Minutes of the 4th Meeting in 2018 of the Traffic and Transport Committee

of Tai Po District Council Date: 13 July 2018 (Friday) Time: 2:30 p.m. – 7:20 p.m. Venue: Conference Room, Tai Po District Council (“TPDC”) Present Time of Arrival Time of Withdrawal

Chairman

Dr. LAU Chee-sing Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting

Vice-chairman Mr. WOO Kin-man, Clement Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Members Mr. AU Chun-wah Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr. CHAN Cho-leung, MH 2:59 p.m. 5:17 p.m. Mr. CHAN Siu-kuen, MH, JP Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr. CHOW Yuen-wai Beginning of the meeting 6:25 p.m. Mr. KWAN Wing-yip Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr. LAU Yung-wai 2:50 p.m. 6:50 p.m. Mr. LI Kwok-ying, BBS, MH, JP Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr. LI Wah-kwong, Rex Beginning of the meeting 6:52 p.m. Mr. LI Yiu-ban, BBS, MH, JP Beginning of the meeting 5:43 p.m. Mr. LO Hiu-fung Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr. TAM Wing-fun, Eric, MH 2:34 p.m. 7:03 p.m. Mr. TANG Ming-tai, Patrick Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Ms. WONG Pik-kiu, BBS, MH, JP Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr. YAM Kai-bong, Francis Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr. YAM Man-chuen Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr. YU Chi-wing, Ken Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Co-opted Members

Mr. AU Chun-ho Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr. CHAN Tsz-wah 5:51 p.m. End of the meeting Ms. CHAN Wai-ka, Olive 2:50 p.m. 6:50 p.m. Mr. CHEUNG Kwok-wah Beginning of the meeting 4:35 p.m.

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Mr. CHEUNG Kwok-wai 2:32 p.m. End of the meeting Mr. LAU Chung-hon Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr. MAN Nim-chi Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr. MUI Siu-fung 2:32 p.m. 5:45 p.m. Mr. WAN Hing-choy Beginning of the meeting 6:04 p.m. Mr. WU Cheuk-him Beginning of the meeting 6:22 p.m. Secretary Mr. LEUNG Chung-wa, Alvin Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Executive Officer (District Council) 1 / Tai Po District Office (“TPDO”) / Home Affairs Department (“HAD”) In Attendance Ms. LEE Kai-ying, Iris Assistant District Officer (Tai Po) / TPDO / HAD Ms. MAK Pui-yan Engineer / 19 (North) / North Development Office / Civil Engineering and

Development Department (“CEDD”) Mr. WONG Kwok-leung Senior Engineer 4 / Transport Planning / Transport Department (“TD”) Ms. MA Flora Senior Transport Officer / Tai Po / TD Ms. PUN Fun-yu, Winnie Engineer / Tai Po 1 / TD Mr. CHEUNG Wai-fung Engineer / Tai Po 2 / TD Mr. LAM Tack-ho, Alex Engineer / Tai Po 3 / TD Mr. NG Man-to Electronic Engineer / New Territories / Traffic Control Division / TD Mr. HUI Ka-kit District Engineer / Tai Po / Highways Department (“HyD”) Mr. CHAN Chun-wai Project Coordinator / Works Division / HyD Ms. KAN Yim-fun Project Coordinator / Hong Kong 1-3 / HyD Mr. YEUNG Chiu-tim, Louis Assistant Housing Manager / Tai Po District Tenancy Management Office /

Housing Department (“HD”) Mr. FU Kin-chiu Station Sergeant (Acting) / District Traffic Team / Tai Po Police District /

Hong Kong Police Force (“HKPF”) Mr. LEUNG Man-tik Assistant Public Relations Manager / External Affairs / MTR Corporation

Limited (“MTRC") Mr. LAM Tsz-ho Deputy Director / Communications and Public Affairs Department /

Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited (“KMB”) Mr. WONG Tsz-kin Assistant Manager (Operations) / Shatin Depot / KMB Mr. LEE Shut-hang, Imgmar Senior Officer (Planning and Development) / KMB Ms. CHU Ka-pui Senior Engineer / AECOM Asia Company Limited (“AECOM”) Mr. LEE Yu-sau, Terence Senior Executive Officer (District Council) / TPDO / HAD Ms. WONG Yu-hang, Anita Senior Liaison Officer (2) / TPDO / HAD

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Absent Mr. TSANG Hon-man Opening Remarks

The Chairman welcomed Members and departmental representatives to the meeting and congratulated Mr. CHEUNG Hok-ming on being awarded the Grand Bauhinia Medal by the Chief Executive, Ms. XIAO Qi-mei the Medal of Honour, as well as Mr. WAN Koon-kau, Ms. CHEUNG Lai-chu and Mr. CHAN Pui-tim the Chief Executive’s Commendation for Community Service. 2. The Chairman announced the following:

(i) He welcomed Mr. LAM Tack-ho, Alex, Engineer of the TD to attend the meetings

from now on.

(ii) Mr. TSUI Yik-fuk was unable to attend this meeting due to other commitments. Mr. FU Kin-chiu attended the meeting on his behalf.

I. Confirmation of the minutes of the 3rd meeting in 2018 of the TTC on 11 May 2018 (TPDC Paper No. TT 41/2018) 3. The Chairman said that as the Secretariat did not receive any proposed amendments, and there were no amendments proposed by Members at the meeting, the above minutes were confirmed with no amendments necessary.

II. Follow-up on the proposals to improve road traffic safety on Tai Po Road 4. The Chairman welcomed Mr. LAM Tsz-ho, Deputy Director of the Communications and Public Affairs Department of KMB to the meeting for the discussion of this agenda item. 5. Ms. PUN Fun-yu, Winnie indicated that the TD had issued works orders to the HyD as regards several road improvement works for Tai Po Road earlier on. She asked the HyD to report on the progress.

6. Mr. HUI Ka-kit reported that the HyD was following up on 5 works orders issued by the TD, the details of which had been set out in TPDC Paper No. TT 47/2018 which was related to Agenda Item VIII. The works progress was briefed as follows:

(i) The traffic signs and road markings improvement works on Tai Po Road near Yin Tse Lane and Dragon Fountain were completed in July 2018.

