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North District Council (2016-2019) Minutes of the 21st Meeting of
Traffic and Transport Committee Date : 6 May 2019 (Monday)
Time : 2:30 p.m.
Venue : North District Council Conference Room
Present: Chairman Hon LAU Kwok-fan, MH (2:30 p.m. – 2:55 p.m.) Vice-chairman Mr TSANG King-chung, Kent* Members Dr HO Shu-kwong, Raymond* Hon LAM Cheuk-ting (2:30 p.m. – 3:09 p.m.) Mr HAU Chi-keung (2:54 p.m. – 3:05 p.m.) Mr HAU Fuk-tat, Simon (2:30 p.m. – 3:37 p.m.) Mr YIU Ming* Mr CHAN Yuk-ming* Mr CHAN Wai-tat (2:41 p.m. – 5:40 p.m.) Ir PANG Chun-sing, George, MH (2:41 p.m. – 5:40 p.m.) Mr TSANG Hing-lung* Mr WONG Wang-to, MH* Mr WAN Wo-tat, Warwick* Mr WAN Wo-fai, MH* Mr LIU Hing-hung*
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Mr LAU Ki-fung* Mr TANG Kun-nin, Tony, MH (2:30 p.m. – 5:07 p.m.) Mr SO Sai-chi, SBS, MH* Co-opted Members Mr HUNG Wing-yip* Ms LAM Tsz-king* Ms LAM Shuk-ching (2:33 p.m. – 5:40 p.m.) Mr LAM Chi-yeung* Ms OR Sin-yi* Mr KWOK Long-fung* Mr MAN Sun-choi (2:37 p.m. – 5:40 p.m.) Mr PUN Hau-man (2:30 p.m. – 5:06 p.m.) Secretary Mr HO Tat-man, David Executive Officer (District Council) 4,
North District Office Remarks: * Members who attended the whole meeting ( ) Time of attendance of Members
In Attendance:
Mr CHONG Wing-wun, JP District Officer (North), Home Affairs Department
Ms KWONG Ting-lok, Maggie Assistant District Officer (North) 1, Home Affairs Department
Mr NG Koon-hung, John Senior Transport Officer/North, Transport Department
Mr KWONG Siu-ming, Kelvin Engineer/North 1, Transport Department Ms TSANG Chui-shan, Jocelyn Engineer/North 2, Transport Department Mr LAM Chi-shing District Engineer/North, Highways
Department
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Mr YAU Wing-kiu, Benedict Engineer/ 5 (North), Civil Engineering and Development Department
Miss CHOW Ying-fun Assistant Housing Manager/ Tenancy (Tai Po, North & Shatin 5) (4), Housing Department
Mr TSANG Tin-chu Station Sergeant, Border District Traffic Team, Hong Kong Police Force
Mr LEUNG Chi-tak Sergeant, Tai Po District Traffic Team, Hong Kong Police Force
Mr WONG Tze-kin Manager (Operations), The Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited
Mr Desmund TANG Assistant Manager (Transport Planning), The Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited
Mr CHAN Ho-fung Senior Operations Manager, Citybus Limited
Item 2 Ms WONG Man-ka Senior Inspector of Police, Operations &
Support Sub-Unit, Enforcement & Control Division, New Territories North Traffic Team, Hong Kong Police Force
Item 4 Mr LAW See-hon, Sean Senior Environmental Protection Officer
(Assessment & Noise) 4 Absent: Mr LARM Wai-leung Mr IP Moon-tong
Opening Remarks
The Chairman welcomed Members, representatives of government departments and organisations to the 21st meeting of the Traffic and Transport Committee (“the Committee”). He also welcomed those who
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attended the meeting for the first time, including Ms Jocelyn TSANG, the newly-appointed Engineer/North 2 of the Transport Department (“TD”), and Mr CHAN Ho-fung, Senior Operations Manager of the Citybus Limited.
2. The Chairman said that Mr LARM Wai-leung could not attend the meeting due to personal reasons. Since the reason for absence of Mr LARM Wai-leung was not in compliance with the conditions specified in the North District Council (“NDC”) Standing Orders, the Committee did not approve his application for absence.
Item 1 - Confirmation of Minutes of the 20th Meeting held on 11 March 2019
3. The Committee confirmed the minutes of the 20th meeting.
Item 2 - Introduction to Operation QUICKMOVER, an Operation Preventing and Handling the Serious Traffic Congestion at Kai Leng and Tai Tau Leng Roundabouts, by the Hong Kong Police Force (Paper No. 38/2019)
4. The Chairman welcomed Ms WONG Man-ka, Senior Inspector of Police, Operations and Support Sub-Unit, Enforcement and Control Division, New Territories North Traffic Team of the Hong Kong Police Force (“HKPF”) to the meeting.
5. Ms WONG Man-ka presented Paper No. 38/2019.
(Ms LAM Shuk-ching and Mr MAN San-choi joined the meeting at this juncture.)
6. Mr YIU Ming thanked the HKPF and the TD for implementing the Operation QUICKMOVER. He noticed that police officers were stationed at Kai Leng Roundabout and Tai Tau Leng Roundabout during rush hours in the operation, and the few traffic accidents occurred at Kai Leng
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Roundabout were efficiently handled by the Police. He hoped that the HKPF could maintain the relevant arrangements.
7. Dr Raymond HO thanked the police officers for their efforts and understood their hard work. He noticed that there had been police officers inspecting the traffic condition of Pak Wo Road Kai Leng Roundabout-bound recently, but they did not help divert the traffic when traffic congestion occurred. He enquired the HKPF about the definition of “severe traffic congestion”. Besides, a healthcare worker relayed to him that the measures of the HKPF were not able to improve the traffic condition of North District.
8. Mr Simon HAU was pleased to know about the measures taken by the HKPF, and put forward the following comments:
(a) At the Kwu Tung Section of Castle Peak Road where a large-scale housing development was nearing completion, construction workers were found jaywalking when they travelled to and from the construction site and the pantry opposite. Vehicles had to swerve to avoid hitting the construction workers who were jaywalking during rush hours, which was very dangerous. He hoped that the HKPF could pay attention to the relevant problem; and
(b) When traffic congestion occurred at Tai Tau Leng Roundabout, police officers would divert vehicles at Fanling Highway to travel to Sheung Shui or Fanling via Kai Leng Roundabout. In case traffic congestion occurred at Kai Leng Roundabout, police officers would divert vehicles to U-turn at Hong Lok Yuen and return to North District. Considering that such arrangements would extend the travelling time of the drivers, he hoped that the HKPF could follow up on the relevant problem.
(Mr CHAN Wai-tat and Ir George PANG joined the meeting at this juncture.)
9. Hon LAM Cheuk-ting thanked the HKPF and pointed out that the problem of traffic congestion in North District would cause inconvenience to many residents. He agreed that occurrences of traffic congestion dropped recently and the HKPF could efficiently handle the traffic accidents
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happened in the district. Thus, he hoped that that the HKPF could continue the operation QUICKMOVER and review the effectiveness of the operation regularly. Given the more frequent flow of goods and people, he hoped that the HKPF could step up enforcement in future and handle the traffic accidents occurred at critical sites such as the town centre of North District and some of the roundabouts. Otherwise, it might trigger off a serious domino effect.
10. Mr Kent TSANG thanked the HKPF for adopting measures to alleviate the problem of traffic congestion in North District. He opined that the main duties of the HKPF were to handle traffic accidents and divert traffic flow. Given the high traffic flow of North District, and the road design of North District had not been improved, limited measures could be taken by the HKPF. He hoped that the government departments such as the TD could provide more road ancillary facilities as soon as possible.
11. Mr LIU Hing-hung thanked the HKPF and pointed out that the traffic condition of North District had improved during rush hours. However, when severe traffic congestion occurred on Po Shek Wu Road Roundabout, police officers were seldom at the scene to divert the traffic. He opined that there was a need to instruct vehicles which intended to use Po Shek Wu Road and Tai Tau Leng Roundabout to divert to Jockey Club Road and Sha Tau Kok Road Roundabout (near Former Fanling Magistracy). Otherwise, the traffic at Po Shek Wu Road Roundabout would be paralysed and vehicles could neither travel to the vicinity of Man Kam To nor use alternative routes.
12. Ir George PANG commended the work of the HKPF. He pointed out that after there were police officers stationed at Kai Leng Roundabout to maintain order, the traffic at the roundabout was significantly improved. Besides, he pointed out that goods vehicles and cash transport vehicles of banks were parked along San Wan Road near Sheng Shui Centre at around 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., remaining only one clear lane on San Wan Road. The traffic of the roads in Shek Wu Hui and at Kai Leng Roundabout was severely affected. In view of the situation, he hoped that the police officers could give verbal advice or take enforcement actions. He also suggested the drivers parking their vehicles at the road sections near the car park of Sheung Shui Centre on Chi Cheong Road.
