The registered owners of two light goods vehicles, which were involved in three illegal waste disposal cases on Tai Yip Street in Kowloon Bay and Po Lun Street in Mei Foo with about 10.5 cubic metres of waste being disposed of, were convicted and fined a total of $9,000 by Kwun Tong Magistrates' Courts today (December 4) for contravening the Public Cleansing and Prevention of Nuisances Regulation.
      
     A spokesman for the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) said that Kowloon Bay is a densely populated commercial and industrial area, and some members of the logistics industry illegally disposed of construction waste and commercial and industrial (C&I) waste at night when traffic and pedestrian flows were low. To step up efforts to combat illegal waste disposal, a round-the-clock surveillance camera system was installed at Tai Yip Street to facilitate evidence collection and prosecution. The surveillance camera captured that a light goods vehicle abandoned several boxes of waste on the roadside twice in May this year, and the EPD subsequently issued two summonses to the registered owner of the vehicle involved.
      
     Separately, the EPD received a report from a member of the public in May this year about the illegal disposal of construction waste at Po Lun Street in Mei Foo from a light goods vehicle. The EPD traced the registered owner of the vehicle according to the photos and vehicle information provided by the member of the public, and subsequently prosecuted the registered owner of the vehicle in accordance with the law.
      
     The EPD spokesperson reminded those from the recycling, renovation and construction sectors that C&I waste and demolished construction waste should be delivered to the Government's waste treatment facilities as required by the law. It is unlawful to dispose of waste in public places and on the roadside. According to the Public Cleansing and Prevention of Nuisances Regulation, it is an offense to dispose of waste on the streets or in public places from vehicles, including goods vehicles, private cars and motorcycles. Otherwise, it constitutes an offence and the registered owner may be prosecuted. First-time offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $25,000 and imprisonment for six months upon conviction. If the offence continues, an additional fine of $300 will be imposed daily.

Ends/Tuesday, December 4, 2018
Issued at HKT 15:43

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