occurred at the roundabout. She hoped that the Department could shorten the construction time and deploy staff to direct traffic at the site.

(iii) The facilities around the incomplete flyover were damaged due to the 3 Responsible Department earlier typhoon attack which she hoped the Department would pay attention to.

6. Mr LAW King-shing opined that he welcomed the Department to include the incomplete flyover connection in the project. However, the traffic congestion problem caused by the roundabout had been discussed for a long time. He was dissatisfied that the Department was only conducting the study at the moment and opined that the study took too long to complete.

7. Mr LEUNG Wai-man put forth opinions and enquiries as follows:

(i) Members had discussed the traffic problems caused by the roundabout for many years. He opined that the project was advisable, but it would take more time for all works to be carried out together.

(ii) Tsing Yi residents had been suggesting the widening of the junction of Tsuen Wan Road turning left to Tsing Tsuen Bridge (Tsing Yi North Bridge) for many years. Therefore, he hoped that priority would be given to the widening work and a third lane travelling directly to Tsing Yi without passing the roundabout should be added.

(iii) He asked whether wide-angle lens could be installed at the roundabout to protect the safety of drivers.

8. Mr POON Chi-shing put forth opinions and enquiries as follows:

(i) The concerned traffic problems had been discussed for many years. He was dissatisfied that the Department was only starting the works at the moment and opined that the progress was too slow. He asked whether the project items could be carried out separately, and whether the project schedule could be advanced.

(ii) The addition of a third lane turning left to Tsing Yi had not much controversy and the traffic to Tsing Yi North Bridge was now congested. Therefore, the relevant works should be carried out first.

(iii) He hoped that the Department would provide detailed documents as early as possible before the meeting.

4 Responsible Department 9. Mr WONG Yiu-chung put forth opinions as follows:

(i) The documents provided by the Department were too general, making it difficult for Members to understand the works. The Department should provide more details.

(ii) The issue of not connecting the incomplete flyover had persisted for many years, while the traffic congestion at Tsuen Wan Road turning left to Tsing Tsuen Road was serious. He did not wish that the Department would carry out the improvement works only after completing the study.

(iii) After the work completion, many vehicles would travel by Texaco Road Flyover. He hoped that the Department would consider constructing noise barriers.

10. Mr CHAN Siu-man, Simon opined that the widening of Tsuen Wan Road turning left to Tsing Yi was relatively less difficult. He hoped that the Department would start the works as soon as possible and solve the problem of incomplete flyover that had been persisting for many years.

11. Mr HON Chun-yin put forth opinions as follows:

(i) The issue of not connecting the incomplete flyover had been persisting for many years. He welcomed the inclusion of connecting the incomplete flyover into the project.

(ii) Traffic congestion at Tsuen Wan Road bounding for Tsing Yi North Bridge had been persisting for many years, but the paper failed to reflect the situation. The Department should propose a practical solution.

(iii) The current traffic congestion at Tsing Yi North Bridge bounding for Texaco Road Roundabout had caused the bus lost trip problem. He hoped the relevant Departments could understand the current situation and speed up the work progress.

12. Mr TAM Ka-chun, Warren asked whether the works could be carried out only after 2022, or whether part of the works could be carried out before the completion of the study.

5 Responsible Department 13. Mr HUI Kei-cheung put forth opinions as follows:

(i) Vehicles travelling from Tsuen Wan Road to Tsing Yi North Bridge needed to pass the roundabout, making the traffic very crowded and was prone to traffic accidents. He asked whether the Department could add a vehicular bridge to connect Tsing Yi North Bridge so that vehicles would not have to travel through the roundabout.

(ii) The road section from Tsing Tsuen Road to Texaco Road Flyover was dangerous. He opined that connecting the vehicular bridge directly to Texaco Road North was more desirable and hoped the Department could make good use of the vehicular bridge when considering planning. However, the location was close to residential area. He opined that there was the need to install noise barriers.

(iii) He suggested the widening of the road surface around Yeung Uk Road.

