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The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) announced today (March 12) that, with effect from April 3, the booking quota of fee-charging facilities at peak hours for individual users will be restricted to two hours per day for the same type of facility at all venues.
Starting from March 25, individual hirers will be subject to the new quota arrangement when booking popular leisure and sports facilities for use on or after April 3.
The measure is being introduced in response to the recommendations made by the Ombudsman on improving the arrangement for booking of leisure and sports facilities with a view to preventing hirers from gaining benefits by making numerous peak-time bookings on the same day at different venues, a spokesman for the LCSD said.
At present, the quota for individual users' booking of fee-charging facilities is two hours per day during peak times, and four hours per day during non-peak times for the same type of facility at the same venue. Following the tightening of the booking quota, the daily booking quota of two hours will be applicable to the same type of facility at all leisure and sports venues.
For example, an individual user can now make two-hour bookings for using the tennis courts at Victoria Park and Shek Kip Mei Park during peak hours on the same day. Under the new quota arrangement, if an individual has already booked a two-hour session at a Victoria Park tennis court during peak times, he or she will not be able to book another peak-hour session for a tennis court on the same day through the Leisure Link System.
Facilities affected by the revised quota system are the more popular facilities including badminton courts, basketball courts, volleyball courts, tennis courts, table tennis tables and activity rooms. Facilities that have spare capacity at peak hours will not be affected, and these include golf driving ranges, archery facilities, squash courts, sport climbing wall and rope course facilities at Tuen Mun Recreation and Sports Centre, and holiday camps.
As the facility provision during off-peak times is able to meet the public demand in general, the daily quota for bookings during off-peak times will remain unchanged.
The spokesman said that similar to the current arrangement, reallocated sessions would be counted towards the individual's quota.
Facilities that are not booked in advance will be available for walk-in use on a first-come, first-served basis and are not subject to the new quota restriction, the spokesman added.
In 2012, the Ombudsman made 22 recommendations in its Direct Investigation Report on the booking and use of leisure and sports facilities under the management of the LCSD. Eleven enhancement measures have been implemented following consultations with District Councils, sports organisations and stakeholders. Apart from the tightening of the peak-time booking quota for individual users, the LCSD will implement further enhancement measures within 2014. The measures include the introduction of a penalty system on those who fail to use the booked sessions, abuse the concessionary arrangements or transfer permits for use of the booked facilities without authorisation. An individual's advanced booking right for leisure and sports facilities would be suspended for a period ranging from 90 days to 180 days. The details will be announced at an appropriate juncture.
For details of the revised quota restriction for individual users, please visit the LCSD's website (www.lcsd.gov.hk) or call LCSD venues for enquiries.
Ends/Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Issued at HKT 17:00
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