Kwai Fong vegetable shop under Bonnie Vegetables and Fruit Wholesale Limited convicted for causing noise annoyance
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An Environmental Protection Department (EPD) spokesman said that since early this year, the department received various complaints about the noise nuisance caused by a vegetable chain stall on Shing Fong Street in Kwai Fong. The shop persistently played promotional recordings loudly and repeatedly by using loudspeakers, which adversely affected nearby residents and shops. Upon investigations and on-site assessment, it was confirmed that the noise generated from the vegetable chain store caused annoyance and the department subsequently prosecuted the stall under the NCO.
Since September last year, seven vegetable stalls operated by Bonnie Vegetables and Fruit Wholesale Limited, which are located in Kwai Fong, Tsuen Wan, Yuen Long, Tai Po, Shau Kei Wan and Yau Ma Tei, have been convicted a total of 13 times for contravening the NCO by causing noise nuisance to nearby residents with their loudspeakers persistently playing promotional recordings. The company director has also been convicted and fined two times as a result of the above offences. After a series of enforcement actions by the EPD, the situation of the aforementioned stalls improved.
The EPD will continue to closely monitor the situation of vegetable chain stalls causing noise nuisance in various districts. The department will also conduct stringent enforcement actions to combat repeated contraventions by these stalls and consider prosecuting the responsible person of the operating company.
The spokesman reminded persons responsible for retail shops and market stalls that when they play promotional recordings to sell goods, they should contain the noise level within their shop area and should not cause annoyance to other people outside their shops or nearby residents. Otherwise, it constitutes an offence, and offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $10,000. For stores with repeated contraventions, the operator himself/herself will also be criminally liable for the offence once convicted.
Ends/Tuesday, December 11, 2018
Issued at HKT 12:45
Issued at HKT 12:45
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