(iv) He suggested the widening of the road surface outside Lin Fung Centre and Allied Cargo Centre as there were trucks parked which blocked the roads, resulting in traffic congestion in Texaco Road and the roundabout. He hoped that the Department could consider improving the situation when conducting the study.

14. Mr CHOW Yick-hay put forth opinions as follows:

(i) He supported the incomplete flyover connection, hoping to carry out the works as soon as possible.

(ii) There were currently a lot of vehicles. He hoped to reduce the traffic risk at the roundabout at Tsuen Tsing Interchange roundabout.

(iii) The traffic noise problem at the road section of Tsuen Wan Road near Lai King Estate Fung King House had persisted, but there was no space to install noise barriers due to the road design. Therefore, he suggested that the noise issue should be considered in the widening of Tsuen Wan Road.

15. Mr WONG Bing-kuen expressed his concern about traffic noise. At present, the noise level of Texaco Road Flyover had exceeded the standards, but the Department said 6 Responsible Department that the flyover could not bear the load of noise barriers. Therefore, the new project should have measures to mitigate the noise level of the entire flyover. He said that if the noise problem could not be solved, it would cause nuisance to residents. He also hoped that the environmental impact assessment report could be submitted to the relevant committee earlier for discussion.

16. The Chairman said that the Committee had proposed to study the Texaco Road Flyover project as early as 2016, but the concerned study was only conducted at the moment. He hoped that the Department could speed up the progress.

17. Mr POON Ka-man gave a consolidated response as follows:

(i) Considering that Members had requested to extend the unconnected section of the existing Texaco Road vehicular bridge (incomplete flyover) at the Traffic & Transport Committee (TTC) meeting in December 2017, the Department had now included the suggestions for the extension of the incomplete flyover, cutting part of the existing rock slope to construct an additional lane for the approach road of Tsuen Wan Road (to Tuen Mun direction) and adding a left turn only lane from Tsuen Wan Road to Tsing Tsuen Road (to Tsing Yi direction) into the scope of the investigation report, and would actively study to launch the works as soon as possible. The current study direction was to launch the incomplete flyover works first, and then to carry out the cutting of the rock slope and adding the left turn lane. The Department understood that Members were concerned about the high traffic flow and frequent accidents at Tsuen Tsing Interchange. He explained that if extending and connecting the Texaco Road “incomplete flyover” first, it could bring Texaco Road westbound traffic to Tsing Yi direction from Tsuen Tsing Interchange to the flyover so as to ease the busy vehicle flow on the road surface of Tsuen Tsing Interchange. This would also create favorable conditions to build the third lane at the approach road of Tsuen Wan Road (to Tuen Mun direction) and to build a left turn only lane from Tsuen Wan Road to Tsing Tsuen Road (to Tsing Yi direction). The Department believed that this arrangement would minimize the impact on traffic during the construction period and would conduct the study in this direction.

(ii) According to the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance, the above works (including the extension of the flyover) were designated 7 Responsible Department projects requiring environmental permits. Therefore, the Department was required to carry out an environmental impact assessment (EIA) in accordance with the regulations, requirements and procedures of the Ordinance which took time to complete. Although the works were complicated, the Department would continue to actively study and strive to complete the three work projects as early as possible in the advance stage of the widening of Tsuen Wan Road. The EIA for the above three work projects would be carried out together. The Department considered that this arrangement would be more efficient than conducting the EIA separately for the three work projects.

(iii) As the traffic conditions and planning parameters collected by the study conducted by the Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) in 2009 were outdated, the Department hired a transport consultant to review the traffic conditions at Tsuen Wan Road and its associated junction in 2016. The Department also hired the existing engineering consultant to conduct an investigation study after confirming the traffic needs at Tsuen Wan Road. In addition, as the scope of the project had changed from 743TH of CEDD, for example, the extension of the existing Texaco Road vehicular bridge had been added, HyD had therefore applied for the required resources in accordance with the established public works resource allocation procedures last year. The new code number of the approved project was 877TH.