(ii) The reconstruction works at Tai Po-bound Tai Po Mei Bus Stop were expected to be completed in July 2018.

(iii) The improvement works at Sha Tin-bound Tai Po Mei Bus Stop were expected to be completed in August 2018.

(iv) The improvement works at the junction of Hung Lam Drive and Tai Po Road were expected to be commenced in September 2018 and completed by the end of 2018.

7. Mr. CHAN Siu-kuen noticed that the TD and the HyD had been following up on the reconstruction works at Tai Po-bound Tai Po Mei Bus Stop, and the works were expected to be completed between late July and early August 2018. He asked the departments to reopen the bus stop as soon as possible once the reconstruction works had been completed, so as to facilitate the alighting and boarding of passengers of buses and minibuses at that location. Besides, he noticed that the surface of the road section between Dragon Fountain and Deerhill Bay had worn out, and asked the TD and the HyD to inspect the site and carry out resurfacing works where necessary. 8. Mr. YAM Kai-bong, Francis indicated that he was driving along Tai Po Road a few days ago and noticed that the department concerned had put up a speed limit sign of 50 kilometres per hour (“km/h”) in front of the location of the accident (i.e., Tai Po-bound Tai Po Mei Bus Stop). However, no speed limit sign of this kind had been put up along the road section from that location to Care Village. He opined that drivers that frequently travelled on Tai Po Road might be used to driving at the speed of 70 km/h. Therefore, he suggested the TD or the HyD retrofit relevant reminders (regardless of whether they were traffic signs or road markings) so as to remind drivers of the speed limit concerned and reduce the likelihood of accidents. 9. Ms. WONG Pik-kiu said that the speed limit for Tai Po Road used to be 70 km/h. As such, she asked the department concerned to put up traffic signs at appropriate locations (such as the bends between the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the bus stop involved in the accident, and the slope of the Tai Po-bound bus stop involved in the accident), to remind drivers of the change in the speed limit to 50 km/h for certain road sections and alert them to the speed enforcement cameras (“SECs”) in the area. Besides, she enquired whether the HKPF would set up mobile speed enforcement equipment on all road sections with the speed limit of 50 km/h. 10. Mr. CHEUNG Wai-fung responded as follows:

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(i) In general, when the speed limit for the road ahead changed (such as entering a 50 km/h zone from a 70 km/h zone), traffic signs and road markings would be provided at the location where the new speed limit applied so as to alert the drivers.

(ii) Unless otherwise indicated by signs, the speed limit for all roads was 50 km/h. Therefore, no signs would be put up for road sections with the speed limit of 50 km/h in general.

(iii) As the speed limit of Tai Po Road had just been lowered from 70 km/h to 50 km/h, the TD had put up numerous signs to further remind the drivers. However, considering that setting up too many signs might distract the drivers, the department opined that the speed limit signs put up on Tai Po Road at present were of the appropriate amount. Nevertheless, the department would continue to pay attention to the traffic condition concerned.

11. Mr. FU Kin-chiu said that as the HKPF would set up mobile speed enforcement equipment at different locations on an irregular basis, no fixed timetable was available. (Post-meeting note: The TD indicated that Tai Po-bound Tai Po Mei Bus Stop was re-opened on

31 July 2018. Besides, in response to the request of the locals, KMB had retrofitted lightings at the bus stop concerned.)

III. Proposed addition of bicycle parking facilities in Tai Po New Town (TPDC Paper No. TT 42/2018) 12. The Chairman welcomed Mr. WONG Kwok-leung, Senior Engineer of the TD and Mr. CHAN Chun-wai, Project Coordinator of the HyD to the meeting for the discussion of this agenda item. 13. Mr. WONG Kwok-leung introduced the paper and, by way of PowerPoint, all the proposed bicycle parking facilities in Tai Po District. 14. Mr. KWAN Wing-yip indicated that the departments concerned did not clear the bicycle parking spaces on a regular basis. As he was worried that the departments would increase the bicycle parking spaces but not clear them frequently, he had reservation about the proposals. He added that the number of shared bicycles had been on a continuous rise since last year. As such, providing additional bicycle parking spaces would not only fail to benefit the residents of the district, but was also contrary to the original intention. He hoped that the TD could provide more information to allow Members to consider whether to support the addition of bicycle parking spaces or not.

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15. Mr. WONG Kwok-leung said that the TD planned to introduce the handling and arrangement measures of shared bicycles to Members of the Working Group on Road Safety Campaign and Cycling Network Development under the Traffic and Transport Committee (“TTC”) at its meeting in mid-August 2018. In addition, the TD would, where necessary, request the departments concerned to arrange for the clearing of bicycle parking facilities according to the existing mechanism.

16. Regarding the clearing of bicycles, Mr. YU Chi-wing, Ken suggested the departments concerned lock up the bicycle parking spaces on a regular basis to facilitate the clearing work, so as to avoid creating “bicycle graveyards” and prevent the parking spaces from being used as the storage of other items. He also asked the departments to inspect these bicycle parking facilities more frequently, remind members of the public that they were not allowed to park their bicycles there for over 24 hours, or even consider putting forward measures such as prohibiting commercial bicycles from parking at the public parking spaces, etc. 17. Mr. AU Chun-wah opined that the management of bicycle parking spaces in future was an important consideration, which his decision of whether to support the addition of parking spaces or not would be based on. He enquired whether the TD had calculated the number of immobile bicycles (generally referred to bicycles that had been parked for a long period of time) at these six locations, and whether the addition of parking spaces would lead to an increase in the number of immobile bicycles. He indicated that the addition of bicycle parking spaces was intended to facilitate the bicycle users. However, failure to manage them properly might give rise to “bicycle graveyards” indirectly. As the TD did not clear the bicycles on a regular basis, it was hard to convince him at this stage that problems such as the emergence of “bicycle graveyards” and occupation of parking spaces by shared bicycles or trolleys, etc., would not take place after the addition of parking spaces. He opined that the Government should consider amending the policies or regulations to enhance the authority of the TD on managing the bicycle parking spaces before considering the addition of bicycle parking spaces. It would not be appropriate to provide more bicycle parking spaces if the department could not manage them effectively. 18. The Chairman said that in this agenda item, the TD mainly consulted Members as regards the addition of bicycle parking facilities at six locations in Tai Po District. Therefore, he suggested the TTC discuss whether to support the addition of bicycle parking spaces at these six locations one by one. As regards other operation arrangement, he suggested forwarding them to the Working Group for further discussion. (1) Proposed bicycle parking spaces (No. TP-P001) 19. Mr. LO Hiu-fung said that as many bicycles (including shared bicycles) had been parked on the road section between the proposed location and Wong Shiu Chi Secondary School, he

