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Following is a question by the Hon Choy So-yuk and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Ms Eva Cheng, at the Legislative Council meeting today (April 23):
Question:
Many times on Sunday, I found that different types of activities were carried out in the Chater Road Pedestrian Precinct. As a result, the precinct was very congested. Pedestrians not only have no room for activities, but even find it very difficult to pass through the Precinct, and they found it very inconvenient. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the number and nature of complaints received by the authorities relating to the above situation in the past three years;
(b) given that according to the information on the web site of the Transport Department, two of the objectives for implementing pedestrian schemes, including setting up pedestrian precincts, are to improve pedestrian safety and mobility as well as to improve the overall pedestrian environment, whether the Government has assessed if the situation of the above pedestrian precinct contradicts these two objectives; if such an assessment has been made, of the outcome; and
(c) whether it will review the current utilization of the above pedestrian precinct and introduce improvement, so as to achieve the objectives mentioned in (b); if it will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
Madam President,
My reply to the three parts of the question is as follows:
(a) In the past three years, we received one complaint about obstruction to pedestrian flow by the activities carried out in the Chater Road Pedestrian Precinct on Sundays. The complaint was received in January this year.
(b)&(c) The setting up of pedestrian precincts can separate vehicular and pedestrian traffic, thereby improving the overall pedestrian environment as well as pedestrian safety and mobility. The Transport Department considers that the overall pedestrian environment, road safety, as well as pedestrian mobility and vehicular circulation have been improved at the pedestrian precincts, including Chater Road Pedestrian Precinct on Sundays. The objectives of pedestrianisation have been met. If any activities carried out in pedestrian precincts cause obstruction, relevant authorities will take appropriate enforcement action. We will closely monitor the use of pedestrian precincts to ensure that the objectives are met.
Ends/Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Issued at HKT 15:03
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