(iv) The investigation report had just commenced at the end of May this year. The engineering consultant was collecting the latest planning parameters and traffic data. Therefore, the investigation report was expected to be completed in 2022. As the relevant investigation report included exploring and formulating a proposed project plan, conducting a number of assessments, which included conducting the EIA according to the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance and recommending feasible mitigation measures, traffic simulation and traffic impact assessment, land impact assessment, drainage impact assessment and public consultation, and publishing in the Gazette, handling different opinions and carrying out preliminary design according to the Roads (Works, Use and Compensation) Ordinance (Cap. 370), the Department needed to set aside sufficient time to properly complete all relevant procedures.

8 Responsible Department (v) The Department would conduct the EIA according to the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance, including assessing the impact on the surrounding environment during and after the completion of the works, such as the impact of traffic noise to nearby residents, and recommending feasible mitigation measures.

(vi) The presentation slides would be distributed to Members through the Secretariat after the meeting. The Department had noted and would carefully consider the opinions of Members, including the opinions on the installation of noise barriers, which would be considered together when conducting the EIA for the investigation report. If the locations for installing the noise barriers proposed by Members were outside the project study scope, the Department would refer the matters to the Environmental Protection Department for follow-up action. As regards traffic matters, the Department would discuss and follow up with the Transport Department (TD).

(Post-meeting note: The Secretariat had sent the presentation slides to Members on 6 September 2019.）

18. Mr LI Hok-lai, Matthew, Engineer/Special Duties 1 of TD, said that the consultant company would conduct the traffic impact assessment to study the traffic impact and traffic capacity caused by the increased traffic flow due to the improvement works of Tsuen Wan Road.

19. Mr TAM Ka-chun, Warren opined that conducting the EIA took too long. He enquired whether it was necessary to complete the environmental impact assessment report before commencing the works and enquired about the expected time to complete the works.

20. Mr CHAN Siu-man, Simon pointed out that the incomplete flyover issue had been persisting for more than 20 years, and he did not understand why after connecting and putting the incomplete flyover to use could channelize and improve the traffic of Tsuen Wan Road.

21. Mr POON Chi-shing put forth opinions and enquiries as follows:

(i) He did not understand why there was a direct relationship between the incomplete flyover and the widening of Tsuen Wan Road to Tsing Tsuen 9 Responsible Department Road. He had doubt about the saying that traffic flow would reduce after connecting and opening the incomplete flyover.

(ii) He was worried that the traffic planning would change after a few years and the report would once again become out of date. He felt that the studies of the Department had kept repeating in recent years, leading to the incompletion of the works.

(iii) He asked if the connection of incomplete flyover could not finish, whether the remaining projects would still be completed.

22. Mr LEUNG Wai-man asked how the fee for hiring the consultant company was calculated and hoped that the work items could be carried out separately and completed as soon as possible.

23. Mr WONG Bing-kuen strongly urged the Department to conduct noise assessment on the entire Texaco Road vehicular bridge and consider installing noise mitigation measures.

24. Mr HUI Kei-cheung said that Texaco Road Flyover was close to residential areas and hoped to install noise barriers.

25. Mr WONG Yun-tat asked why the connection to the incomplete flyover and the addition of a left turn only lane from Tsuen Wan Road to Tsing Yi could not be carried out concurrently. He opined that the works would not affect the roundabout and hoped the Department could consider carrying out the works together.

26. Ms TAM Wai-chun said that driving through the section turning left to Tsing Yi was now dangerous. The widening of the left turn lane should be carried out as soon as possible.

27. The Chairman said that Members all agreed that the three work projects should be carried out separately and that the widening of the approach road and the construction of a left turn lane should be carried out as soon as possible. He opined that the later the works were carried out, the higher the traffic flow would be.

28. Mr POON Ka-man gave a consolidated response as follows:

(i) At present, vehicles driving from Texaco Road westbound needed to pass 10 Responsible Department through Tsuen Tsing Interchange to get to Tsing Yi. Launching the extension of the incomplete flyover first would bring vehicles from Tsuen Wan to the direction of Tsing Yi or the airport, such as bringing vehicles at Yeung Uk Road to the flyover, without the need to pass through the ground level at Tsuen Tsing Interchange. Since the traffic flow at Tsuen Tsing Interchange would be reduced, vehicles travelling from Tsuen Wan Road turning left to the direction of Tsing Yi would have easier access to the roundabout. The Department expected traffic conditions would improve.