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supported the addition of bicycle parking spaces at the afore-mentioned location. However, he was concerned whether the department would arrange for corresponding bicycle clearing work on a regular basis after the addition of bicycle parking spaces. 20. Ms. WONG Pik-kiu said that some of the residents in Kwong Fuk Estate and Tai Po Market would travel to Tai Po Market MTR Station by bicycle. She had no comments on the department’s proposal to provide additional bicycle parking racks at that location. As there were many bicycles parked in the vicinity of the proposed bicycle parking spaces, she opined that apart from providing additional parking spaces, the department should also pay attention to the problem of prolonged bicycle parking and set up a system to clear the bicycles on a regular basis. She asked the department to allow more time for the TTC to consider whether to support the proposal concerned, and suggested the department invite Members to carry out an on-site inspection at the location of the proposed bicycle parking spaces, so as to facilitate the study on the details of the bicycle parking rack installation, and allow Members to learn about different types of bicycle parking racks, etc. 21. The TTC agreed to carry out an on-site inspection before deciding whether to support the addition of bicycle parking spaces at the proposed location. (2) Proposed bicycle parking spaces (No. TP-P002) 22. The Chairman said that there was already a row of bicycle parking racks next to the wall at that location. If additional parking racks were to be provided at the other side of the pedestrian walkway, the pedestrian walkway between the two rows of bicycle parking racks would be narrowed and bicycle users might collide with the pedestrians when retrieving their bicycles. 23. Mr. Ken YU opined that while the addition of bicycle parking spaces at that location could make it more convenient for the residents, the pedestrian walkway would indeed be narrowed. He hoped that the TD could improve the design of the parking spaces to prevent the bicycles from obstructing the pedestrian walkway. 24. Mr. WONG Kwok-leung said that after the addition of parking spaces, the pedestrian walkway would be approximately 1.5 metres (“m”) wide. With reference to Members’ comments, he opined that the department could change the additional parking spaces from the traditional design to an angled design, so as to reduce the area of pedestrian walkway they would take up. As regards the amount of space that could be freed up after changes in the design, he could provide supplementary information after the meeting. 25. Mr. LO Hiu-fung opined that it was necessary to provide additional bicycle parking spaces at that location. He had an open mind as regards whether it was necessary to carry out on-site

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inspection beforehand. He indicated that the MTRC had also provided bicycle parking spaces near the proposed parking spaces. However, if the bicycles occupying the parking spaces were not cleared on a regular basis, it would not make any difference no matter how many parking spaces were added. Therefore, he was concerned about what corresponding action would be taken by the department as regards the clearing of bicycles.

26. The Chairman expressed his belief that the government departments concerned had been taking actions to clear the bicycles. If the action was inadequate, request could be made to the departments to strengthen the work in this regard. 27. Mr. TANG Ming-tai, Patrick said that the addition of bicycle parking spaces and their management in future belonged to different scopes of work, and suggested dealing with them separately. He suggested focusing the discussion at this meeting on whether to support the addition of parking spaces, while the operation arrangement would be discussed at other relevant meetings. 28. The TTC supported the addition of bicycle parking spaces at the proposed location. (3) Proposed bicycle parking spaces (No. TP-P010) 29. Mr. MUI Siu-fung’s comments and questions were as follows:

(i) The location concerned was in the proximity of the terminus of KMB route 73X at Tai Po Centre. As it was not spacious and there was a lamppost at the side, it might not be suitable for setting up 48 “1-up-1-down” parking racks there. Also, as many passengers would wait for the buses there when it was raining, he had reservation about the TD’s proposal and suggested carrying out an on-site inspection first.

(ii) He opined that the TD’s proposal of providing 14 “1-up-1-down” parking racks on On Po Road near the pedestrian crossing was appropriate.

(iii) Would the department consider providing bicycle parking spaces in the proximity of bicycle tracks only?

30. Mr. WU Cheuk-him said that apart from route 73X, passengers of some of the morning special frequencies would also wait for the buses at the afore-mentioned bus terminus. As the pedestrian walkway nearby was already very crowded, he had reservation about the TD’s proposal to provide additional bicycle parking spaces at that location. 31. Summing up the above comments, Mr. WONG Kwok-leung opined that Members mainly

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had reservation about the provision of additional bicycle parking spaces under the footbridge (i.e., next to the terminus of route 73X). As regards the location on On Po Road near the pedestrian crossing, the TD noticed that members of the public needed to park their bicycles there. As such, he suggested the TTC consider approving the provision of 14 “1-up-1-down” parking racks at that location first. 32. Mr. AU Chun-wah reiterated that as the District Council (“DC”) Member of the constituency concerned, he would not support the provision of any additional bicycle parking facilities within his constituency (Tai Po Central) until the TD had rolled out new policies to manage bicycle parking spaces effectively. 33. The TTC opposed to the addition of bicycle parking spaces at the proposed locations (including the location near the terminus of route 73X and that on On Po Road near the pedestrian crossing). (4) Proposed bicycle parking spaces (No. TP-P013) 34. Mr. Ken YU indicated that members of the public had locked their bicycles onto the railings near the proposed location. Therefore, he opined that the addition of bicycle parking spaces there would help relieve the residents’ demand for bicycle parking. 35. The TTC supported the addition of bicycle parking spaces at that location. (5) Proposed bicycle parking spaces (No. TP-P017) 36. Mr. TAM Wing-fun, Eric said that even though the pedestrian walkway at that location was relatively spacious, as there were no eateries in the vicinity, and the neighbouring residential estates had provided bicycle parking facilities, there were not that many illegally parked bicycles at present. He was worried that the additional parking spaces would be taken up by immobile bicycles instead. However, if the TD’s assessment found that it was necessary to provide additional bicycle parking spaces there, he would have no objection either. He did not want to see the presence of immobile bicycles after the addition of parking spaces, and hoped that the department would strengthen the management in future. 37. Mr. AU Chun-wah indicated that many residents travelled past that location on their way to the New Year Fair at Tai Po Tin Hau Temple Fung Shui Square on Chinese New Year’s Eve. As the location was the main junction with a bicycle track on its side, and considering factors such as the width of the road and the amount of pedestrians, etc., he was worried that the addition of parking spaces would have an adverse impact.