13. The Chairman expressed his gratitude for the HKPF’s efforts. He remarked that the scope of traffic congestion in North District was not as
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broad as that of the previous years. Nevertheless, traffic congestion would occur shortly whenever minor traffic accidents happened at the two roundabouts. Thus, police officers should promptly arrive at the scene to handle the accidents, and to avoid broadening the area of congestion. Noting that the HKPF deployed officers to divert traffic at 17 major junctions in North District during the operation QUICKMOVER, he enquired the HKPF about the number of police officers deployed under the operation.
14. Ms WONG Man-ka responded that she would convey Members’ views to the management of the HKPF. The HKPF would study more measures to alleviate the congestion problem of North District. She gave a consolidated response to Members’ views, suggestions and questions as follows:
(a) “Severe traffic congestion” referred to situations where the congestion was anticipated to sustain and cause widespread congestion, but not those where vehicles could still move forward slowly. The HKPF would take corresponding actions, including diverting vehicles that were waiting to enter the congested road sections, at Kai Leng Roundabout and Tai Tau Leng Roundabout. Although vehicles might need to U-turn near Hong Lok Yuen instead, the journey time would still be shorter than using the congested road sections;
(b) She agreed with Mr Kent TSANG that the main cause of traffic congestion at Kai Leng Roundabout and Tai Tau Leng Roundabout was that the capacity of the roads in North District had almost reached saturation point. Nevertheless, the duties of the HKPF was mainly diverting traffic by ways such as prohibiting vehicles from entering congested road sections, with a view to avoiding worsening of the congestion;
(c) With regard to the on-street parking problem of cash transport vehicles, the HKPF would discuss with relevant banks to see whether the cash transport vehicles could park at other places. She would convey the relevant problems to the Tai Po Police District for follow-up; and
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(d) The manpower of the New Territories North Traffic Team was very tense, with around 30 police officers on duty for each shift. Under the operation QUICKMOVER, the HKPF had already prioritised the 17 major junctions and deploy officers accordingly. If necessary, the HKPF would deploy officers to affected MTR stations and major bus stops from the Tai Po Police District, the Border Police District, and even the Police Tactical Unit to implement crowd control measures.
15. Ir George PANG said that a senior superintendent of police had once promised at an NDC meeting that in case minor traffic accidents happened during evening rush hours and no casualty was caused, the vehicles would be towed away by the police officers. He enquired whether the HKPF had been adopting such measures.
16. Ms WONG Man-ka responded that the HKPF had been adopting such measures. When drivers encountered minor traffic accidents that involved property damage only, they would usually discuss about the compensation on site and would obstruct the traffic. Under such circumstances, the police officers stationed at Kai Leng Roundabout and Tai Tau Leng Roundabout would record the details of the accidents immediately and ask the drivers to drive the vehicles away.
17. The Chairman thanked the representative of HKPF for the briefing and he hoped that the HKPF could continue to implement the operation QUICKMOVER. Noting that the new roads in North District were yet to be commissioned, he said that the work of the HKPF and the TD was very significant for maintaining the smooth traffic of the district.
Item 3 - Use of the Site at Tai Tau Leng Playground for Construction of Smart Car Park (Paper No. 39/2019)
18. Mr YIU Ming presented Paper No. 39/2019.
(Mr HAU Chi-keung joined the meeting at this juncture. The Chairman left the meeting at this juncture.)
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19. Mr Kent TSANG (“Acting Chairman”) said that given the Chairman, Hon LAU Kwok-fan, had to attend a meeting of the Legislative Council, he would perform the duties of the Chairman in his capacity as the Vice Chairman of the Committee in accordance with Order 35(6) of the NDC Standing Orders and preside at the meeting.
20. Mr Kelvin KWONG responded that the TD noted the proposal and had been planning several pilot projects on automated parking system (“APS”). The TD would accumulate experience in constructing, operating and managing the system as well as maintaining its financial sustainability. The TD would then consider implementing such system in other districts (including Tai Tau Leng Playground) having regard to the effectiveness of the pilot projects.
21. Mr TSANG Hing-lung strongly agreed with the proposal. In light of citizens’s high demand for vehicles and the resumption of a number of temporary car parks for other purposes, he hoped that more parking spaces could be provided. He said that Tai Tau Leng Playground was situated under a flyover, making it unsuitable for building houses or providing other community facilities. He hoped that the TD could review which sites in North District could be rezoned as car parks.
22. Mr LAU Ki-fung agreed that there was a need to increase the number of parking sites in North District, but he worried that the construction of a car park at Tai Tau Leng Playground would affect the traffic at Tai Tau Leng Roundabout. He opined that the Government should plan to construct more car parks in the New Development Areas (“NDAs”).
23. Hon LAM Cheuk-ting said that while the technology of APS was already very mature in foreign countries, the relevant technology was still under study in Hong Kong. He hoped that the TD could study whether the capacity of the roads near Tai Tau Leng Playground could accommodate the traffic flow of the car park. Besides, he pointed out that the Government revised the planning standards in 2002 by reducing the ratio of the number of parking spaces required, resulting in shortage and an upsurge in prices of parking spaces across districts. Even though the number of registered vehicles rose over 50% in the past decade, the increase rate of the number of parking spaces was extremely low. He opined that the problem of parking space shortage was attributable to the faulty planning of the Government. He hoped that the Government could review the consequences and modify
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the relevant planning as soon as possible in response to the changes in the society and the economic environment when adjusting the planning of basic livelihood facilities in future. Noting that the planning of a number of districts was already completed and basic livelihood facilities were provided, he held that at present it would be very difficult for the Government to identify sites for provisioning of parking spaces. He hoped that the Government could learn from the territory-wide problem of parking space shortage to avoid making the same mistake in future.
24. Ms LAM Tsz-king remarked that she did not oppose converting Tai Tau Leng Playground as a car park. Given that North District had relatively few sports facilities, she opined that the Government would have to identify other sites for provisioning of such facilities if Tai Tau Leng Playground was converted.
25. Mr SO Sai-chi said that two mini-soccer pitches, four basketball courts, one roller-skating rink and one archery range were provided in Tai Tau Leng Playground. Although the playground was large in size, it was idled due to poor air quality. Noting that it would take the TD years to conduct studies on automated car parks, he hoped that the problem of parking space shortage in North District could be resolved by utilising existing land in a bid to overcome the relevant technical problems within the shortest time frame. To this end, he hoped that the department could examine the proposal of building an automated car park and constructing connecting roads at the site of Tai Tau Leng Playground as soon as possible.
26. Ms LAM Shuk-ching said that the parking spaces of some housing developments in North District were divested due to the lack of close supervision by the Government, which aggravated the problem of parking space shortage in the district. She agreed that land which was unsuitable for the use of sports facilities should be converted into other purposes, but she worried that rezoning Tai Tau Leng Playground for the provision of a car park would lead to traffic congestion in the vicinity. She hoped that the TD would consider the proposal carefully.
(Mr HAU Chi-keung left the meeting at this juncture.)
27. Ir George PANG said that he once suggested building an underground car park at North District Park in Shek Wu Hui, with the land above the car park remained as a park. He had also suggested building a
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multi-storey car park at Shek Wu Hui Playground at Fu Hing Street, with a football pitch and a basketball court built on its rooftop. Nevertheless, the above suggestions did not receive a positive response from the Government.
28. Hon LAM Cheuk-ting said that in view of the serious traffic congestion in Shek Wu Hui, the TD should consider the proposal of building a multi-storey car park at Shek Wu Hui Playground carefully.
29. Mr Kelvin KWONG responded that the TD noted Members’ suggestions and would consider implementing the relevant system in other districts having regard to the effectiveness of the APS pilot projects.
30. The Acting Chairman said that the pilot projects would not be completed till several years later. By the time, the problem of traffic congestion and parking space shortage in North District would be more serious. He asked the TD to actively address the shortage of parking spaces in North District, and consider providing more parking spaces at Tai Tau Leng Playground and other locations.
Item 4 - Proposal: Request for Provision of Noise Barrier along Po Shek Wu Road (Tai Tau Leng Section) near Choi Po Court and Laying of Noise Reduction Surfacing Material on the Road Section (Paper No. 40/2019)
31. The Acting Chairman welcomed Mr Sean LAW, Senior Environmental Protection Officer (Assessment & Noise) 4 of the Environmental Protection Department (“EPD”) to the meeting.
(Hon LAM Cheuk-ting left the meeting at this juncture.)
32. Mr SO Sai-chi presented Paper No. 40/2019.
33. The Acting Chairman remarked that the EPD, the Highways Department (“HyD”) and the Civil Engineering and Development Department (“CEDD”) had provided written responses with regard to the
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above proposal.
34. Mr Lam Chi-shing responded that generally speaking, the HyD would explore the feasibility of surfacing low-noise materials on public roads upon request of the EPD. Although the HyD had not received the EPD’s request for surfacing low-noise materials on the section of Po Shek Wu Road between Choi Po Court and Tai Tau Leng Village, it had conducted a preliminary assessment. The HyD opined that the road section concerned, which linked up the signalised junction of Po Shek Wu Road/Choi Yuen Road and Po Shek Wu Roundabout, was not suitable for surfacing low-noise materials as vehicles passing by had to brake and start up frequently. Nevertheless, the HyD would continue to monitor the condition of the road surface of Po Shek Wu Road and arrange for maintenance in due course.