(ii) There was a rock slope adjacent to the location of the new third lane and the left turn only lane at the approach road of Tsuen Wan Road (to the direction of Tuen Mun). Therefore, some existing lanes might need to be temporarily closed when removing the rock slope. If the incomplete flyover connection was completed first to ease the busy traffic flow on the ground level at Tsuen Tsing Interchange, it would create favourable conditions for the above works. In addition, the Department had to consider the environmental impacts such as noise and air pollution that might be caused during the works. Therefore, the three work projects would be carried out after conducting the EIA together.

(iii) The consultant contract for the investigation report was charged on a fixed fee basis. The Department would actively study to launch the above three work projects as soon as possible, so the EIA would be carried out together such that the relevant works could commence as soon as possible.

(iv) The Department would conduct the EIA for the extension of the existing flyover and consider appropriate noise mitigation measures.

(v) The investigation report included exploring and formulating a proposed feasible work plan, conducting the EIA and various assessments, publishing in the Gazette and carrying preliminary design. Therefore, the overall project schedule for the widening of Tsuen Wan Road could only be determined after the investigation report was completed. However, the Department had noted the opinions of Members and would commence the above three work projects as soon as possible.

11 Responsible Department Provision of covers on walkways near the bus terminus of Cheung Hang Estate, Tsing Yi and the bus terminus of Cheung Wang Estate, Tsing Yi (Proposed by the Highways Department) (TTC Paper No. 36/D/2019)

29. Mr WONG Wa-kei, Senior Engineer/NT2 of HyD, Mr LEUNG Wai-chiu, Engineer/NT2-1 of HyD, and Mr LAW Ho-kin, John, Engineer 3 (Walkability) of TD, briefly introduced the paper.

30. Miss LO Yuen-ting put forth opinions as follows:

(i) Residents suggested adding a cover to the entire walkway since the current covers in the project failed to completely connect. She indicated that the works was urgent and hoped that the progress could be accelerated.

(ii) Due to the works at the minibus stand, single lane driving and road closure were implemented now. Therefore, she hoped that the second phase of the project in question could commence after the restoration of the minibus stand so as to minimise the impact on the traffic at Hang Mei Street.

31. Mr POON Chi-shing hoped that the first phase could be carried out as soon as possible while the second phase could commence after completion of the works at Hang Mei Street so as not to affect the traffic. He also suggested that the Department could actively consider constructing covers near the exit of the car park.

32. Mr WONG Yiu-chung put forth opinions and enquiries as follows:

(i) He supported the project and suggested that the covers in the project could be connected to the walkway system of the Housing Department (HD) at the same time to reduce the cost of construction and improve the entire walkway.

(ii) He enquired the Department about the budget of construction cost.

(iii) He enquired whether rain shelters would be built along with the covers at the bus terminus of Cheung Wang Estate and outside S.K.H. Ho Chak Wan Primary School.

12 Responsible Department

33. Mr WONG Yun-tat put forth opinions as follows:

(i) He suggested conducting a long-term assessment with reference to the points system adopted for the hillside system, and opined that the voting system was not applicable as it was necessary to construct covers on walkways in different districts.

(ii) As the project located near Tsing Yi Nature Trial, he suggested that benches could be provided along the way for the elderly to rest.

34. Mr SIN Ho-fai, Henry indicated that quite a number of walkways in Tsing Yi were covered, among which water seepage occurred to the cover near Tsing Yi Swimming Pool and the repair cost was high. He therefore enquired the Department what material would be adopted for the works, and opined that glass covers failed to block the sun.