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38. Mr. LAU Yung-wai opined that while the demand for bicycle parking spaces in Tai Po District was great, not all locations were suitable for the provision of additional parking spaces (such as the location outside Tai Po Swimming Pool where the usage rate of its bicycle parking spaces was low). He indicated that the neighbouring residential estates had provided bicycle packing facilities and the proposed location for additional parking spaces had no illegal bicycle parking problem. As such, he did not understand the reason for the department to provide additional bicycle parking spaces there. He opined that such a move would only increase the number of immobile bicycles or turn the parking spaces into the parking spots for shared bicycles. Therefore, he opposed to the suggestion concerned. 39. Mr. Eric TAM stressed that he had never suggested the TD provide additional bicycle parking spaces at that location. However, if the TD’s assessment found that it was necessary to provide additional parking spaces there, he would not oppose to the proposal concerned either. 40. Mr. WOO Kin-man, Clement, the Vice-chairman, said that as Members had different views, he suggested carrying out an on-site inspection before making a decision. 41. The TTC agreed to carry out an on-site inspection before deciding whether to support the setting up of bicycle parking spaces at the proposed location. (6) Proposed bicycle parking spaces (No. TP-P018) 42. Mr. Ken YU said that as he had asked for the addition of bicycle parking spaces there on numerous occasions, he welcomed the department’s proposal. 43. The TTC supported the addition of bicycle parking spaces there. 44. Mr. LAU Yung-wai said that apart from the six locations mentioned above, the TD had earlier proposed the addition of parking spaces at two locations in Tai Po Old Market (including in the vicinity of Serenity Park and Greenery Plaza). However, the proposals had been rejected by him and the stakeholders. His suggestions to the department were as follows:

(i) Turned the traditional parking racks inside the bicycle subway at Serenity Park into “1-up-1-down” parking racks to increase the number of parking spaces available.

(ii) He opined that it was not suitable to provide additional bicycle parking racks on the pedestrian walkway opposite Greenery Plaza that was far away from the bicycle track. He suggested the department consider providing bicycle parking facilities

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that could accommodate a great number of bicycles at the vacant site near entrance to the estate off Hang Wo House.

45. Mr. WONG Kwok-leung responded as follows:

(i) The TD had reservation about turning the traditional parking racks inside the bicycle subway at Serenity Park into “1-up-1-down” parking racks, but would examine the situation concerned during the third phase of improvement works to study whether there was room for improvement.

(ii) As greening area was included in the site outside Hang Wo House, the department would note the relevant comments and further consider them when launching the third phase of improvement works.

46. As regards the TD’s response, Mr. LAU Yung-wai asked the department to invite Members to inspect the situation concerned at the site before carrying out the third phase of improvement works. 47. Mr. Ken YU said that the TTC had approved the addition of bicycle parking spaces at locations nos. TP-P002, TP-P013 and TP-P018. He enquired whether the department had to wait until a decision had been made for the other proposals before commencing the works. 48. Mr. WONG Kwok-leung indicated that the relevant design plans were ready, while the local consultation also showed that members of the public and stakeholders had positive attitude towards the afore-mentioned addition of bicycle parking spaces. Therefore, the TD would also like to increase the parking spaces as soon as possible. At this stage, however, it could not be confirmed whether the works could be commenced only after a decision had been made for the remaining proposals. 49. Mr. Ken YU hoped that the department would deal with the approved proposals first so as not to slow down the progress. 50. Mr. WONG Kwok-leung noted Mr. Ken YU’s comments. (Post-meeting note: The afore-mentioned inspection had been scheduled for 3 September 2018.)

IV. Replacement of area traffic control system for Tai Po and North District (TPDC Paper No. TT 43/2018) 51. The Chairman welcomed Mr. NG Man-to, Electronic Engineer of the TD and Ms. CHU

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Ka-pui, Senior Engineer of AECOM to the meeting for the discussion of this agenda item. 52. Mr. NG Man-to introduced the captioned paper. 53. The Chairman enquired whether the TD had the relevant plans showing the locations of the traffic signals to be replaced, whether the works would involve all signalised junctions in Tai Po District, and whether the replacement of traffic signal controllers would be carried out at the traffic control centre (“TCC”). As the works would affect the public, such as the temporary shutdown of the relevant traffic signals for two to four hours during the course of replacement, he invited the department to explain the situation at the TTC and stressed that he did not want to see any accidents or chaos during the process. 54. Mr. NG Man-to indicated that during the process of replacing the traffic control system, there would be works being carried out simultaneously at Wan Chai TCC and Kowloon TCC under the TD, and the works that would affect the public were mainly the road surface works at the relevant junctions. He asked the consultancy to explain the road surface works arrangement to Members. 55. Ms. CHU Ka-pui reported as follows:

(i) The scope of works involved the junctions in North District and Tai Po District, and the works in Tai Po District were expected to be carried out between July and October 2018.

(ii) The works involved all signalised junctions in Tai Po District. The department would carry out the replacement work in phases, and the works at some of the junctions had begun.

(iii) The department would arrange for replacement works at the junctions with simpler traffic signals (such as the junctions with pedestrian signals only) first. During the works, temporary traffic measures would be adopted and road signs put up to remind drivers and members of the public to be aware of the relevant arrangement.

56. The Chairman enquired the TD what temporary measures would be adopted in place of the operation of traffic signals during the works. 57. Ms. CHU Ka-pui responded as follows:

(i) The works would be scheduled for off-peak hours (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.), during which temporary traffic signals would be set up at the junctions in place of the original traffic signals, and the traffic controllers of only one junction would be replaced each time.