35. Ms LAM Tsz-king said that as Po Shek Wu Road was adjacent to the industrial area and Tai Tau Leng Roundabout, many residents of Choi Po Court complained about the noise nuisance on the road section concerned. He hoped that relevant departments could implement the proposal of retrofitting noise barriers as soon as possible if it was feasible.
36. Mr LIU Hing-hung said that the surface of Po Shek Wu Road, which was not low-noise materials, should be more durable. However, its surface became uneven from time to time, making the heavy goods vehicles passing by generate noise and causing nuisance to the residents of Tai Tau Leng Village nearby. He suggested the HyD inspecting the road section concerned irregularly and arranging maintenance immediately in case of uneven surface.
37. Mr SO Sai-chi thanked the HyD for expressing concerns on the problem of uneven road surface on Po Shek Wu Road. Given that the EPD had assessed that the noise nuisance generated at the road section concerned reached an unacceptable level, he enquired whether the department had formulated plans to install noise barriers or carry out other improvement works at that road section.
38. Mr Sean LAW responded that with regard to the proposal of retrofitting noise barriers at the section of Po Shek Wu Road outside Choi Po Court, the HyD had conducted technical studies and opined that the proposal of retrofitting noise barriers at the section of Po Shek Wu Road between Tai Tau Leng Roundabout and Choi Yuen Road was feasible.
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Besides, taking into consideration the planning of the Kwu Tung North and Fanling North NDAs (“KTN/FLN NDAs”), the CEDD would conduct road improvement works for the section of Po Shek Wu Road between Tai Tau Leng Roundabout and Po Wan Road. The CEDD had already conducted environmental impact assessments for the relevant works in compliance with the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance. The assessment results suggested installing noise barriers for the section of Po Shek Wu Road that was within the coverage of the works.
39. Mr LAM Chi-shing responded that with regard to the proposal of stepping up maintenance works of Po Shek Wu Road, the HyD had been concerned about the condition of the surface of the relevant road section and would repair the gratings along the road section whenever they were loosened and generated noise. If large-scale road resurfacing works were conducted at Tai Tau Leng Roundabout, the traffic in the district and the daily lives of the residents would suffer from serious disturbance. The Highway Maintenance Office of the HyD would study whether resurfacing works could be conducted for individual sections of which the road surface was in a relatively poor condition.
40. Ir George PANG said that he had applied for installing noise barriers on Jockey Club Road in Fanling 15 years ago. The noise nuisance problem was very serious at the road section concerned and small houses nearby were less than 10 metres away from it. Nevertheless, the relevant works was not implemented to date as it was not covered in the public works project. Besides, noting that the intensity of the low-noise materials was lower than that of asphalt, he pointed out that expressways surfaced with low-noise materials were prone to wear and tear.
41. Mr Warwick WAN said that although the section of Pak Wo Road near Kai Leng had already been surfaced with low-noise materials, the road surface became uneven time and again as vehicles passing by broke and started up frequently. He proposed that acoustic panels or stone walls should be installed along the roadside at the roundabout near the headquarters of the Police Tactical Unit, the road sections close to residential blocks, and locations where vehicles broke and started up frequently. He also enquired whether such proposal was feasible.
42. Mr SO Sai-chi was pleased to note that the works of installing noise barriers would be conducted under the planning of the KTN/FLN NDAs. He urged the relevant departments to submit the details of the
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planning of KTN/FLN NDAs in the next meeting.
43. Mr Sean LAW gave a consolidated response to Members’ views, suggestions and questions as follows:
(a) The works of retrofitting noise barriers on Jockey Club Road in Fanling (near No. 713 to 719 on Jockey Club Road) were covered in the Noise Barrier Retrofitting Programme. The Government would implement the relevant works for different road sections in order of priority under the programme; and
(b) Retrofitting acoustic panels at individual locations could not effectively reduce the nuisance caused by traffic noise to the residents nearby. Thus, noise barriers or acoustic covers should be retrofitted at suitable locations to attenuate noise effectively.
44. Ir George PANG said that the EPD had confirmed that the noise level of the section of Jockey Club Road near Fanling Wai was over 70 decibels. The road section concerned was only around 200 metres long, but it had been 15 years since the application of retrofitting noise barriers and the works was yet to be implemented. He urged the EPD to provide information on the priority in retrofitting noise barriers at the road sections covered in the Noise Barrier Retrofitting Programme.
45. The Acting Chairman said that he had once suggested retrofitting noise barriers on Fanling Highway near Tai Tau Leng, and the relevant departments responded that the works concerned would be implemented in the remaining phase of works of the KTN/FLN NDAs (“remaining works”). He urged the CEDD to provide a preliminary design of retrofitting noise barriers on Po Shek Wu Road and Fanling Highway near Tai Tau Leng before the next meeting.
46. Mr Sean LAW responded that the EPD would provide a list of road sections that were included in the Noise Barrier Retrofitting Programme after the meeting. He believed that the CEDD, as the proposer of the remaining works, would provide more information on the relevant works.
(Post-meeting note: The EPD submitted the list of road sections that were covered in the Noise Barrier Retrofitting Programme on 18 June 2019.
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The list was attached at Annex 1.)
47. Mr Benedict YAU responded that the CEDD planned to improve the traffic at Tai Tau Leng Roundabout through the remaining works. The relevant environmental impact assessment suggested retrofitting noise barriers at a section of Po Shek Wu Road within the area of the improvement works. Considering that the funding application for the detailed design of the remaining works was approved by the Legislative Council, the CEDD anticipated that the procedures for commissioning consultants would be completed and the detailed design would get underway by late 2019. Noting that it would take time for completing the design and the statutory procedures, the CEDD anticipated that the relevant improvement works could commence in 2024.
48. The Acting Chairman enquired whether the CEDD could provide the preliminary design of retrofitting noise barriers on Po Shek Wu Road and Fanling Highway near Tai Tau Leng.
49. Mr Benedict YAU responded that the preliminary design was attached to the environmental impact assessment report. The CEDD could provide the relevant information for the Committee after the meeting. The relevant preliminary design might be revised when the CEDD worked on the detailed design.
50. The Acting Chairman asked the CEDD to submit the relevant information to the Secretariat before the next meeting.
(Post-meeting note: The CEDD had already submitted the preliminary design of retrofitting noise barriers on Po Shek Wu Road and Fanling highway near Tai Tau Leng. The relevant information was attached at Annex 2.)
Item 5 - Proposal: Request for Expediting the Provision of Elevators at Pedestrian Subway NS113 (Paper No. 41/2019)
51. The Acting Chairman presented Paper No. 41/2019 and said that the HyD had already submitted a written response with regard to the above
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proposal.
52. Mr YIU Ming pointed out that the volume of the reminders and broadcasts was relatively loud in the elevator at footbridge NF247, and that of the buzzer was even unpleasant to the ears. Besides, there were elevators in North District where users were prone to pressing the emergency button by mistake as the emergency button was located at a lower level near the door close button and was not protected by a plastic cover. Noting that a number of newly retrofitted elevators were close to the residential blocks, he hoped that the HyD could pay attention to the above problems concerning the design of the elevators.
53. Mr WONG Wang-to pointed out that in the case of the elevator at the footbridge near Tin Ping Estate and Tung Koon School, users were prone to pressing the emergency button by mistake as the emergency button was close to other buttons. He hoped that the HyD could review the design of the buttons of the elevators, with a view to preventing users from pressing the emergency button by mistake and resulting in false alarms and even cessation of operation.
54. Mr Warwick WAN said that about seven elevators were managed by the CEDD in North District and all of them were close to residential blocks. He hoped that the HyD could bring the design problems of the elevators to the attention of the CEDD.
55. Mr LAM Chi-shing responded that the HyD would relay the relevant problem to the CEDD. Before taking over the elevators from the CEDD, the HyD would also discuss ways to improve the design of the elevators with the CEDD.
56. The Acting Chairman asked the HyD to follow up on Members’ views.
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Item 6 - Proposal: Request for Provision of Covers for Footbridge NF76 and Pedestrian Subways NS51, NS128, NS112 and NS113 (Paper No. 42/2019)
57. Mr WONG Wang-to presented Paper No. 42/2019.
(Mr Simon HAU left the meeting at this juncture.)
58. Mr Kelvin KWONG responded that according to the Transport Planning and Design Manual, the TD would only consider providing a cover for pedestrian link when the pedestrian flow reached a certain level. The TD had already checked the pedestrian flow for the pedestrian link mentioned in the proposal. Given that the pedestrian flow did not fulfil the relevant requirements, the TD was not in favour of the proposal. Taking into consideration of the views of Members and the public, the TD would continue to pay attention to the change in the pedestrian flow of the pedestrian link concerned and follow up on the issue when necessary.