35. Mr LAW Ho-kin, John gave a consolidated response as follows:

(i) The scheme of “provision of covers on walkways” announced in the 2016 Policy Address was to provide covering facilities to only one suitable major walkway in each district. Since the first option had been confirmed technically feasible, other proposals concerning the cover works which were not accepted would not be able to be put forward under this scheme.

(ii) TD was considering easing the requirements concerning providing covers on walkways in the “Transport Planning and Design Manual”, and would report the results to the Legislative Council and District Councils later.

(iii) If the covers in the project and the covers of HD were to be seamlessly connected, a cover of 5.1m in height had to be constructed at the entrance of the car park. It was possible that it could not be a shelter against rain. The Department had to conduct a detailed study to consider its technical feasibility.

(iv) Benches could be fixed on the covers. However, TD and HyD could not provide relevant equipment, which might have to be provided by the District Office.

13 Responsible Department 36. Mr LEUNG Wai-chiu gave a consolidated response as follows:

(i) The Department would study the item of Hang Mei Street rain shelters in detail in the second phase, and discuss with relevant departments when the covers were to be constructed.

(ii) The covers would not be using glass material, but would adopt a design with aluminium panel.

(iii) The project was still in the phase of initial design with a budget within approximately HK$30,000,000. The actual amount could only be accounted to Members after completion of a detailed study.

37. Mr WONG Wa-kei responded that the actual amount could not be confirmed for the time being, but they would try to keep the cost within the budget of HK$30,000,000 and put forward the project as a Group D project in order to shorten its duration. If supported by Members, the Department would implement the first phase as soon as possible, and carry out district consultation and the design promptly to accelerate the progress of the project.

38. Mr LAM Siu-fai put forth enquiries as follows:

(i) Regarding easing the standard for providing covers on public walkways, he enquired if the proposals submitted by Members earlier on would be taken into account.

(ii) Whether the budget of HK$30,000,000 covered completion of both phases of the project.

39. Mr LAW Ho-kin, John gave a response as follows:

(i) The other proposals concerning the covers not adopted would not be able to be put forward under the scheme of “provision of covers on walkways” announced for implementation in the 2016 Policy Address.

(ii) TD was studying about easing the requirements concerning providing covers on walkways in the “Transport Planning and Design Manual”, and would announce the study results to the District Council in due course after the completion of the study. 14 Responsible Department

(iii) Keeping the cost within the budget of HK$30,000,000 referred to the completion of both phases of the project.

40. Members unanimously endorsed the captioned plan.

Progress of the construction of hillside facilities at the staircase beside Tai Loong Street Playground and Yuen Yuen Institute No.1 Secondary School, i.e. the proposed Lift and Pedestrian Walkway System between Tai Loong Street and Wo Yi Hop Road, Kwai Chung (Proposed by the Highways Department) (TTC Paper No. 37/D/2019)

41. Mr LEE Wing-chun, Engineer/Hong Kong 1-2 of HyD, briefly introduced the paper.

42. Mr WONG Yun-tat enquired about the maximum capacity of the lift in the project. If technically feasible, he suggested that the Department should construct two lifts, so that when one of them was out of order and required maintenance, the other one could continue the service.

43. Mr LEUNG Kam-wai opined that one lift would not be enough to meet the demand. He expected that there would be a long queue for the lift and road users nearby would be affected. Constructing two lifts would be more ideal.

44. Mr LAM Siu-fai put forth opinions as follows:

(i) He welcomed the construction of a lift in northeast Kwai Tsing by HyD. He indicated that the reason for residents to oppose the construction of an elevator was that there were quite a number of elderly homes in the district. The elderly wished that they would be able to take a lift to Wo Yi Hop Road, and that constructing a lift could be convenient to wheelchair users. He hoped that two lifts could be constructed. If a ramp needed to be constructed, the slope should not be too steep.

(ii) He suggested that the Department should improve the environment around Yau Ming Building and add more sitting-out facilities. He hoped that the Department could communicate with the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) when designing the facilities concerned.

