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The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department mounted a joint operation with the Police at late night yesterday (February 19) to step up enforcement actions in the Tung Choi Street Hawker Permitted Place (HPP) in Mong Kok.

Actions were planned against the licensed hawkers operating beyond the designated trading hours and also the unlicensed hawkers infiltrating into the HPP after trading hours.

The licensed hawkers took the advice of the department and stopped their hawking business after the designated trading hours. Meanwhile, no illegal hawking activities were detected last night.

Chief Health Inspector of Mong Kok District Mr H.S. Samra said: "The Tung Choi Street HPP was set up in 1979 with 770 fixed pitch hawkers now operating. It has all along been a popular shopping area for both local residents and tourists."

"The licensed hawkers are allowed to operate within the trading hours from 12 noon to 11 pm and are required to remove their stall structures after closure of business everyday."

Mr Samra said: "To maintain order and improve the environmental conditions in the hawker area, we carry out regular joint blitz operations with the Police at late night to deter licensees from operating beyond the designated trading hours."

"However, complaints lodged by local residents have increased recently against extension of business after 11 pm, in particular noise nuisances created by the illegal hawking activities after midnight."

He said: "A recent survey conducted by staff of the department ascertained that 106 licensed hawkers, about 14 per cent of the total hawkers in the area, were still in operation after 11 pm."

"In addition, about 80 illegal hawkers, mostly selling dry-goods and a few selling pirated CDs, were found infiltrating into the area by using the vacated hawker sites after 11 pm."

Mr Samra said: "Therefore, enhanced hawker control measures are implemented to restore order and discipline as well as to improve the environment and management of the hawker area."

"A meeting was held with the Mutual Aid Committees of the Tung Choi Street HPP licensees on February 9 on the proposed enforcement actions and the proposal was supported by members of the committees. Meanwhile, warning notices were also given to all hawker licensees informing them of the enhanced enforcement actions," he noted.

Mr Samra said: "Licensed hawkers violating the licensing conditions of the Hawker Regulation will be prosecuted and will face a maximum fine of $5,000."

"Meanwhile, people committing the offence of unlicensed hawking and obstruction will be prosecuted under the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance. The maximum penalty is a fine of 5,000 plus one month's imprisonment on first conviction and a fine of $10,000 plus six months' imprisonment on subsequent convictions," he added.

End/Tuesday, February 20, 2001

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