59. Mr WONG Wang-to said he understood that the TD would like to better utilise its resources, but he held that the requirement on pedestrian flow was quite strict that only Mongkok and other business lots could meet the requirement. Besides, such proposal could enhance road safety and adhere to the principle of “separating pedestrians from vehicles” as the residents would not have to cross the road at-grade with the aid of footbridge and pedestrian subways. He hoped that the TD could revise the requirement on pedestrian flow so that covers could also be provided for pedestrian links in remote areas.
60. Mr LAU Ki-fung did not agree to the TD’s rationale for rejecting the provision of covers for the pedestrian links. Given that it took time to provide covers, he held that the TD should not consider providing covers only when there was an increase in pedestrian flow. Besides, Footbridge NF76 and Pedestrian Subways NS51 and NS128 were the major pedestrian links for residents of Tin Ping Estate and no other routes were available for use on rainy days. Thus, he hoped that the TD could take into consideration the needs of the residents (but not just the pedestrian flow) and reconsider the proposal of providing covers.
61. Mr CHAN Yuk-ming shared the views of Mr LAU Ki-fung. He held that apart from pedestrian flow, the TD should consider whether there
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were other road sections available for use on rainy days when considering the proposal of providing covers for pedestrian links. Even though the pedestrian flow of individual pedestrian link was low, the TD should provide covers for them if no other road sections were available for use. Moreover, he was of the view that the low pedestrian flow might be attributed to the fact that users had to be tormented by the scorching sun and lashing rain when passing through the uncovered pedestrian links. In this case, provision of covers might be able to boost pedestrian flow.
62. The Acting Chairman pointed out that Pedestrian Subway NS113 had a certain level of pedestrian flow. With the development of Phase 4 of Ching Ho Estate, it was anticipated that the pedestrian flow would further increase. He hoped that the TD would actively consider the proposal of providing covers for the pedestrian links concerned having regard to the planning of the relevant districts and the needs of the residents.
63. Mr Kelvin KWONG responded that the TD would consider the proposal of providing covers for pedestrian links in accordance with the requirements of the Transport Planning and Design Manual. He would relay the views on pedestrian flow checking to the relevant teams of the department.
64. The Acting Chairman hoped that the TD could respond to Members’ proposal by reviewing the criteria for providing covers for pedestrian links.
Item 7 - Proposal: Combating Illegal Parking of Taxis at the Bus Stops on San Wan Road during Night Time (Paper No. 43/2019)
65. Mr CHAN Yuk-ming presented Paper No. 43/2019.
66. Mr LEUNG Chi-tak responded that upon receipt of complaints about illegally parking of taxis from councillors and members of the public, the HKPF had already stepped up enforcement and the prosecution figures of San Wan Road had increased. The prosecution figures slightly dropped in May when compared to that of April. On the other hand, in case members of the public were found waiting for taxis at the bus stop on San
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Wan Road, police officers would instruct them to wait at the taxi stand opposite the bus stop. The HKPF would continue to take enforcement actions and instruct members of the public to take taxis at suitable locations.
67. Ms LAM Tsz-king said that the problem persisted despite the fact that she had been lodging complaints to the HKPF about the problem of illegal parking at the bus stop on San Wan Road since April 2018. There were taxis illegally parked at the bus stop during evening rush hours (i.e. 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.), which block the way of bus passengers and drivers. She hoped that the HKPF would step up enforcement against illegal parking to enhance the deterrent effect.
68. Mr LAU Ki-fung urged the HKPF to provide the details with regard to the drop in prosecution figures over the past few months. Taking into consideration the persistent problem of manpower shortage, he held that the HKPF could hardly deploy officers to station at black spots of illegal parking in the long run. Moreover, police patrols were not effective in combatting illegal parking as police officers might only drive away illegally parked vehicles and drivers would leave the scene if they knew the officers were about to take enforcement actions. He opined that the HKPF could take enforcement actions with the use of technology such as video cameras to enhance the deterrent effect.
69. Mr Warwick WAN said that taxis illegally parked at taxi stands at night across districts. A number of taxis even parked overnight and blocked the buses from stopping at the bus stop the next day. Noting that it would be difficult to solve the problem of illegally parked taxis simply by the HKPF’s enforcement actions, he enquired what counter-measures the TD would take. Besides, he opined that the TD could limit the number of taxis parked at the taxi stand and combat the problem of illegally parked taxis through the issuance of taxi licence.
70. Mr KWOK Long-fung said that as taxis were illegally parked at bus stops, buses had to pick up and drop off passengers in the middle of the road, which posed danger to the passengers. Buses might also have to wait for the taxis to leave before they could stop at the bus stop, which might aggravate the traffic congestion. He suggested the HKPF taking enforcement actions with the use of video recordings to enhance deterrent effect.
71. Ms LAM Tsz-king said that although the HKPF would make video
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records at Footbridge NF84, the footbridge was located distant from Exit D of Sheung Shui MTR Station, making the video cameras difficult for recording the registration marks of vehicles that were illegally parked in areas behind the bus stop. She hoped that the HKPF could undertake prosecution more flexibly.
72. Mr LEUNG Chi-tak responded that he could not provide the prosecution figures of different locations for the time being. From January to March 2019, the Traffic Team of the Sheung Shui Division of the HKPF had instituted 131, 105 and 120 prosecutions respectively. The prosecution figures might drop as a result of the increased number of enforcement actions. Besides, if video cameras were installed on footpaths, they might not be able to record the registration marks of the illegally parked vehicles due to high pedestrian flow or blockage of buses at the bus stop. The HKPF would continue to study other locations that were suitable for installing video cameras.
73. Mr LAU Ki-fung doubted that a drop in the prosecution figures of Sheung Shui Division did not indicate that the problem of illegal parking on San Wan Road was alleviated. He urged the HKPF to provide the prosecution figures of San Wan Road. Besides, he enquired the HKPF about the progress of the study regarding the location for installing video cameras.
74. Ms LAM Tsz-king said that many residents of Sheung Shui noticed that the HKPF usually took enforcement actions after evening rush hours (i.e. after 9:30 p.m.). She suggested the HKPF taking enforcement actions during the hours when the problem of illegal parking was the most serious (i.e. 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.) if possible.
75. Mr CHAN Yuk-ming said that Members were unable to have a picture about the prosecution efforts at individual locations and whether the problem was alleviated based on the prosecution figures of Sheung Shui Division provided by the HKPF. He urged the HKPF to provide the frequency, the time and the prosecution figures of the enforcement actions taken on San Wan Road after the meeting.
76. Mr LEUNG Chi-tak responded that the HKPF was not able to provide the prosecution figures of San Wan Road for the time being, and would study whether it could provide the relevant information in the next meeting. With regard to the suggestion of using video cameras to facilitate
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enforcement, the HKPF was required to record the registration marks clearly before instituting any prosecutions. The HKPF would try to make recordings at height as far as possible with a view to prevent the registration marks from being blocked by other vehicles.
77. Ms LAM Shuk-ching said that there were private cars and school buses parking along the road outside the two primary schools near Elegantia College after school hours, resulting in severe traffic congestion nearby. A bus of Route 273A was once blocked at the junction of Ching Hiu Road. Noting that the problem of illegal parking had already posed severe impacts on the livelihood of the residents, she hoped that the HKPF could pay more attention to the black spots of illegal parking.
78. The Acting Chairman concluded that the problem of illegal parking was serious in North District and he hoped that the HKPF could make every endeavour to address the relevant problem.
Item 8 - Proposal: Request for Improving the Utilisation of the Residents’ Coach Stop on San Wan Road, Sheung Shui (Paper No. 44/2019)
79. Dr Raymond HO presented Paper No. 44/2019.
80. Mr John NG responded that with regard to the problem of cross-boundary coaches persistently occupying the residents’ coach stop, the TD had already urged the operators of cross-boundary coaches to set their pick-up/drop-off points at the latter half of the lay-by on San Wan Road as far as possible and deploy buses to the pick-up/drop-off points at the scheduled departure time only. This could prevent a number of coaches from parking at the stop at the same time and affecting other road users.
81. The Acting Chairman asked the TD to actively follow up on the pick-up/drop-off arrangement for residents’ coaches.
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Item 9 - Proposal: Request for Provision of a Taxi Pick up/Drop-off Point on Tin Ping Road near Noble Hill (Paper No. 45/2019)
Item 10 - Proposal: Request for Provision of a Taxi Stand on Tin Ping Road (Paper No. 46/2019)
82. The Acting Chairman said that since the above items were related to the provision of a taxi pick-up/drop-off point, he suggested that the relevant items should be discussed together.
83. Ms OR Sin-yi presented Paper No. 45/2019.
84. Mr LAU Ki-fung presented Paper No. 46/2019.
85. Mr Kelvin KWONG responded that the TD was studying whether it was possible to provide a taxi pick-up/drop-off point outside Tin Long House of Tin Ping Estate, with a view to facilitating local residents.