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(ii) The works for each junction were expected to take two to four hours, depending on the complexity of the junction.

(iii) All temporary traffic measures could only be implemented after being approved by the TD, and the consultancy would also notify the HKPF of the arrangement concerned in advance.

(iv) On the day of the works, workers would put up road signs at the site. The replacement works would be carried out only after the HKPF had confirmed that the actual road condition permitted.

58. Mr. LAU Yung-wai indicated that the term “traffic control system” was rather generic. As the department had not provided any photographic information, it was difficult for Members to understand the actual situation comprehensively, and even he was not sure whether it was the traffic signals, pedestrian lights or just the control system of the pedestrian lights with press-button function that the department was going to improve. Furthermore, he learnt that the TD was studying the introduction of a new version of pedestrian lights (equipped with count-down function to notify the pedestrians of how long the pedestrian lights would remain green). He enquired whether the department would replace the old one of pedestrian lights with this new version through the works. 59. Mr. Francis YAM’s comments and questions were as follows:

(i) The department had not provided sufficient information that Members could not understand the content of the works in detail.

(ii) As the traffic of some of the main junctions in the district (such as the cross junction of Kwong Fuk Road and Po Heung Street) was busy, even a four-hour closure at night could seriously affect the traffic and bus services, not to mention carrying out the works at daytime. As these junctions were rather complicated, he was concerned whether the setting up of temporary traffic lights was enough to handle the situation then.

(iii) In general, road resurfacing works (especially those at busy road sections) were carried out in the early hours. He enquired whether the department would consider making the same arrangement. If yes, what would be the workflow concerned in general? If no, he opined that the TTC should consider whether it should agree with the department on carrying out the works at daytime.

60. Mr. MAN Nim-chi agreed with other Members’ comments. He opined that the textual information provided by the department was insufficient for Members to understand the content of the works. Also, as the works were expected to commence two weeks after the meeting, it was difficult for Members to explain the works status to the residents. He opined that the department

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should set out the background information, relevant statistics and locations of works of the agenda item in detail when consulting the TTC so as to facilitate the discussion. 61. The Chairman enquired whether the department had approved the works and whether it had been confirmed that the works would be carried out from July 2018 to March 2019. 62. Mr. NG Man-to said that the works concerned would be carried out in North District and Tai Po District at the same time, and 56 of the junctions concerned were located in Tai Po District. He expected that the replacement works in Tai Po District would be completed in October 2018. 63. The Chairman reiterated that the department had initially planned to consult the TTC by circulation of paper. However, as the traffic signals at each junction would be shut down for hours during the works, he had asked the department to attend the meeting to explain the situation. Although the department would provide temporary traffic signals and ask the HKPF to help direct the traffic on site, he would like to know specifically whether the department was merely notifying the TTC of the works issues, and the works would go ahead regardless of the TTC’s comments. 64. Mr. NG Man-to said that the existing traffic signal controllers had been in use for years, and the department had often received reports of traffic signal failure. Therefore, the department had arranged for the replacement of the existing traffic control system, so as to reduce the fault rate and minimise the impact on members of the public. Besides, the department had the relevant plans of each junction and had exchanged views with the Traffic Division of the HKPF for proper arrangement. However, as the situation of each junction varied, the plans had not been attached to the discussion paper. 65. Ms. CHU Ka-pui said that the HKPF had agreed to deploy manpower to help direct the traffic at the complicated junctions (such as the cross junction of Kwong Fuk Road and Po Heung Street, the cross junction near Tai Po Old Market Public School, some of the junctions of Tai Po Tai Wo Road and Nam Wan Road, etc.), so as to minimise the impact on members of the public. She indicated that no temporary traffic measures or traffic signals would be provided for junctions with the HKPF directing the traffic. 66. Mr. Clement WOO, the Vice-chairman, enquired whether some of the lanes had to be closed during the road surface works. He also enquired whether replacing the traffic control system could only improve the fault rate or make the system more advanced. He indicated that traffic lights malfunctioned from time to time especially during inclement weather, when the traffic signals would go off or out of order for a few seconds. As such, he opined that it was necessary to replace the system as soon as possible.

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67. Mr. MUI Siu-fung said that On Cheung Road, On Chee Road and Tai Po Tai Wo Road were the main routes for buses after departing from Tai Po Centre Bus Terminus. As there were lots of pedestrian walkways in the vicinity, he asked the TD and the HKPF to work with each other in deploying more manpower to the scene for directing the traffic wherever possible. Besides, he indicated that drivers might need time to get used to the temporary traffic arrangement. Therefore, he suggested the department put up large posters or notices at suitable locations in advance to remind drivers of the time and relevant arrangement of the works, so as to ensure that the works would be carried out smoothly. 68. Mr. LO Hiu-fung enquired whether the department was notifying, instead of consulting, the TTC, and whether the works had been confirmed to go ahead as scheduled. 69. Mr. NG Man-to responded that after reviewing the fault record, the department opined that there was an urgent need to replace the traffic control system and, therefore, hoped to arrange for the replacement as soon as possible to minimise the impact on members of the public. 70. Ms. CHU Ka-pui added that apart from the problem of traffic signals going off from time to time, the works consultant had also discovered that there would be serious malfunctioning of traffic lights in Tai Po District during inclement weather. Therefore, lightning protection device would be added to the new traffic signal controllers to reduce the likelihood of the afore-mentioned situation. As regards the study on the addition of count-down function in the pedestrian lights, it was not within the scope of this works. 71. Mr. LO Hiu-fung opined that if there was an urgent need to carry out the works, the department should have consulted the TPDC at the previous meeting or even earlier. Also, there should have been sufficient information in the discussion paper, or it would be disrespectful to the TPDC. Besides, the department informed Members that police officers had been deployed to the site to direct the traffic only after being questioned by Members as regards the traffic arrangement during the works. He opined that it was a well-known arrangement which should have been set out in the paper, and it was not necessary for the department to report about it only after being questioned by Members. He asked the department to provide the TTC with specific supplementary information to illustrate the locations and works schedules of the 56 traffic signals involved in the road surface works. He hoped that in future, the department could submit information to the TTC in advance, so as to give Members enough time to go through the paper and explain the works arrangement to the residents. 72. Mr. YAM Man-chuen opined that the department should at least provide the locations of the 56 traffic signals involved in the road surface works, so as to notify Members or others who were concerned about the works. Besides, he enquired whether the replacement of pedestrian light system was included in the afore-mentioned replacement works.