15 Responsible Department

45. Mr LEUNG Tsz-wing, Dennis put forth opinions as follows:

(i) The principal of Yuen Yuen Institute No.1 Secondary School reflected that constructing a footbridge and a lift would have certain impact on the view of the school. He suggested a reference to the design with a ramp of the Wo Tong Tsui Street lift works which could involve fewer infrastructures and reduce the impact on the surrounding landscape.

(ii) He hoped that the Department could prepare a simulation of the effect for Members’ consideration. In addition to consult the Committee, the Department should also consult residents and users of the facilities.

46. Mr NG Ka-chiu put forth enquiries as follows:

(i) The width of the lift tower and how much room would be left in the staircase for pedestrians’ access after construction of the lift.

(ii) The number of bridge columns of the footbridge and whether compatibility with the facilities of LCSD would be taken into consideration in the study.

(iii) As the staircase was now covered, whether the works would affect its cover.

(Post-meeting notes: HyD supplemented that the current cover would be removed and be rebuilt upon consultation with the District Office.)

47. Ms LAU Kwai-mui put forth enquiries and opinions as follows:

(i) She enquired whether the footbridge would be covered, whether anti-skid material would be used on the ground, and whether seats and handrails would be added.

(ii) She opined that strengthening the lighting of the footbridge would be necessary as the district was rather quiet at night.

48. Ms KWOK Fu-yung put forth opinions as follows:

(i) Some residents found the consultation in regard to the project insufficient. 16 Responsible Department Some of the residents supported construction of an elevator as they thought the waiting time would be shorter than waiting for a lift. However, some residents had not been consulted. She hoped that residents could participate in the design of the works.

(ii) Tai Loong Street Playground had two storeys, but Members could not know how the lift would reach the two storeys from the introduction of the works. She hoped that information could be provided on how the entrance, pedestrian walkway and lift tower would be connected.

49. Miss YIM Yik-huen, Bonnie, Assistant District Officer (Kwai Tsing) gave a consolidated response as follows:

(i) The project had just been approved, and HyD wanted to minimise the duration of the works. Therefore the Department hoped to consult Members first before the end of the current term of District Council so that they could refer to Members’ proposals in the detailed design. The future design would be more detailed and also have room for modification.

(ii) A visit had been paid earlier on to Yuen Yuen Institute No.1 Secondary School to discuss the works with the principal. The principal raised some suggestions, for example, the suitable time for construction.

(iii) They would work closely with HyD, and conduct district consultation upon the completion of the detailed design.

50. Mr WONG Sing-wah, Senior Engineer/Hong Kong 1 of HyD, gave a consolidated response as follows:

(i) The preliminary technical feasibility study of the works had been completed. The Department would continue to listen to the opinion of different stakeholders in the later phase of design.

(ii) The Department would decide upon the size of the lift and the quantity to be constructed based on pedestrian flow and would consider the special situations of the district. The decision would be made when conducting the preliminary design.

17 Responsible Department 51. Mr LEE Wing-chun gave a consolidated response as follows:

(i) Construction of lifts at other locations was beyond the scope of this project, but Members’ opinion would be referred. Regarding the proposals of improving the playground to a more open area and improving barrier-free accesses, studies would be made with LCSD.

(ii) Upon completion of the preliminary design, the Department would submit mimic diagrams and consult Members.

(iii) The Department was open to the construction of a ramp lift or a vertical lift, and would study which one would be more appropriate.

(iv) The Department would continue to communicate with the school to ensure minimal impact on the school and residents in terms of the appearance. Greening materials would also be considered to be adopted to match with the environment nearby. The Advisory Committee on the Appearance of Bridges and Associated Structures would be consulted before making the decision.

(v) Upon construction of the footbridge, pedestrian flow would be diverted to the footbridge, and columns would be added to the staircase. The impact on pedestrians was expected to be minimal. However, the Department would study the narrowing of the pedestrian way when users waiting for the lift at Wo Yi Hop Road and Tai Loong Street to ensure that no congestion would be caused.

(vi) The Department would continue to study the alignment of the footbridge, and would provide an appropriate lighting system on the covers on the walkways.

