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Following is a question by the Hon Mrs Selina Chow and a reply by the Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works, Dr Sarah Liao, in the Legislative Council meeting today (May 2):
Question:
It has been reported that the Highways Department has installed some 40 street lights in Pak Tam Au Village on Pak Tam Road in Sai Kung earlier. However, the authorities have indicated that as some green groups and residents consider that the street lights may affect the ecological environment in the vicinity, so far only a few of those street lights have been put to use. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) whether it has assessed if the above incident involves mistakes in planning; if an assessment has been made, of the results;
(b) whether, in the past three years, it had held off the use of street lights after installation upon the request of organisations in the community; if it had, of the number of street lights involved; and
(c) of the expenditure in the past three years relating to those street lights which have not yet been put to use after installation?
Reply:
Madam President,
(a) New street lighting programmes can be generally grouped under two categories, viz. programmes to tie in with the opening of new roads and programmes to improve street lighting to cater for needs. The Highways Department (HyD) assesses the requirements for new programmes each year and incorporates proposed lighting works into its annual Public Lighting Programme for approval by the Vetting Committee on Public Lighting comprising the HyD, the Home Affairs Department and the Police.
Pak Tam Road is inside Sai Kung Country Park. Street lighting is provided at the south and north ends for a total road length of about 2.65 km. Only the middle section, which is about 2.90 km long, is not provided with street lighting.
Between 2001 and 2002, the HyD received requests from the local community (including Sai Kung North Rural Committee and village representatives) for street lights installation at selected locations at the middle section of Pak Tam Road to enhance traffic and personal safety. After assessing their requests, the HyD concluded that overall road safety would only be marginally improved if street lights were installed at selected locations only. It therefore proposed installing street lights for the entire middle section. The proposal was approved by the Vetting Committee on Public Lighting in 2005.
Since the installation involved works inside the country park, the HyD submitted an application to the Country and Marine Parks Authority in June 2005 and was subsequently given approval in July 2005. Works were carried out until January 2006 when objection from some residents within the Sai Kung Country Park led to the shelving of the remaining works.
The decision to implement lighting works at the middle section of Pak Tam Road was meant to enhance the safety of road users. The proposal was planned and implemented according to the established mechanism and there were no planning errors. The HyD is actively identifying viable options and holding discussions with Sai Kung North Rural Committee, which supports the lighting works, and the objecting residents, with a view to resolving the issue as soon as possible.
(b) In the past three years, in addition to the 37 street lights on Pak Tam Road the HyD held off from use upon public requests, 5 street lights in Yuen Long were not put into service immediately upon installation due to objection from villagers. Nevertheless, they are now in use after active discussions with the local community by the HyD.
(c) At present, a total of 107 installed street lights are yet to be in use, incurring a cost of some $860,000. Apart from the 37 street lights on Pak Tam Road, the remaining 70 will be put into service upon completion of the respective road works.
Ends/Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Issued at HKT 14:48
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