86. Mr KWOK Long-fung said that given that the problem of illegal parking at the lay-by outside Tin Long House was very serious, residents had to hail taxis on the road. He hoped that the TD could provide a taxi stand as soon as possible to facilitate residents of Tin Ping Estate.
87. Mr WONG Wang-to said that there were vehicles illegally parked at the lay-by outside Tin Long House from time to time, and the situation was particularly serious at night. He hoped that the HKPF could step up patrols and prosecution against illegal parking so that the lay-by could be utilised by other vehicles and pick-up/drop-off of residents could be more convenient.
88. The Acting Chairman asked the TD to follow up on the proposal as soon as possible.
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Item 11 - Proposal: Request for Installation of CCTV at the Traffic Light on Jockey Club Road near Fung Kai No.1 Primary School (Annex) (Paper No. 47/2019)
89. Mr LIU Hing-hung presented Paper No. 47/2019.
90. Mr Kelvin KWONG responded that the proposal was more related to enforcement. The TD would liaise with the Traffic Control Division of the Department after the meeting and follow up on the proposal of installing red light cameras.
91. Mr CHAN Wai-tat said that noting that some road sections were frequently plagued by the problem of red-light jumping even the traffic was not heavy, he enquired the relevant departments about measures to combat such problem. He cited, as an example, that in the vicinity of Wo Hing Tsuen where the lighting was dim at night, there were drivers jumping the red light from time to time as they might be unaware that the pedestrians were crossing the road.
92. Mr LEUNG Chi-tak responded that Members could inform the HKPF the road sections where the problem of red-light jumping was the most serious so that the HKPF could deploy staff to understand the situation and take relevant actions.
93. The Acting Chairman asked the TD and Mr LIU Hing-hung to follow up on the proposal after the meeting. He also said that Mr CHAN Wai-tat could discuss with the TD the problem of red-light jumping at individual road sections.
Item 12 - Proposal: Request for Increasing the Frequency of Bus Route 50K (Paper No. 48/2019)
94. Mr CHAN Yuk-ming presented Paper No. 48/2019.
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95. Mr John NG responded that the frequency of Route 50K was every 20 to 25 minutes from 4:45 a.m. to 6 a.m. as the passenger demand was relatively low during such period of time. The route had a frequency of every 3 to 4 minutes and every 5 minutes in the morning and evening rush hours respectively. It was indicated in a latest survey that Route 50K was able to cope with the passenger demand during rush hours generally. The TD would continue to deploy officers to monitor the operation of the route during rush hours, and would relay the views of passengers to the minibus operator. If there was a change in the passenger demand, the TD would urge the operator to adjust its service.
96. The Acting Chairman asked the TD to continue to follow up on the problem of the service and frequency of Route 50K.
Item 13 - Proposal: Request for Deferring the Fare Increase Application of Green Minibuses (Paper No. 49/2019)
97. Mr LAU Ki-fung presented Paper No. 49/2019. He enquired when the Secretary passed on the proposal to the TD upon receipt of the proposal.
98. The Secretary responded that upon receipt of the proposal on 16 April 2019, the Secretariat had already passed on the proposal to the TD on the next day.
99. Mr LAU Ki-fung said that upon receipt of the proposal on 17 April 2019, the TD approved the fare increase application of Minibus Routes 52A, 54A and 56A (“Luen Wo Hui minibus routes”) in writing on 25 April 2019 despite knowing that the proposal would be discussed in the meeting. He criticised the TD for insulting the Committee and stifling the room for discussion by Members on the fare increase application.
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100. Mr John NG responded as follows:
(a) He could not confirm the date of receipt of the relevant proposal for the time being;
(b) The TD had been monitoring the operation of Luen Wo Hui minibus routes, and noticed that the waiting time was not too long during morning and evening rush hours;
(c) The TD followed the established procedures when processing the fare increase application of minibuses. The TD had already entrusted the North District Office (“NDO”) to collect views from members of the local community regarding the relevant application in late January 2019 and the consultation exercise was substantially completed in March 2019; and
(d) In the course of consultation, different members (including Mr LAU Ki-fung) had put forward their views on the adjustment of fare and service. In response to the request of Mr LAU Ki-fung, the TD had already met with Mr LAU and the minibus operators to discuss measures to enhance the service. For example, the number of minibuses waiting on Fanling Station Road should be limited during morning rush hours to ensure that minibuses return to Luen Wo Hui to carry passengers as soon as possible. Queue management at Luen Wo Hui terminus should be enhanced to alleviate the situation where passengers jumped the queue or asked their companions to queue for them. Staff training should be strengthened to improve service quality. Noting that there were passengers longing for further enhancement of minibus services, the TD would relay the relevant views to the minibus operators.
101. Mr TSANG Hing-lung said that he had consulted residents about the relevant fare increase application upon receipt of the consultation papers from the NDO in around February 2019. Some residents opposed the fare increase, and some residents were of the opinion that the increase rate was too high. He submitted the signatures and views collected to Mr John NG before the commencement of the meeting of the Committee in March 2019 and relayed the management problems of Luen Wo Hui minibus routes on
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the same occasion. He continued that the minibus operators had the intention to solve the problem. Since 1 May 2019, the minibus operators deployed vehicles during morning rush hours to allow the minibuses to return to Luen Wo Hui to carry passengers as soon as possible. He hoped that the TD could urge the operators to further enhance its service.
102. Dr Raymond HO understood the TD’s difficulties and appreciated that the TD had already lowered the increase rate when processing previous fare increase applications of minibuses. He opined that it would have been better if the TD held a special meeting in February or March 2019 to allow District Councillors to express their views on the fare increase application before informing them in writing.
103. Mr LAU Ki-fung criticised the TD for stifling the room for discussion by Members as it approved the fare increase application before any deliberation, thus affecting the collaboration between the Committee and the TD in future. He enquired the TD whether it would defer the fare increase application of Luen Wo Hui minibus routes, enhance monitoring of the service of the relevant routes before the next Committee meeting, and consult Members about the fare increase application concerned in the next Committee meeting.
104. The Acting Chairman enquired the NDO whether it had conducted consultation on the relevant fare increase application.
105. Ms Maggie KWONG responded that the NDO had conducted three rounds of consultation in total for the fare increase application of Luen Wo Hui minibus routes from February to mid-March 2019. The views collected were submitted to the TD after the consultation exercise was completed.
106. The Acting Chairman hoped that apart from conducting consultation, the TD could strengthen the connection with relevant stakeholders and follow up on their views in the course of processing the fare increase applications of minibuses.
107. Mr John NG responded that the TD understood that Members were concerned about the services provided by Luen Wo Hui minibus routes on various fronts and they hoped that there would be continuous improvements in the service of the relevant routes. The TD would continue to relay
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Members’ views to the minibus operators and enhance monitoring of the service of Luen Wo Hui minibus routes. The operators had also responded positively to different views, and the problem of minibuses waiting for passengers on Fanling Station Road were improved in recent years.
108. Mr Tony TANG said that many District Councillors had already relayed the matters concerning the operation of the routes to the TD when the NDO conducted consultation for the fare increase application from February to mid-March 2019. He hoped that the TD, as the approval authority of the fare increase applications, would consider the relevant applications having regard to actual circumstances. He also held that the department could hardly reject the fare increase applications of minibus operators merely because of the objection of District Councillors.
109. Mr LAU Ki-fung did not agree with Mr Tony TANG. He pointed out that noting that the minibus operators submitted the fare increase application, residents hoped to take the opportunity to urge the minibus operators to enhance their service quality. He opined that residents would find it unacceptable that the TD approved the application beforehand despite knowing that the application would be put forward to the meeting for discussion. He enquired how the TD would handle the request for deferring the fare increase application.
110. The Acting Chairman opined that although the fare of the minibuses might have a bearing on the service quality, it was not necessary for the TD to bundle the fare increase application with the problem of service quality for consideration.
111. Mr John NG responded that the TD began to receive views on the fare increase application since February 2019 and had processed the views in accordance to established procedures. The TD would continue to keep in view the operation of Luen Wo Hui minibus routes upon the fare increase of the routes and urge the minibus operators to enhance their service when necessary.
112. Mr LAU Ki-fung enquired the TD whether it insisted on approving the relevant fare increase application. If yes, he held that the TD was not able to strike a balance between the views of residents and those of the minibus operators.
113. Mr John NG responded that the TD had already given full
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consideration to the views put forward by District Councillors during the consultation period, and had already adjusted the increase rate from $0.6 to $0.2 after careful consideration of the fare increase proposed by the minibus operators. He hoped that Members understood that the TD processed the fare increase application of minibuses according to established procedures. The TD would continue to monitor the operation of Luen Wo Hui Minibus routes and follow up on Members’ concerns upon the fare increase of the routes.
114. The Acting Chairman hoped that the TD would continue to follow up on the issue concerning the service quality of Luen Wo Hui minibus routes, with a view to ensuring the operators fulfil their performance pledge and provide quality minibus services for Luen Wo Hui residents.