(vii) The lift would have an entrance on both storeys. The 1st floor could reach Tai Loong Street basketball court, and the 2nd floor would be connected to the entrance of the park near Tai Loong Street.

(viii) The Department would continue the consultation with residents and conduct site inspections.

52. Mr HON Chun-yin put forth opinions as follows:

18 Responsible Department

(i) Pedestrian flow was heavy at the location of the works. He opined that the usage of the stairs was high.

(ii) As Cheong Wing Mansion had a passage to Tai Loong Street, he enquired whether construction of a footbridge would not affect the area of the basketball court.

53. Mr LAM Siu-fai put forth opinions as follows:

(i) The elderly from the elderly homes nearby welcomed the project. They hoped that a lift would be constructed for the convenience of wheelchair users.

(ii) TD was studying the improvement of the wheelchair ramp near Yuen Yuen Institute No.1 Secondary School. He suggested a construction of a ramp near Victory Garden to the location of the lift. He hoped that the Department could improve the ramp simultaneously with TD.

(iii) The principal of Yuen Yuen Institute No.1 Secondary School suggested adding baffles to the footbridge so that pedestrians would not be able to see inside the classrooms.

54. Mr LEUNG Kam-wai enquired about the time of submitting a more detailed study of the next phase to the Committee and the schedule of the entire works.

55. Mr WONG Yun-tat opined that it was necessary to construct two lifts as pedestrian flow would increase after the lift was constructed.

56. Ms KWOK Fu-yung put forth enquiries and opinions as follows:

(i) She enquired if the lift tower would only have one level directly connecting Tai Loong Street, or if there would be another level to the basketball court.

(ii) She enquired about the schedule of the entire works, and when it could commence.

(iii) Residents were concerned about the privacy of the school and the issue of light reflection that might be caused by the footbridge. Light reflection 19 Responsible Department from the footbridge would create nuisance to residents. She suggested using non-reflective materials.

(iv) She hoped the Department could provide the presentation slides to Members after the meeting.

57. Miss YIM Yik-huen, Bonnie gave a consolidated response as follows:

(i) The footbridge would be connected to Tai Loong Street. Meanwhile, the Department would improve the ramp nearby and construct covers over walkways to facilitate residents’ access.

(ii) The area of the park under LCSD was involved in this works. Discussions would therefore be conducted with LCSD for places to be improved in the park.

(iii) School privacy and safety issues would be taken into consideration in the design of the works.

(iv) The presentation slides would be sent to Members after the meeting for reference.

(v) A more detailed design of the project would be made. As the area around Wo Yee Hop Road was rather busy, and there were quite a number of public facilities underground, the works would take time but would commence as soon as possible.

(Post-meeting notes: The Secretariat has sent the slides to Members on 3 September 2019.)

58. Mr WONG Sing-wah gave a consolidated response as follows:

(i) Regarding the school privacy issue, the Department would erect opaque baffles on the footbridge based on past experience, and would also listen to Members’ opinion not to use reflective materials.

(ii) The Department had inspected the environment, and would calculate the pedestrian flow in the coming phase. He agreed that pedestrian flow would increase after the construction of the lift.

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(iii) According to the current design, one of the entrances of the lift would be connected to the current entrance of the staircase at Tai Loong Street Playground, Wo Yee Hop Road. The Department would continue to study feasible proposals of other entrances.

59. Mr LEE Wing-chun responded that the works was currently at an initial stage. Land exploration, preliminary design and stakeholder consultation would be conducted later. The works would then be published in the gazette according to the “Roads (Works, Use and Compensation) Ordinance” (Cap 370). After the publication in the gazette, a detailed design had to be prepared and an application had to be made to the Legislative Council for funding before the project could commence. As there were still quite a few details to be confirmed, a specific schedule could not be provided. In addition, the works would be difficult since the site was rather narrow. However, the Department would ensure the progress of the works and report to Members in due course.

60. Members unanimously endorsed the captioned plan.

61. The Chairman announced that as the number of attendees did not reach the statutory quorum requirement, the meeting ended.

Kwai Tsing District Council Secretariat December 2019

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