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Following is a question by the Hon Andrew Cheng and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Ms Eva Cheng, in the Legislative Council today (December 9):
Question:
It has been learnt that as the only government-designated driving school on Hong Kong Island, which is near the Ap Lei Chau industrial area, is small in size, there is an acute shortage of space for learner drivers to practise driving on roads. In addition, a temporary barging point will be set up near the driving school to tie in with the commencement work of the South Island Line project, and it is expected that learner drivers and staff of the school will be seriously affected during the construction period. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) whether it has looked into the difficulties faced by the driving school, including the unpredictable threats brought by the seaside environment (for example, strong winds with a speed of over 100 kilometres per hour swept Aberdeen in 2006 and the storm surge caused by a typhoon in 2008), the acute shortage of space for driving practices on roads, as well as the lack of necessary facilities for road driving training (for example, traffic lights, roundabouts, lane changing practice area, merging and diverging lanes, etc.);
(b) whether it will assist in relocating the driving school to other sites; if it will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that ; and
(c) of the factors and criteria considered by the Government when identifying the site for the driving school on Hong Kong Island?
Reply:
President,
The Administration has all along adopted a two-pronged approach for driver training. On the one hand, off-street driver training is promoted through the establishment of designated driving schools. On the other hand, the Administration maintains adequate supply of private driving instructors for on-street driver training.
The driving school situated at Wong Chuk Hang was relocated to the existing site at Ap Lei Chau to cater for the development of the Ocean Park in 2007. Taking into account the conditions necessary for the operation of a driving school, including the need to provide lectures, indoor simulated training, off-street driver training within the driving school, and a suitable setting for driver training on public roads, we found the current site of the Ap Lei Chau Driving School was the only site on Hong Kong Island suitable for use as a driving school.
The South Island Line (East) (SIL(E)) is a designated project under the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (Cap.499) and is thus required to go through an environment impact assessment. We had written to the Hong Kong School of Motoring to explain the impacts of SIL(E) on the Ap Lei Chau Driving School in September this year. The Highways Department and the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL) had also met with the operator of the Ap Lei Chau Driving School in mid-November to clarify the details and impacts of the project further. It was made known at the meeting that the peak hours of the Ap Lei Chau Driving School were from dusk to night-time whereas the works of SIL(E) would end at 7pm everyday. The Highways Department and the MTRCL will try to arrange works in collaboration with the Ap Lei Chau Driving School.
Our replies to the specific questions are as follows:
(1) The current Ap Lei Chau Driving School has a size of about 14,400 square meters, which is comparable to that of the then Wong Chuk Hang Driving School. In addition to lecture rooms and indoor simulated training, there are adequate traffic facilities to conduct driver training within the school, which include ramps, parking spaces, zebra crossings, traffic lights and roundabouts, etc. The training route outside the school can be used for driver training on public roads. The setting and facilities of the Ap Lei Chau Driving School are in compliance with the code of practice issued by the Transport Department under section 88N of the Road Traffic Ordinance (Cap.374).
The Ap Lei Chau Driving School is edged on the seafront, and the seawall on the south of the School conforms to current design and safety standards. The stormy waves encountered in September 2008 were exceptional. At that time, typhoon Hagupit caused the sea level of the region concerned to rise to a record high since typhoon Wanda hit Hong Kong in September 1962. The Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) had investigated the impact of the typhoon on the Ap Lei Chau Driving School afterwards and concluded that no damage had been caused to the seawall concerned as a result of the typhoon, and the operation of the Ap Lei Chau Driving School under normal circumstances would not be affected. CEDD will continue to monitor the condition of the seawall along the Ap Lei Chau Driving School and carry out regular inspections and repair works as necessary.
(2) We are concerned about the operating environment of the Ap Lei Chau Driving School and have been actively liaising with the Lands Department (LandsD) on the feasibility of relocating the Ap Lei Chau Driving School to other sites on Hong Kong Island. According to the information provided by LandsD, there is no site on Hong Kong Island which is of a size comparable to that of the Ap Lei Chau Driving School and is suitable for use as a driving school. We would continue to follow up on the matter with the Planning Department, LandsD and relevant departments.
(3) In general, in considering whether a site is suitable for use as a driving school, the Administration would, apart from the size of the site concerned, take into account the various requirements set out in the code of practice issued by the Transport Department under section 88N of the Road Traffic Ordinance (Cap.374) that govern the facilities within and outside the driving school (details as mentioned in the second paragraph of the preamble). This is to ensure that the site concerned is suitable for off-street driver training in support of our policy to adopt the "two-pronged" approach for driver training.
Ends/Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Issued at HKT 14:43
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