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The Housing Department has cautioned Public Rental Housing (PRH) tenants against burning wax during the Mid-autumn Festival because such a misdeed may cause their households to be allotted penalty points and a fine of $1,500.
"Problems of wax-burning and littering caused by thoughtless people celebrating the Mid-autumn Festival were kept under control last year as a result of our publicity and education effort to bring home the message. However, we will not be lax with our measures to curb wax-burning because it is a hazardous act which may cause fire and severe burns," a department spokesman said.
"We call for parents' co-operation to keep their children from burning wax or littering the common areas of housing estates because even minors cannot get around the Marking Scheme for Estate Management Enforcement in Public Housing Estates. Five points will be allotted to the household when a child is caught committing the misdeeds. Tenancy will be terminated if 16 points or more are allotted within two years," he said.
Minors found burning wax will be given verbal warning by patrolling staff. Their parents will be contacted if they ignore the warning. The household will then be subject to a penalty points allotment.
Last year during the Mid-Autumn Festival, on top of the 500 verbal warnings given, two households were allotted penalty points for littering in PRH estates and two Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN) of $1,500 were issued. In 2007, more than 700 verbal warnings were given, four households were allotted penalty points and five FPNs were issued.
The three days from Friday (October 2 to 4), Regional Patrol Teams and Mobile Operation Unit comprising about 400 members will be commissioned to patrol housing estates. Their operation will be carried out well beyond midnight.
Additional workers will also be deployed to clean the housing estate public areas in the early morning following the Mid-Autumn Festival.
To increase tenants' awareness against wax-burning, the messages have been publicised through an array of channels such as estate newsletters, posters and the Housing Channel.
PRH tenants' support is called for by reporting misdeeds to the estate offices or Housing Authority Hotline 2712 2712.
Ends/Sunday, September 27, 2009
Issued at HKT 12:00
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