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Following is a question by the Hon LEE Cheuk-yan and a reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Ms Eva Cheng, at the Legislative Council meeting today (November 14):
Question:
I have received complaints from members of the public that motorcycle parking spaces in many districts are insufficient. In reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council in this regard on June 15, 2005, the former Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works advised that approximately 6000 additional parking spaces for motorcycles were projected to be provided at roadside, government car parks, short-term tenancy car parks and new developments in the next three years. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the latest demand and supply situation of day-time and night-time motorcycle parking spaces in each local administrative district, and the districts in which motorcycle parking spaces are seriously in short supply;
(b) of the respective numbers of motorcycle parking spaces added and cancelled in each local administrative district over the past two years; and
(c) whether it plans to provide additional motorcycle parking spaces in the next 12 months; if so, of the number of such parking spaces, together with a breakdown by their respective locations?
Reply:
Madam President,
As at April this year, there were about 35,800 licensed motorcycles. The Transport Department (TD) assesses demand and supply of motorcycle parking spaces in the territory on a continuous basis and has been paying great effort in providing more designated motorcycle parking spaces.
My reply to the three parts of the main question is as follows:
(a) For day-time parking spaces, TD has estimated that the demand is 10,400. The supply of designated parking spaces is 10,500. The overall supply is therefore adequate. As for night-time demand and supply of motorcycle parking spaces, the demand is basically similar to the number of licensed motorcycles, which is about 35,800, and the supply of designated parking spaces is 24,100. In other words, designated parking spaces is adequate to meet over 70% of the night-time parking demand. The above supply figures do not include other non-designated parking areas, such as private garages and open areas close to their home or working places.
Regarding the demand and supply of motorcycle parking spaces in each district, for day-time parking, among the 18 districts, seven experience shortage in parking provision. They include Wan Chai, Eastern, Yau Tsim Mong, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon City, Sai Kung and North Lantau & Outlying Islands. As for night-time parking provision, shortage is experienced in every district, and is more obvious in Tuen Mun, Yuen Long, North District, Sha Tin and Kwai Tsing. Nevertheless, we notice that some motorcycle parking spaces remain vacant in the car parks in these areas. We will continue to closely monitor the parking provision in these areas and work to our best to meet the demand.
(b) The number of motorcycle parking spaces has increased by 2,100 over the past two years. The detailed breakdown of the increase on a district basis is at the Annex.
We have been paying great effort in implementing measures to increase the provision of motorcycle parking spaces in new developments and new short-term tenancy (STT) car parks, as well as roadside and Government multi-storey car parks. However, the progress has not matched the estimation made in 2005 because of the following reasons :
(i) the completion dates of some new developments are different from those planned during the forecast, and hence the motorcycle parking spaces could not be provided as planned;
(ii) we have to consult the local community for designating roadside motorcycle parking spaces. Contrary to expectations, the proposals at some locations were not supported by the local community; and
(iii) there are vacant motorcycle parking spaces in some car parks. Because of commercial and utilization considerations, car park operators have not been as active as expected in providing even more motorcycle parking spaces.
(c) We will continue to pay great effort in providing more motorcycle parking spaces to meet the demand. TD will continue to:
(i) designate more roadside motorcycle parking spaces without affecting traffic flow and road safety;
(ii) convert some of the private car parking spaces in Government multi-storey car parks into motorcycle parking spaces according to market demand;
(iii) require new developments to provide adequate motorcycle parking spaces according to the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines; and
(iv) subject to demand and supply situation in individual districts, require operators of STT car parks to provide more motorcycle parking spaces when granting the tenancy, jointly with the Lands Department.
We expect that 1,000 additional motorcycle parking spaces will be provided at roadside, Government car parks, STT car parks and new developments in the next 12 months. Most of these parking spaces will be provided in the New Territories where there is shortage of night-time parking provision. The exact timing for the provision of parking spaces at new developments and STT car parks will, however, depend on the dates of completion of these developments and the opening of the STT car parks. We will also need to consult the local community before implementing plans for providing roadside parking spaces for motorcycles. Among the presently planned additional parking spaces, about 200 each will be located in Tuen Mun and Yuen Long; 100 each at North District, Sha Tin and Kwai Tsing; and the other 300 will be distributed in other districts.
Ends/Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Issued at HKT 16:01
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