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The Assistant Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene, Mr Fan Yung-kai, met with the Chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong, Kowloon New Territories Hawker Associations, Ms Cheng So-ngor, and representatives of the federation's member hawker associations at a meeting today (December 20) to listen to the views of hawkers on improving the management of hawker stalls and the proposed introduction of a mechanism for cancellation of hawker licences.
After the meeting, Mr Fan reiterated that the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) would focus on cracking down against the following four irregularities to reduce fire risks posed by hawker stalls:
(1) stall canopies made with or covered by inflammable materials;
(2) overnight storage of commodities outside the approved pitch area;
(3) obstruction of emergency access; and
(4) sub-letting of fixed-pitch stalls.
Mr Fan said that the FEHD would continue to carry out stringent enforcement action in Fa Yuen Street. Stall hawkers found with irregularities are liable to immediate prosecution.
As for fixed-pitch hawker areas in other areas, the department has repeatedly requested stall hawkers to remove inflammable materials from stall canopies immediately and to stop the practice of storing commodities outside the enclosed fire-resisting stall structures at the approved pitch area after the close of business over the past three weeks. Prosecutions have been taken only against hawkers who repeatedly ignored the department's advice and warnings.
"However, in some hawker areas in Mong Kok, Sham Shui Po and Wan Chai, the situation of stall canopies covered with inflammable materials and overnight storage of commodities outside the approved pitch area is still serious. To improve the situation, the FEHD will continue to step up enforcement action in those hawker areas in the short term to crack down on the four types of irregularities," he said.
On hawkers' demands for more time to rectify the stall structures or canopies which have failed to comply with the requirements, or to remove the metal structures and containers or carts placed outside the stalls after the close of business, Mr Fan said the FEHD would give hawkers a reasonable period of time to rectify the situation.
Other commodities including wooden carts, wooden frames, goods, miscellaneous items and equipment covered with canvas, plastic sheets or wire mesh must be removed, he added.
In response to some hawker associations demanding the postponing of enforcement actions to after the Spring Lantern Festival, Mr Fan stressed that the FEHD had the responsibility to enforce the legislation and licence conditions, properly manage hawker stalls and eliminate fire risks.
Ends/Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Issued at HKT 19:49
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