Following is a question by the Hon Dennis Leung and a reply by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, in the Legislative Council today (July 15):

Question:

     It is learnt that the cleaning of carriageways and maintenance of drainage channels, etc are currently the responsibility of departments such as the Highways Department, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and the Drainage Services Department, as well as outsourced contractors. There are views pointing out that the relevant departments or contractors have failed to timely adjust their carriageway cleaning and maintenance strategies in response to seasonal adverse weather conditions, such as the typhoon season, rainy season and deciduous season; furthermore, co-ordination between departments leaves room for improvement. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the resources (including the manpower involved and cleaning frequency) allocated by the authorities each year over the past five years for the cleaning of carriageways, and the respective numbers of complaints received regarding the accumulation of litter, fallen leaves and gravel on carriageways;

(2) of the number of outsourced contractors currently involved in the cleaning of carriageways, and the respective numbers and proportions of roads for which the relevant departments and the outsourced contractors are responsible; how the division of responsibilities between the departments and outsourced contractors is co-ordinated; and

(3) of the measures taken by the authorities to monitor carriageways and prevent litter such as fallen leaves and gravel from blocking the drainage channels of the carriageways, so as to ensure that such litter is cleared in a timely manner and to reduce the risk of flooding caused by blocked drainage channels?

Reply:

President,

     The Government attaches great importance to the cleansing, maintenance, and flood prevention of carriageways. Various departments have been adopting the strategy of "active prevention, swift response, speedy recovery, and technology empowerment", sparing every effort to prevent the blockage of drains on carriageways and mitigate flooding risks. With the continuous expansion of Hong Kong's road network, to perform maintenance work well, we must make good use of technology to enhance efficiency, with a view to strengthening inspections, monitoring, and early warning. This will enable us to take preventive measures as far as possible and make every effort to ensure safe and smooth road traffic.

     In consultation with relevant departments, my reply to the Hon Dennis Leung's question is as follows:

(1) and (2) There has always been a clear division of labour and close co-operation among Government departments on the cleansing and maintenance of carriageways. In general, the Highways Department (HyD) is responsible for the daily cleansing of high speed roads, as well as clearing gullies and connection pipes; the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) is responsible for cleansing general carriageways as well as clearing the associated roadside drains and gullies; and the Drainage Services Department (DSD) is responsible for the maintenance of branch and main drains. At the same time, various tree management departments regularly inspect and prune trees and other vegetation under their purview to reduce the risk of fallen leaves blocking drains.

     To strengthen inter-departmental co-operation, the HyD has established regular high-level inter-departmental co-ordination mechanisms, chaired by Deputy Director-level officers, with the FEHD and the DSD respectively, to make comprehensive deployments for responding to the rainy season and extreme weather, ensuring that all departments perform their respective duties, interface smoothly, and take prompt actions.

     For high speed roads, approximately 280 kilometres territory-wide, the HyD engages road maintenance contractors under two maintenance contracts, providing a total of 23 road sweeper fleets and litter-picking teams responsible for the routine maintenance and cleansing of high speed roads in Hong Kong. Routine cleansing of the high speed roads is conducted once a day.

     For general carriageways, approximately 1 990km territory-wide, the FEHD currently engages five contractors providing a total of 27 mechanical sweepers for the cleansing of carriageways. The cleansing frequency of road sections depends on actual conditions, ranging from once to seven times (i.e. once a day) per week.

     Both the HyD and the FEHD have stipulated strict monitoring mechanisms in place to oversee the service performance of contractors through measures such as inspections, reviewing work records, and surprise checks. If the service requirements are not met, the HyD and the FEHD will take appropriate follow-up actions in accordance with the contracts and established mechanisms, including issuing verbal or written warnings, as well as issuing default notices and deducting contract payments.

     Over the past five years (i.e. from 2021 to 2025), the HyD received a total of approximately 762 complaints or public reports regarding the need to clear waste, fallen leaves, sand, or gravel within high speed road boundaries. 

(3) Government departments have always upheld the team spirit of "seamless co-operation and constant readiness" to ensure the safety of carriageways.

     In terms of "active prevention", the FEHD, based on the list of flood-prone locations provided by the DSD and the HyD, increases the frequency of sweeping carriageways, and clearing road gullies, from once every two to four weeks to at least once a week. Prior to the typhoon season each year, the HyD arranges its contractors to inspect in advance the drainage facilities of higher-risk roads and structures, as well as the pumping facilities in road tunnels under its purview. In response to climate change, the HyD has not only installed additional road gullies at flood-prone locations, but also updated the "Guidance Notes on Road Pavement Drainage Design" in 2023 to optimise the design of road gullies of carriageways. For instance, the spacing between road gullies has been reduced in locations more susceptible to flooding risks, thereby accommodating higher rainfall and increasing road drainage capacity. Various tree management departments also conduct risk assessments and inspections of trees in high-risk areas with high pedestrian and vehicular traffic, and prune or remove trees early. In addition, if the HyD discovers during routine inspections that any vegetation that may obstruct the view of road users, the HyD will arrange for its contractors to prune it as soon as possible, regardless of whether the vegetation falls under the HyD’s maintenance purview.

     In terms of "swift response", the DSD maintains close communication with the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) to implement "just-in-time clearance arrangement". The DSD has identified around 240 locations across the territory which are prone to flooding due to blockages, about 160 of which are located alongside streets and highways. When the HKO forecasts that heavy rain is imminent, the DSD pre-deploys emergency response teams to the relevant locations for inspection and clearance to ensure the proper operation of the relevant system.

     When the HKO issues an Amber or a Red Rainstorm Warning Signal, the HyD immediately mobilises approximately 40 teams of drainage gangs, comprising about 120 personnel, to inspect and clear road gullies and connection pipes at around 300 flood-prone locations. Up to 200 emergency response teams of the DSD are also on standby to handle flooding cases territory-wide as quickly as possible. Furthermore, the Emergency Control Centres (ECCs) established respectively by the two departments operate continuously during adverse weather, notifying each other of requests for assistance and playing a critical role in high-level co-ordination, comprehensive emergency response, and safeguarding public safety. Regardless of the location or nature of the incident, and irrespective of whether the road section is normally under the responsibility of other departments, both departments proactively deploy personnel at the earliest opportunity to jointly handle the situation, aiming to restore traffic to normal as quickly as possible.

     In terms of "technology empowerment", the HyD has implemented early warning and flood prevention measures on several major roads with higher risks of flooding. Once the water level exceeds the pre-set limit, the system immediately sends alerts, allowing staff to swiftly deploy manpower to handle the situation on site. At the same time, the DSD has developed the Artificial Intelligence Flood Monitoring System and adopted Flood Monitoring Devices to assist in the rapid handling of flooding incidents. If severe flooding occurs on carriageways, powerful pumping robots will also be deployed to expedite clearance. 

     The ECCs of various departments achieve highly efficient co-ordination through interconnected information platforms. The HyD also maintains close contact with the Security Bureau, the HKO, the Hong Kong Police Force, the Fire Services Department, the Transport Department, the DSD, and the Civil Engineering and Development Department, transmitting real-time information to provide support.

     Thank you, President.

Ends/Wednesday, July 15, 2026
Issued at HKT 17:40

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