115. Mr Tony TANG supplemented that he had received a considerable number of complaints about the services of Luen Wo Hui minibus routes. He opined that improvements should be made and he hoped that the TD could follow up on the relevant problems of the service.
Item 14 - Proposal: Request for Increasing the Frequency of Bus Route T277 and Re-routeing the Route (Paper No. 50/2019)
116. The Acting Chairman said that the Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited (“KMB”) had provided a written response with regard to Items 14 to 16.
117. Mr WONG Wang-to presented Paper No. 50/2019 and amended the proposal by suggesting Route T277 plying the existing routeing for its return trips but providing a stop at Lung Sum Avenue Sports Centre on Jockey Club Road.
118. Mr WONG Tze-kin responded as follows:
(a) The KMB had already arranged temporary additional trips for Route T277 since December 2018. It would continue to closely monitor the patronage of the afternoon departures and consider increasing the frequency if necessary;
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(b) If the forward trips of Route T277 would be operated via the vicinity of Lung Wan Street and Lung Sum Avenue, the journey time would be extended; and
(c) If the return trips of Route T277 would provide a stop at Lung Sum Avenue Sports Centre on Jockey Club Road, it would be difficult for buses to turn right into Lung Sum Avenue soon after they left the bus stop. The KMB would study with the TD about the enhancement of the bus stop at Lung Sum Avenue Sports Centre, with a view to facilitating the provision of a stop for Route T277 there.
119. Mr CHAN Wai-tat agreed that Route T277 was well patronised by North District residents. He pointed out that the afternoon departures were always full as the route operated via the industrial areas in Kowloon Bay and Kwun Tong. He opined that Route T277 should be split in the long run to serve southern and northern North District, so that the service could cover more areas in North District.
120. Mr YIU Ming had reservation about re-routeing Route T277. He opined that re-routeing would aggravate the situation where the patronage had reached full capacity. Besides, Route T277, of which the routeing was direct and could avoid congested road sections by operating via Wai Yip Street, would no longer be convenient upon re-routeing. He held that a supplementary route could be introduced to serve those areas if there was a demand for Route T277.
121. Mr LAU Ki-fung suggested introducing Route T277 to serve northern North District. He held that such act could comply with the requirement of “north-south” service for route planning while bringing benefits to the residents of Luen Wo Hui. He hoped that the KMB could consider the relevant proposal.
122. Mr PUN Hau-man said that the frequency of the route was insufficient to cope with the surge in the patronage of Route T277 upon commissioning of a number of commercial buildings in Kowloon Bay in recent years. The KMB did not deploy sufficient resources for the route even if the Bus Route Planning Programme of North District 2019-2020 (“BRPP”) proposed providing an additional trip in the morning and afternoon respectively. He held that the KMB should deploy resources to
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enhance the service of Route T277 before considering proposals such as re-routeing or splitting the route.
123. Mr WONG Wang-to hoped that the KMB could implement the proposal of enhancing the service of Route T277 put forward in the BRPP 2019-2020 as soon as possible and further strengthen the service in the morning and afternoon. He also hoped that the KMB could re-route Route T277 to facilitate residents of Tin Ping Estate.
124. Mr LIU Hing-hung agreed with the view of splitting Route T277 to serve southern and northern North District respectively, so that residents in both areas could be benefited. He hoped that the KMB could split the route as soon as possible.
125. Mr WONG Tze-kin responded that the KMB hoped to implement the proposals relating to Route 277 series as soon as possible, including increasing the frequency of Route T277 and introducing Route 277A. The KMB would monitor the changes in patronage of Route T277 and would study the feasibility of introducing Route T277 to serve Sheung Shui and Fanling North when formulating the BRPP.
126. The Acting Chairman proposed referring the item to the Working Group on Bus and Mini-bus Services in North District for follow-up.
Item 15 - Proposal: Request for Re-routeing Bus Route 270B (Paper No. 51/2019)
127. Mr WONG Wang-to presented Paper No. 51/2019. He hoped that the proposal would not be implemented at the expense of the quality of the existing service.
128. Mr WONG Tze-kin responded that re-routeing Route 270B would increase the journey time and affect the frequency as a result. The KMB would pay attention to the road condition of Sheung Shui, and would study the proposal in case buses were allowed to turn into Lung Sum Avenue once they departed from Sheung Shui Terminus.
129. Ms OR Sin-yi said that given that Tin Mei House and Tin Hee
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House of Ting Ping Estate as well as On Shing Court were distant from Sheung Shui Terminus, residents had to walk for around 15 minutes to go to Sheung Shui Terminus. She hoped that the KMB could offer interchange concessions for Route 270 to facilitate residents of Tin Ping Estate and Tsui Lai Garden.
130. Mr LAU Ki-fung did not agree with the proposal and urged the KMB and the TD to enhance the service of Route 270D as soon as possible or even upgrade the route to provide whole-day service.
131. Mr KWOK Long-fung said that many buses would travel to So Kwun Po Road via San Wan Road after departing from Sheung Shui Terminus. He opined that if the road design could be adjusted, buses could directly turn into Lung Sum Avenue after departing from Sheung Shui Terminus, thus making room for the bus company to adjust its routeing. He hoped that the TD could conduct a study on the adjustment to the road design as soon as possible.
132. Mr YIU Ming said that Route 270B was well patronised and the buses were full for both bounds upon provisioning of whole-day service. However, the frequency of the route was unable to meet the demand of passengers as it was operated every 15 and 30 minutes during rush and non-rush hours respectively. Thus, he had reservations about re-routeing Route 270B at this stage. He proposed introducing a supplementary route to serve areas not covered by Route 270B, with a view to conforming to the “north-south” principle of route planning. Nevertheless, no bus-bus interchange was provided along Fanling Highway northbound. He hoped that the relevant departments such as the TD, the HyD and the CEDD could provide a bus-bus interchange northbound.
133. Mr LIU Hing-hung opined that a number of bus routes in North District were circuitous, which was not ideal as the journey time of residents was extended. He hoped that the bus company could implement the “north-south” route planning as soon as possible.
134. Mr HUNG Wing-yip had reservations about re-routeing Route 270B. He opined that although residents preferred point-to-point services, such re-routeing would increase the journey time and refrain them from taking the route. Besides, given that traffic congestion always occurred in North District, the re-routeing of Route 270B might aggravate the problem of lost trips, thus affecting the accuracy of the information on
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bus frequency as shown in the KMB’s mobile application.
135. Mr PUN Hau-man had reservations about re-routeing Route 270B. He pointed out that the TD and the KMB had once mentioned that they would review, in the light of actual circumstances, whether the three special departures of the return trip of Route 270B could meet passenger demand. Given that a considerable number of passengers reflected that the special departures could not cope with the passenger demand, he hoped that the KMB could conduct studies on increasing the frequency of special departures of the return trip and enhancing the frequency of the route.
136. Noting that the buses of Route 270B were always full upon arrival at Wah Ming and Cheung Sha Wan Path in the forward trips and return trips respectively, Mr Warwick WAN opined that the KMB should focus its resources on solving the problem of insufficient frequency before considering re-routeing.
137. Mr WONG Tze-kin responded to Members’ views and suggestions as follows:
(a) The KMB had no plan to strengthen the interchange concessions of Route 270 at present;
(b) In view of the progressive growth in the population of Sheung Shui North and Fanling North, the KMB would increase the frequency of its routes such as Route 270D when necessary; and
(c) The KMB noticed that the patronage of Route 270B increased steadily upon the provision of whole-day service. The KMB would consider increasing the frequency after enhancing the service regularity of the route.
138. The Acting Chairman suggested that the discussion on the subject matter should come to an end and not be carried over to the next meeting.
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Item 16 - Proposal: Request for Provision of Express Trips of Bus Route 278X (Paper No. 52/2019)
139. Mr LAU Ki-fung presented Paper No. 52/2019.
140. Mr Desmund TANG responded that the KMB noted the proposal and would consider it when formulating the BRPP. Noting that the passenger demand for Route 278X was spread over the evening commuting hours, the KMB held that the service of the route could meet passenger demand.
141. Mr YIU Ming said that there was once a proposal which suggested introducing a route plying between North District and Tsuen Wan via Tai Lam Tunnel. He hoped that the KMB could actively consider the proposal. He opined that the route could facilitate passengers to travel to the Kwai Chung Container Terminals without operating via the bottleneck of the Sha Tin Section of Tai Po Road.
142. Mr Desmund TANG responded that the KMB noted the proposals of Mr LAU Ki-fung and Mr YIU Ming, and would consider such proposals when formulating the BRPP.
143. The Acting Chairman asked the KMB to consider Members’ views on, inter alia, the “north-south” route planning and the routeing of Route 277 series in Sheung Shui and Fanling when formulating the BRPP, with a view to facilitating North District residents.