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73. Mr. CHEUNG Kwok-wai hoped that the department could provide detailed information to illustrate the works hours and the functions of the new systems, etc. As regards the works hours, he suggested the department consider carrying out the replacement works for certain busy junctions (such as the junction of Kwong Fuk Road and Nam Wan Road) in the early hours instead. As regards system replacement, he enquired whether the new system would be equipped with new functions, and when the count-down function of pedestrian light mentioned earlier would be launched. If the department could provide more information, Members could help explain the works arrangement to the residents, and thus minimise the impact on the community. Therefore, he hoped that the department could submit supplementary information to the TPDC later. 74. Ms. CHAN Wai-ka, Olive’s comments and questions were as follows:

(i) The department hoped that Members could help explain the inconvenience brought about by the works to the residents. However, as the information provided was insufficient and the works were of low transparency, it was difficult for Members to render help.

(ii) As the department had got hold of the works situation, it should be able to provide the TTC with more information, including the locations and schedule of the works, etc.

(iii) As some members of the public demanded a lot as regards works information, she hoped that the department could provide the information on the entire workflow.

(iv) As the project was expected to take eight months and works would be carried out in 56 junctions, members of the public and drivers might not know or get used to the temporary traffic arrangement during the works. As such, she was worried that the works would affect traffic safety.

(v) She indicated that the commuting time for members of the public might not necessarily be before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m., and therefore enquired why the department did not arrange for the replacement works to be carried out in the early hours, so that road users would not have to get used to the temporary traffic arrangement again.

75. Mr. AU Chun-wah’s comments were as follows:

(i) He had told the TD the issues relating to the traffic signals before, and the department responded that the issue concerned would be addressed through this project. As such, he leaned about this traffic control system replacement works a few years ago.

(ii) He agreed that the discussion paper was too brief and did not have any detailed information.

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(iii) As there were fewer vehicles and pedestrians at night, carrying out the works at that period would have the least impact on the surrounding area, and would not cause too much nuisance to the residents in general. Therefore, he suggested the department consider carrying out the works in the early hours.

(iv) If works were to be carried out at daytime, he suggested conducting preliminary preparation work next to the junction concerned beforehand and replacing the traffic signal controllers once the traffic signals had been turned off, so as to shorten the affected time as much as possible.

76. Ms. CHU Ka-pui responded as follows:

(i) As electrically charged procedures were involved in the works concerned, carrying out the works at night was relatively dangerous to the workers and drivers. Also, as there were more speeding vehicles at night, drivers might not be aware of the road signs. Therefore, the works had been arranged to be carried out during off-peak hours in daytime, and were expected to be completed at about 1 to 2 p.m.

(ii) The works consultant would, according to the relevant guidelines issued by the HyD, put up road signs at appropriate locations in front of the works site to remind drivers of the works being carried out ahead and to pay attention to safety.

77. Mr. NG Man-to responded as follows:

(i) He thanked Members for their valuable comments. The department would give Members more time to learn about the relevant arrangement if similar works were to be carried out in future.

(ii) He would provide supplementary information, namely a list of the 56 works sites, for the TTC after the meeting and explain at which stage each of the works would be carried out.

(iii) As factors such as weather and unforeseen incidents, etc., could affect the works commencement date, the department could not provide the actual commencement date for each works. He asked for Members’ understanding.

(iv) The department had completed the preliminary testing and exploratory work prior to the project. He believed that they could shorten the time required for the road surface works and reduce the impact on the public.

78. Mr. LI Kwok-ying opined that all Members supported the TD’s proposal to replace the aged traffic control system. They were only asking the department to provide more information to facilitate discussion and provision of comments. While he did not know how many junctions were there in the Tai Po Market area, all of them were very busy during the entire period from 10

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a.m. to 4 p.m. Therefore, carrying out the works at the early hours could definitely minimise the impact on the traffic. He asked the department to provide a detailed list after the meeting, setting out information such as the 56 work sites in question, the works commencement dates and the relevant traffic alleviation measures, etc., for Members’ reference. 79. Mr. Patrick TANG said that if the servers and traffic signal controllers of the existing system were no longer in production, the department would have to replace the system sooner or later. However, the way the department presented in the discussion paper was too complicated that it would easily give the false impression that the works was of a large scale. He asked the department to provide the TTC with the locations of the 56 works sites in the district, and notify the DC Member of the constituency concerned of the relevant temporary traffic arrangement before commencing the works. If DC Members had any enquiries or comments as regards the works, the department would co-operate and take follow-up actions in a proactive manner. 80. Ms. WONG Pik-kiu asked Mr. NG Man-to to provide his contact information, so that she could find out the works details from the department after the meeting. 81. Mr. LAU Yung-wai’s comments and questions were as follows:

(i) Both he and Mr. YAM Man-chuen had enquired whether the replacement of pedestrian lights was included in the afore-mentioned works, but the department had yet to reply. He explained that the buttons of some of the pedestrian lights in the district (such as the ones outside a bank on Mei Sun Lane) were hidden in the planters or on the kerbs. It was so inconvenient for persons with disabilities or wheelchair users that they might not be able to use them. Therefore, he enquired whether the department would change the location of these buttons during the works as well.

(ii) He knew that the department was studying to improve the design of the pedestrian lights. While the study was not within the scope of the afore-mentioned works, he opined that as the department would have to replace the pedestrian lights whenever they malfunctioned, this study provided the opportunity for the department to replace them with the newly-designed ones on a trial basis. He opined that it could avoid the waste of public fund for replacing the pedestrian lights again in future, and allow members of the public to use the new pedestrian lights earlier. If the department could not replace the pedestrian lights with the new model for the time being, it should not replace the existing traffic signal control system on a large scale basis at this stage, so that it would not have to replace all the traffic signal facilities once again after the study was completed.

