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The Government proposes to amend the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance (Cap. 371) to ban smoking at the bus interchanges at eight tunnel portal areas, with an aim to minimise the impact of passive smoking on bus passengers and protect public health.
In accordance with the newly amended Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance (Amendment of Schedule 2) Order 2015, the following bus interchanges located at the tunnel portal areas of the following locations are designated as no smoking areas:
(1) Lion Rock Tunnel Bus Interchange
(2) Cross-Harbour Tunnel Bus Interchange
(3) Eastern Harbour Crossing Bus Interchange
(4) Shing Mun Tunnels Bus Interchange
(5) Tate's Cairn Tunnel Bus Interchange
(6) Western Harbour Crossing Bus Interchange
(7) Tai Lam Tunnel Bus Interchange
(8) Tsing Sha Highway Bus Interchange
A spokesman for the Food and Health Bureau said today (December 9), "In the past few years, the Tobacco Control Office (TCO) of the Department of Health has received suggestions for imposing a smoking ban at bus interchanges. Since passengers using these facilities are mainly for interchange to other bus routes, non-smokers waiting and queuing for change of bus there are unable to take any effective measures against second-hand smoking. To protect the health of individuals, we have decided to extend smoking ban to the above locations, having regard to the physical configuration of the public facilities, the pedestrian flow and enforcement issues."
To facilitate the implementation of the smoking ban at these bus interchanges, the TCO will arrange to display no-smoking signs, publicity material and demarcations including markings on the ground as appropriate to indicate clearly and visibly the boundaries of the no smoking area at each bus interchange and remind the public of the ban, having regard to their respective physical settings. The plans showing the boundaries of the no smoking areas will be posted at prominent locations such as main entrances and exits before the statutory smoking ban takes effect.
After the legislative amendments come into operation, the TCO will undertake enforcement actions at these locations through inspection and issue fixed penalty notice under the Fixed Penalty (Smoking Offences) Ordinance (Cap. 600) to those who contravene the statutory smoking ban.
The amendment order will be published in the Gazette on December 11 and tabled before the Legislative Council (LegCo) on December 16. Subject to vetting by the LegCo, the amendment regulations will come into operation on March 31 next year.
Ends/Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Issued at HKT 14:31
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