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Item 17 - Matter Arising
(a) Report on the Findings of the 2018 Survey on Vehicular Flow at Thoroughfares and Transportation Hubs in North District (Paragraphs 26 – 35 of Minutes of the 20th Meeting)
144. Mr Kelvin KWONG responded as follows:
(a) The TD had already liaised with the CEDD and suggested that the CEDD could consider the proposal of providing a lane to turn into Fanling Highway at Tai Tau Leng Roundabout in parallel with the development projects of neighbouring areas. The CEDD responded positively to the suggestion. The TD would continue to maintain liaison with the CEDD and follow up on the relevant issue; and
(b) The TD opined that providing pick-up/drop-off points for coaches at the section of Lung Sum Avenue outside Landmark North would aggravate the traffic loading of the avenue and pose potential risks on road safety. Thus, the TD had reservations about the relevant proposal. Besides, with regard to the proposal of turning the footpath near the access of the car park of Landmark North into a lane, the TD was aware that the proposal would affect wheelchair users as they would use the lift located at the footbridge nearby. The TD would ask the property management agency of Landmark North to augment manpower to regulate the vehicles that were waiting to enter the car park. It would also study ways (such as using mobile applications) to disseminate real-time parking vacancy information, so that drivers would know in advance that the car park was full and not to turn into Lung Sum Avenue.
(Mr PUN Hau-man and Mr Tony TANG left the meeting at this junction.)
145. Mr Jocelyn TSANG reported as follows:
(a) The TD would ask, at an opportune time (such as submitting the traffic assessments of large scale development works), the relevant departments to study and consider in parallel the proposal of providing a service road connecting to Fanling Highway northbound at Wo Hop Shek Interchange;
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(b) With regard to the proposal of adjusting the traffic signals at the junction of Jockey Club Road/San Wan Road/Lok Yip Road, the TD had already extended the green time of the traffic signals on Jockey Club Road northbound in early April 2019; and
(c) The proposal of providing a lay-by at the bus stop outside Fanling Fire Station at Lung Yeuk Tau Section of Sha Tau Kok Road was constrained by the access of the fire station and the ambulance depot. Coupled with the fact that the site was occupied by a large traffic sign and a large tree, there was insufficient room to provide a lay-by at the relevant road section.
146. Mr LAM Chi-shing reported that the HyD would take corresponding actions and execute the proposed measures of the TD in accordance to established procedures.
147. Mr TSANG Hing-lung enquired the Secretary whether he had received the written response of the TD with regard to the survey report. He said that the recommendations as set out in the survey report were of great length and he hoped that the TD’s response could be distributed prior to the meeting for his perusal.
148. The Secretary responded that the Secretariat did not receive the written response of the TD.
149. Mr TSANG Hing-lung suggested the TD submitting a written response to the Committee so that Members could consider in detail whether the recommendations as set out in the survey report were feasible.
150. Mr LAU Ki-fung shared Mr TSANG Hing-lung’s views. He opined that Members could hardly study the TD’s response on-site and he suggested the TD submitting a written response after the meeting. Besides, he understood the concern raised by the property management agency of Landmark North that it could hardly manage the road outside the access of the car park.
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151. The Acting Chairman asked the TD to submit a written response to the Committee for Members’ perusal.
(Post-meeting note: The TD had already submitted a written response to the Committee on 20 June 2019. The relevant response was attached at Annex III.)
Item 18 - Financial Statement of Funds for Community Involvement Projects 2018-19 (Paper No. 53/2019)
152. The Secretary presented Paper No. 53/2019.
153. The Committee noted the financial statement.
Item 19 - Proposed Allocation of Funds for Community Involvement Projects 2019-20 (Paper No. 54/2019)
154. The Secretary presented Paper No. 54/2019.
155. The Committee approved the proposed allocation of funds.
Item 20 - Setting up of Working Group for Production of North District Traffic Guide (Paper No. 55/2019)
156. The Secretary presented Paper No. 55/2019.
157. Mr CHAN Wai-tat enquired why the paper proposed that the term of office of the Working Group would last until 31 December 2019 instead of 30 September 2019, given that the operation of District Council would be
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suspended from early October to late December 2019.
158. The Secretary responded that taking into account the experience of the previous-term working group, the Working Group was only required to convene one meeting to draw up the details of producing North District Traffic Guide.
159. Ms Maggie KWONG responded that the operation of the current term of District Council was anticipated to suspend in late September 2019, with a view to facilitating District Council election. Nevertheless, the current term of office of District Council would expire on 31 December 2019. Thus, the paper was correct in stating that the term of office would last until 31 December 2019.
160. The Committee approved the setting up of the Working Group for Production of North District Traffic Guide and the proposed terms of reference. The Acting Chairman asked the Secretariat to invite Members to join the Working Group in writing after the meeting.
(Post-meeting note: The Secretariat had already invited Members to join the Working Group in writing on 21 May 2019.)
Item 21 - Report of Working Group on Bus and Mini-bus Services in North District
161. The Acting Chairman reported that the Working Group held its 10th meeting on 30 April 2019. The Working Group discussed a number of proposals with the TD, the bus companies and the minibus companies, including those concerning Bus Routes NA43, 73B, 270, 270B, 274 and 678 as well as Route 277 series and 978 series. Moreover, the Working Group followed up on issues such as the minibus services in North District, the BRPP 2019-2020 of North District, the transport services of the North District Hospital, the Nethersole Hospital in Tai Po and the Prince of Wales Hospital in Sha Tin and the introduction of Route E43.
162. The Committee noted the aforesaid report.
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Item 22 - Any Other Business
(a) Commissioning Date of Heung Yuen Wai Highway
163. Noting that there was press coverage that Heung Yuen Wai Highway was envisaged to commission in late May 2019, Mr CHAN Wai-tat enquired about the actual commissioning date of the highway.
164. Ms Maggie KWONG responded that the CEDD had replied earlier that Heung Yuen Wai Highway would be commissioned no later than mid-2019. Currently, the CEDD, the TD and the HKPF were undertaking relevant preparation work. The relevant departments would notify the councillors if there were any updates.
(b) Motion on “Request for Writing to the Commissioner for Transport in the Name of the Committee to Protest Against the Department’s Failure to Comply with the Consultation Procedures when Processing the Fare Increase Application”
165. Mr LAU Ki-fung said that the Acting Chairman did not accept a motion proposed by him just now, in which he requested to write to the Commissioner for Transport in the name of the Committee to complain that the department approved the fare increase application of minibuses before the relevant proposal was tabled for discussion. He suggested the Committee to write to the Commissioner for Transport about the subject matter and urged the TD to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents.
166. The Acting Chairman said that Members had already discussed the issue just now and their views mainly focused on monitoring and enhancing minibus services. As deferring the fare increase application of the minibuses was not the mainstream views of the Committee, he rejected the discussion of the motion proposed by Mr LAU Ki-fung in this meeting. Members could submit proposals to the Committee if they would like to discuss the relevant issue in the forthcoming meeting.
167. Mr LAU Ki-fung said that to his understanding, Members did not
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oppose the proposal of deferring the fare increase application of the minibuses. He hoped that the Acting Chairman could consider writing to the Commissioner for Transport in the name of the Committee with regard to the relevant issue.
168. The Acting Chairman enquired Members about their views on writing to the TD in the name of the Committee.
169. Mr WONG Wang-to opined that Members could hardly request for deferment of the fare increase application of the minibuses in this meeting if the TD had already specified in the consultation papers that the fare increase of the minibus routes concerned would take effect in May 2019.
170. Dr Raymond HO opined that Members’ dissatisfaction with the fare increase application probably lain in the problem concerning the order of the procedures for processing the application.
171. Mr YIU Ming opined that the TD should have clearly explained the procedures for processing fare increase applications of minibuses, so that Members knew how to communicate with the department. He also opined that even if the TD specified the effective date of the fare increase of the minibus routes in the consultation papers, the schedule of fare increase might not tie in with the date of the meeting of the Committee.
172. Mr CHAN Wai-tat said that as the seconder of the relevant motion, he held that the Acting Chairman should allow Members to table the relevant motion for discussion and voting instead of disapproving it on grounds of not being the mainstream views of the Committee.
173. The Acting Chairman said that pursuant to the NDC Standing Orders, Members who wished to move a motion were required to give the Secretary notice ten clear working days before a meeting. He held that the Committee was not required to vote on the motion as the issue concerned was not controversial. Members could submit a proposal to the Committee if they wished for further discussion on the relevant issue in the next meeting. He urged the TD to make additions with regard to the procedures for processing the fare increase application of the minibuses.
174. Mr LAU Ki-fung said that when the TD informed him in late April 2019 that the fare increase of Luen Wo Hui minibus routes would take effect in May 2019, the relevant consultation papers did not specify the
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effective date of the fare increase.
175. Mr John NG responded that the TD processed the fare increase application of the minibuses in accordance to established procedures and had asked the NDO to collect views from members of the local community on the fare increase application of the Luen Wo Hui minibus routes in late January 2019. Members could have relayed their views to the TD during the consultation period. The TD had also received the views of Mr LAU Ki-fung during the consultation period, which were considered in parallel with other factors before coming to the final decision.