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82. Mr. CHEUNG Kwok-wai said that the facilities in the vicinity of the 56 junctions in Tai Po District varied and their situation was different. If the department could provide information such as the commencement date and time of the works for the DC Member of the constituency concerned or the locals, they could offer comments to the department which would allow the works to be carried out even more smoothly. 83. Mr. MUI Siu-fung indicated that while large spotlights were required to provide lighting if works were to be carried out at night, they might affect the drivers. As such, he enquired the HKPF whether carrying out works at night or in the early hours would pose any danger to drivers. 84. Ms. Olive CHAN indicated that even though the department was unable to provide the exact commencement date for each works, she opined that the department could at least notify the DC Member of the constituency concerned before the works began, so as to allow them to convey the relevant arrangement to the residents. Besides, she opined that the department should cater for the residents proactively when planning the workflow but not the other way round. She indicated that the safety concerns about working at night that the department had been talking about could be resolved by detailed planning. Therefore, she suggested the department consider commencing the works in the early morning so as to minimise the impacts on the residents. 85. Mr. AU Chun-wah agreed that workers’ safety was of great importance. He could understand it if the department would not carry out the works in the early hours due to workers’ safety. He suggested the department seriously consider carrying out the works in the early morning on Saturdays and Sundays, so as to minimise the impact on members of the public wherever possible. 86. Ms. CHU Ka-pui said that the consultancy had considered commencing the works in the early morning, but many vehicles (especially public buses) were already on some of the road sections in the district starting from 7 a.m. In the event of unexpected incident, the works would be delayed and the traffic further affected. Therefore, the consultancy had chosen to carry out the works from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 87. Mr. NG Man-to responded as follows:

(i) The TD would mainly replace the traffic signal controllers of the district in this project, so as to enhance the overall stability of the traffic control system.

(ii) If a new system or device was to be launched, the department would first test it on certain road sections, and would apply it somewhere else on a large scale basis only if they became effective.

(iii) He would provide his contact information to facilitate Members’ enquiry or request as regards the information related to the works.

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(iv) The department would submit the supplementary information as regards the works to Members via the Secretariat as soon as possible.

88. The Chairman asked the department to set out how it would deal with each junction when submitting the supplementary information. For instance, if there were police officers directing the traffic at the site of a certain works, such information would have to be set out in the paper as well. Besides, he also asked the department to provide emergency contact methods, so as to allow Members to contact the relevant staff in the event of emergency during the works. (Post-meeting note: The TD submitted the supplementary information and contact methods to

Members via the Secretariat on 19 July 2018.)

V. Request the Transport Department to withdraw the fare increase application for green minibus route 502 and to carry out an in-depth study on matters relating to the public transport strategies between Tai Po District and North District (TPDC Paper No. TT 44/2018) 89. Mr. LAU Yung-wai introduced the captioned paper. 90. Ms. MA Flora responded as follows:

(i) KMB routes 73, 73A and 73B, together with green minibus (“GMB”) route 502, had created a comprehensive traffic network between Tai Po and North District. As their service routes did not overlap one another, they facilitated the travel between North District and Tai Po for the residents of New Territories East.

(ii) As GMB operators had to maintain a sound financial situation to maintain their services, it would be appropriate to deal with the fare increase application for GMBs and other route-related issues separately.

(iii) During the consultation on the fare increase application for GMB route 502, the TD had received a lot of comments from Members and residents’ representatives. After listening to their comments, the operator had pledged to proactively improve and strengthen the services, such as enhancing the daytime services and providing short-distance services for the en route stops.

(iv) As for KMB route 73B, the department had also received many comments in the last few months and would make a reply later. She hoped that it would not be linked to the fare increase application for GMB route 502.

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91. Mr. CHAN Cho-leung’s comments were as follows:

(i) Both he and Mr. Patrick TANG opposed to the operator’s fare increase application for GMB route 502 for the section between Tai Po Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital (“Nethersole Hospital”) and Tai Wo Service Road West. He explained that residents in the Tai Wo Service Road West area had to pay the full fare when travelling on route 502. Rather than providing them with sectional fare concession, the operator had applied for a fare increase instead. As such, he was strongly against the fare increase.

(ii) He stressed that the TPDC was not preventing KMB from providing route 73B. On the contrary, it hoped that this route could be in service as soon as possible. However, as the terminus of this route was at Tai Po Hospital / Nethersole Hospital, it would be unacceptable for it to travel along Tai Wo Service Road West but no en route stops would be set up there. Therefore, he requested setting up en route stops for route 73B in the area of Tai Wo Service Road West.

(iii) Apart from route 73B, many other bus routes also travelled along the expressway instead of Tai Wo Service Road West in recent years. The residents in the area (especially residents in Tai Hang) had made it clear that they would oppose to the operation of route 73B if no en route stops were to be set up on Tai Wo Service Road West.

(iv) Even if both KMB route 73B and GMB route 502 travelled along Tai Wo Service Road West, their services would not overlap each other. In conclusion, he opined that route 502 should be maintained to serve the residents in the Tai Wo Service Road West area, and the operator also had to improve the minibus service. As regards route 73B, he reiterated his request that the route should travel along Tai Wo Service Road West.

92. Mr. Francis YAM’s comments were as follows:

(i) Residents who had to work across districts were mostly the grassroots, and the GMB fare was already higher than that of the railway and buses. As such, he found it necessary to study whether this fare increase application was reasonable, or to review whether GMBs were the suitable mode of transport for the operation of long-distance journeys.

(ii) Given that members of the public had a lot to say as regards the service of GMB route 502, including frequent stop-skipping, full load during peak hours and poor attitude of drivers, etc., he opined that careful consideration was necessary to see whether the fare increase application was worthy of his support.

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(iii) Tai Po residents had genuine traffic needs as they had to go to work in North District, or travel to North District Hospital for medical consultation or visits, etc. According to the proposed route of KMB route 73B, while residents in North District could travel to Tai Po Nethersole Hospital by this route, residents in Tai Po could not. Taking into account the inability of wheelchair users to get onto minibuses as well as the demand of residents, he had suggested setting up a stop for route 73B at North District Hospital. However, the suggestion had yet been adopted and he was disappointed about it.

