LCQ12: The footbridge at the junction of Che Kung Miu Road and Mei Tin Road
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Question:
Some residents of Tai Wai have complained that there have been a number of issues concerning the management and facilities of the covered footbridge at the junction of Che Kung Miu Road and Mei Tin Road (commonly known as the octopus bridge) in recent years, and the ongoing demolition works (i.e. the permanent closure and demolition works of part of the bridge and other related facilities on the northern side of the bridge, which were gazetted on November 11, 2011) have also affected their daily lives seriously. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) as quite a number of residents in the district have relayed that since the octopus bridge's entrance/exit in close proximity to the MTR Tai Wai Station is closed due to the aforesaid demolition works, they have to make a detour to a newly-built shopping centre nearby to travel to and from the Tai Wai Station and some elderly persons have even slipped and fallen as the floor is too slippery, while the escalators and lifts opened by the shopping centre are unable to handle the tremendous pedestrian flow, whether the Government will consider amending the land lease conditions involving the demolition works to retain the relevant part of the bridge and facilities, so that members of the public can have more choices of routes, thereby diverting the pedestrian flow; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; of the process for amending relevant land lease conditions by the Government and whether there were any precedents;
(2) as quite a number of residents in the district have pointed out that a number of works are still underway in the aforesaid shopping centre, the odour of "thinner" and noises arising therefrom have seriously affected their health, and they have opined that the developer concerned has closed and demolished the relevant part of the octopus bridge at a too early stage, and the deadline for the completion of the aforesaid demolition works set by the Government is too early, of the justifications for setting the deadline concerned and whether the Government will consider postponing the demolition works for at least one year until the shopping centre is fully open, as well as reopening the part of the bridge which has been closed; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; whether the Government will discuss with the landlords of the shopping centre about opening more passages (e.g. opening the escape staircases of the shopping centre) and other short-term improvement options, such that residents do not have to make a detour to travel to and from the Tai Wai Station;
(3) given that some residents in the district have pointed out that graffiti have been painted on and damages have been made to the octopus bridge constantly in recent years, of the number of removals of graffiti on the bridge carried out by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and the number of cases in which prosecutions have been instituted against relevant graffiti painters over the past six months, and whether the Government will step up law enforcement efforts or adopt other measures to improve and address the relevant issues; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(4) as quite a number of residents in the district have complained that there are various issues concerning the octopus bridge (including insufficient slip resistance on the surface of the staircases, drainage system problems, damages in gutter covers (especially those located on steep roads and under the staircases) and the excessive gaps between gutter covers that often trip pedestrians over, as well as the shortage of rubbish bins, etc), whether the Government will review and rectify the aforesaid issues; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(5) whether it will consider liaising with franchised bus companies to add more signages on the octopus bridge so that residents can have a clearer picture on the locations of nearby bus stops; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply
President,
In consultation with relevant bureaux and departments, our reply to the Hon Dominic Lee's question is as follows:
(1) & (2) The land lease conditions of the property development project above MTR Tai Wai Station were drawn up in accordance with established procedures and in consultation with relevant departments. Executed in 2015, the land lease contains provisions requiring the grantee to modify the footbridge at the junction of Che Kung Miu Road and Mei Tin Road in accordance with the scheme as approved by the Government (i.e. proposed road works gazetted and authorised under the statutory procedures in 2010) within the stipulated timeframe (subsequently extended to September 30, 2023), with a view to facilitating its connection to the buildings in the land lot.
According to the results of pedestrian flow survey submitted by the traffic consultant of the developer of the new shopping mall and the recent observation made by the Transport Department (TD), the escalators and lifts concerned have the capacity to cope with the pedestrian flow. Upon the commissioning of the shopping mall's exits to MTR Tai Wai Station and the public transport interchange, it will help divert the existing pedestrian flow travelling along the concerned escalators and lifts.
(3) The Highways Department (HyD) is responsible for the maintenance of the footbridge concerned. As regards the graffiti issue of the footbridge, HyD conducted a total of 15 graffiti cleaning operations between August 2022 and January 2023, and has informed the Police of unauthorised graffiti for follow-up actions. The Police have been stepping up patrols at graffiti black spots to prevent related illegal acts. Upon receipt of such reports, the Police will send officers to the scene to investigate and follow up. Depending on the circumstances, the Police may initiate prosecution under section 4(19) (nuisances committed in public places) and section 8(b) (other offences against good order) of the Summary Offences Ordinance (Cap. 228), and refer the case to relevant government departments for graffiti removal.
(4) HyD regularly inspects the footbridge concerned, and will carry out necessary repair works in a timely manner in case damages of footbridge facilities (including gully gratings) are found. HyD has also arranged its contractors to perform regular cleansing of the bridge deck to remove stains that may lead to slippery floor, and conduct cleansing of the drainage system of the footbridge regularly to avoid blockage. HyD's staff has been recently deployed to inspect the site, and confirmed that the existing bridge deck and drainage system are in normal condition. The condition of the relevant gully gratings is generally satisfactory with no displacement issue found.
In respect of the placement of litter container, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) has currently placed a total of seven litter containers at different entrances and exits of the concerned footbridge. Upon review, FEHD will place an additional litter container at a suitable location on the footbridge for public use. FEHD will continue to closely monitor the use of the litter containers thereat and take follow-up actions as necessary.
(5) TD has invited the bus companies to explore the feasibility of providing additional signages at the footbridge. If such addition is confirmed to be feasible, TD will examine whether the proposals of the bus companies could facilitate the public to access the bus stops near to the footbridge without obstructing pedestrian sightline and flow.
Ends/Wednesday, February 15, 2023
Issued at HKT 12:05
Issued at HKT 12:05
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