176. The Acting Chairman said that although the TD had been processing the fare increase application of minibuses in accordance to established procedures, he hoped that if time allowed, it should put forward the relevant application to the meeting of the Committee for discussion before coming to the final decision to avoid misunderstanding of Members.
(c) Commendation for the Traffic Regulatory Work of the HKPF
177. Dr Raymond HO commended the Sheung Shui Traffic Control Division of the HKPF for its work in improving the traffic condition of Pak Wo Road, Yu Tai Road and Kat Cheung Crescent.
178. Mr LIU Hing-hung said that Po Wan Road of Sheung Shui was always blocked by heavy vehicles and persons who were handling the deliveries in the past. He commended the Sheung Shui Traffic Control Division of the HKPF for properly responding to the requests by addressing the relevant problem immediately and conducting traffic regulatory work and prosecutions, which improved the condition of Po Wan Road as a result.
(d) Provision of a Stop in Fanling for Bus Routes of the Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point
179. Dr Raymond HO said that there were sources saying that a stop would be provided in Fanling for bus routes of the Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point. He hoped that the relevant departments could
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fully consult the public and put forward the relevant issue to the Committee for discussion before coming to a final decision.
180. The Acting Chairman asked the TD to take note of the subject matter.
(e) Problem of Noise Nuisance Caused by Modified Vehicles at Night
181. Mr LAU Ki-fung said that the representative of the HKPF said follow-up action would be carried out to address the problem of noise nuisance caused by modified vehicles at night in the last meeting. He said that the problem recurred recently and he enquired how the HKPF would address the problem.
182. Mr LEUNG Chi-tak responded that the HKPF had been handling relevant complaints. From January to late April 2019, the Sheung Shui Division of the HKPF issued defective vehicle reports to a total of 149 illegally modified vehicles, which were required to be sent to the TD for inspection.
Item 23 - Date of Next Meeting
183. The Acting Chairman announced that the next meeting would be held at 2:30 p.m. on 8 July 2019 (Monday) in the NDC Conference Room.
184. The meeting was adjourned at 5:40 p.m.
North District Council Secretariat June 2019
Annex 1
規劃中的加建隔音屏障路段 (共 20 段 )
路段 *
受影響
居民數目
最高交通
噪音水平
[分貝 (A)]
青山公路 (洪水橋段 ) 90 74
青山公路 (屏山段 ) 250 78
柴灣道 470 76
粉嶺公路 (近松柏塱 ) 300 79
海安路 2,950 79
東區走廊 (近杏花邨 ) 600 81
馬會道和新運路 (近粉嶺圍 ) 230 77
媽橫路 260 72
新清水灣道 4,470 80
寶琳北路 2,590 74
寶琳北路 (近康盛花園及景明苑 ) 610 76
寶寧路 4,200 76
寶石湖路 1,260 80
新田公路 1,330 83
沙田路 3,890 79
沙田路近王屋村 50 76
大埔道 (深水埗 ) 1,780 78
担杆山路 2,380 78
荃灣路 2,990 79
源禾路 920 77
* 以路段的英文名稱排序
(日期： 2019 年 6 月 )
Proposed Cantilever Noise Barrier
Existing Barrier
Proposed Semi Enclosure
Proposed Full Enclosure
Low Noise Surfacing
Road Network
Proposed Vertical Noise Barrier
註： 1. 此圖摘自已獲批准的環境影響評估報告(AEIAR-175/2013) 2. 原圖只有英文版本，中文描述後來加上 3. 為方便閱讀，圖例經簡化
Proposed Cantilever Noise Barrier
Proposed Semi Enclosure
Proposed Full Enclosure
Low Noise Surfacing
Road Network
Proposed Vertical Noise Barrier
Existing Barrier
註： 1. 此圖摘自已獲批准的環境影響評估報告(AEIAR-175/2013) 2. 原圖只有英文版本，中文描述後來加上 3. 為方便閱讀，圖例經簡化
運輸署就「匯報《北區交通幹道及樞紐汽車流量調查 2018》
結果」 (下稱報告 )的書面回應
交通改善建議 (報告 4.1.13 段 )
為分流掃管埔交匯處進出粉嶺公路的車輛，建議於和合石交匯處
增設支路接駁粉嶺公路北行。
運輸署回應
報告建議的和合石交匯處增設支路接駁粉嶺公路北行，本署會在
合適機會，例如大型發展工程所提交的交通評估，要求有關部門
一併研究和考慮。
交通改善建議 (報告 4.2.9 段 )
根據調查數據所得，寶石湖交匯處 (即大頭嶺迴旋處 )的路口容量尚
算足夠。長期改善建議該路口增加左轉線由粉錦公路左轉往粉嶺
公路元朗方向以減少進入迴旋處的車流。
運輸署回應
本署明白及備悉報告中對大頭嶺迴旋處的關注及建議。因此，本
署在 2019 年 3 月 11 日的北區區議會交通及運輸委員會會議後，
已即時與土木工程拓展署 (下稱土拓署 )聯絡，並建議土拓署將上述
在大頭嶺迴旋處增加左轉線的建議，與其鄰近的發展項目一併考
慮。土拓署同意上述的建議，並會將大頭嶺迴旋處增加左轉線的
建議納入項目中要研究興建的道路，本署會繼續和土拓署跟進有
關事宜。
Annex 3
交通改善建議 (報告 4.4.8 段 )
為改善馬會道北行交通情況，短期建議調節馬會道 /新運路 /樂業路
交通燈號。增加馬會道北行綠燈時間。
運輸署回應
本署已於本年四月初增加該路口馬會道北行綠燈時間。
交通改善建議 (報告 4.4.12 段 )
由於和合石交匯處不設前往粉嶺公路元朗方向的支路，現時由上
水及粉嶺前往粉嶺公路北行的車輛必須途經掃管埔交匯處及寶石
湖交匯處。為提供更多選擇供安樂村、塘坑及華明等地方出發的
車輛前往粉嶺公路北行，潛在走線接駁馬會道及粉嶺公路顯示於
圖 4-17。因應現場環境，走線提供上坡支路的最高斜度為 1:12.5，
而最低轉彎半徑則為 44 米。由於預期前往粉嶺公路元朗方向的
車輛主要前往古洞以西的地方，為避免離開粉嶺的車輛需要與前
往掃管埔交匯處及寶石湖交匯處的車輛匯合，建議新建支路接駁
粉嶺公路北行快線。為設置天橋接駁位，需要輕微遷移現時粉嶺
公路以騰空位置。由於和合石交匯處的空間有限，興建接駁粉嶺
公路南行及百和路南行的支路在技術上有一定難度。
運輸署回應
本署會在合適機會，例如大型發展工程所提交的交通評估，要求
有關部門一併研究和考慮。
交通改善建議 (報告 4.6.9 段 )
根據現場觀察，該路段 (即龍琛路 )的部份行車線經常被其他非通行
的車輛阻礙，例如被路旁上落客貨的車輛以及排隊進入上水廣場
停車場的車輛佔用，只剩下一條行車線供車輛通行。建議主要針
對這兩方面，長期改善交通問題，包括利用上水廣場對出行人路
的部分空間，提供額外行車線供排隊進入停車場的車輛及增設停
車灣供旅遊巴上落客，從而減少該等車輛對龍琛路的影響。部分
行人路上的街道設施，如欄杆、升降機控制設備等需要遷移及重
置。
運輸署回應
本署明白及備悉報告中對龍琛路近上水廣場的關注及建議。有關
增設停車灣供旅遊巴上落客的建議，本署認為該建議會進一步增
加龍琛路的交通負荷，同時亦會增加行人的過路安全隱患的風險，
因此本署未能支持上述建議。另外，有關利用上水廣場對出行人
路的部分空間，提供額外行車線供排隊進入停車場的車輛的建議，
本署認為更改現有行人路會影響現時市民使用該行人路段的情況，
而其中對輪椅使用者前往附近升降機 NF296 的影響最大，因此本
署未能支持上述建議。反之，要改善龍琛路近上水廣場一帶的交
通情況 (包括改善進入停車場的車龍 )，本署認為應該由上水廣場的
管理部門加強人手以控制前往停車場的車輛，以及可利用應用程
式提供實時泊車資訊，讓駕駛者及早知道上水廣場的情況，而不
會盲目在龍琛路逗留而引致擠塞。就此，本署會向上水廣場的管
理部門反映，有關上述的建議。
交通改善建議 (報告 4.7.15 段 )
位於粉嶺消防局巴士站的乘客主要來自祥華邨及消防宿舍，祥華
邨祥頌樓亦設有巴士站，短期建議取消部份巴士線於粉嶺消防局
的巴士站。中期建議在粉嶺消防局巴士站增建巴士停車灣，避免
因巴士上落客而影響道路容車量。
運輸署回應
顧問報告中期建議在粉嶺消防局巴士站增建巴士停車灣，經本署
研究，受消防局及救護站的出入口限制，而現場亦有大型方向指
示標誌和大樹，該處沒有足夠空間增建巴士停車灣。
運輸署
2019 年 6 月