(iv) The North District Bus Route Reorganisation 2012-2013 had substantially shortened the route in North District of routes 73 and 73A. As a result, it had affected the residents in Tai Po to a certain extent as they could only travel to as far as Fanling but not Sheung Shui. Therefore, he called for an in-depth study on matters relating to the public transport strategies between Tai Po and North District.

(v) Residents along Tai Wo Service Road West also had the need to travel to North District. However, given the limited public transport options available to the residents there, they could only take GMB route 502 or change for buses for the time being. He opined that the TD should consider moving the terminus of routes 73 and 73A back to Sheung Shui, so as to create a comprehensive transport network for Tai Po and North District.

(vi) Residents in Tai Po only asked the TD to provide public bus services between Tai Po (including Tai Wo Service Road West) and Sheung Shui. If the TD could extend the existing routes 73 and 73A to Sheung Shui and make sure that the operation of route 73B would not affect the resources currently available, he had little comments on route 73B.

93. Mr. YAM Man-chuen’s comments and questions were as follows:

(i) He opined that residents in Tai Po (including Tai Wo Service Road West) and Sheung Shui both had the transport demand to travel between the two districts.

(ii) The public transport services of Tai Po had always been worse than that of North District, as a lot of bus and minibus services could not benefit the residents in Tai Po due to the opposition of North DC. Therefore, he opined that the TD should adopt measures to compensate the residents in Tai Po District.

(iii) The TD should be people-oriented instead of trying to maintain the operation of routes when planning them. The service of GMB route 502 was dissatisfactory and a great amount of complaints had been received in the past. As such, he opined that the operator should at least explain the ways it would improve the minibus service after the fare increase, such as whether it would provide more services during the peak hours, whether all passengers that were unable to get on

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broad in the area of Tai Wo and Tai Po Centre could be picked up, etc. Otherwise, how could Members support the proposal?

(iv) GMB route 502 was not only a route between Tai Po and North District, but also one between different hospitals. After the fare increase, passengers might look for alternatives for travelling to their destinations. He and other Members had earlier asked for setting up a stop for KMB route 73B at North District Hospital, but the route could only reach Fanling Health Centre in the end. Even though the residents’ demand could not be fully met, he opined that route 73B could commence service first, and a study on changing the route could be carried out later. If the TD could extend route 73 to Sheung Shui, there would be at least two routes between Tai Po and Sheung Shui that could address the pressing needs.

(v) He opined that as long as there were enough passengers, the services of buses and minibuses could be complementary to each other. For example, the feeder service from Tai Po Market MTR Station to Tai Mei Tuk was operated by minibuses and buses at present. Even though their routes were the same, they both had enough passengers, showing that buses and minibuses could co-exist. Furthermore, as KMB route 73B did not operate the entire day, he opined that the provision of route 73B might not necessarily dilute the profit of GMB route 502.

94. Mr. WU Cheuk-him’s comments were as follows:

(i) For members of the public, it would be the most ideal to have railway, bus and minibus services between Sheung Shui and Tai Po. Meanwhile, minibus services and bus services were not mutually exclusive as progress could only be made through competitions.

(ii) He disagreed with the suggestion of terminating the service of GMB route 502 set out in the discussion paper.

(iii) Given the dissatisfactory service and high rate of fare increase for GMB route 502, he was against its fare increase application. As the journey time for minibuses was relatively short, he believed that once its service had improved, it would have considerable amount of passengers in future.

(iv) He urged the minibus operator to consider lowering the rate of fare increase and explain in specific terms the measures or proposals to improve its service.

(v) He hoped that the TD could provide a revised proposal for KMB route 73B as soon as possible, so that it could commence service in a timely manner.

95. Mr. CHAN Cho-leung added that many people mistakenly believed that there were just a handful of villages along the two sides of Tai Wo Service Road West. In fact, the population there was enough to constitute a constituency on its own. Therefore, relocating the routes of all

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public transport to the expressway and neglecting the needs of the residents in this area was unreasonable. 96. Mr. Eric TAM’s comments were as follows:

(i) He agreed that the operation of buses and minibuses was not a “zero-sum game”. If there were enough passengers, their services could be complementary to each other, and quality services could be maintained in a competitive environment.

(ii) He had also received many complaints concerning the dissatisfactory service of GMB route 502 and opined that Members had the responsibility to urge the minibus operator to improve its service as well. As there was no specific information, he could not confirm whether the operator applied for fare increase so as to improve the remuneration package of minibus drivers and enhance their service quality. If yes, there was nothing wrong to apply for fare increase due to inflation. However, the rate of fare increase it had applied for this time was really too high.

(iii) He hoped that a greater variety of public transport could be introduced to serve the residents, while their service quality could be improved through competitions.

97. As regards the suggestion of terminating the service of GMB route 502 in the long run as set out in the paper, Mr. Francis YAM supplemented as follows:

(i) He opined that it should not be taken out of context and stressed that the sequence of the events had to be clarified.

(ii) When the TD first proposed setting up KMB route 73B, he and several Members suggested the route travel past North District Hospital. However, the department indicated that it would lead to direct competition between the route and GMB route 502, thus affecting the latter’s operation. As such, their suggestion was not adopted.

(iii) If KMB route 73B could travel past North District Hospital, they would not have proposed the termination of GMB route 502 in the long run. However, the department’s stance was that as there was minibus service available for the time being, it did not want to provide additional bus service that could affect its operation. Under such an “either or” situation, Members had to make the right choice for the residents.

(iv) He reiterated that they supported the competition between bus and minibus services. He indicated that apart from maintaining the service of GMB route 502, other Members should also make their views clear if they agreed to set up a stop for KMB route 73B at North District Hospital, so as to ask the TD and bus company to take follow-up actions.

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98. Ms. WONG Pik-kiu’s comments were as follows:

(i) The rate of fare increase applied by the GMB route 502 operator was too high, and

it was normal to have opposing views.

(ii) Earlier she had also opposed the fare increase of GMB route 26 (between Tai Po and Ma On Shan). However, the minibus operator of that route was willing to set up route 26A to alleviate the demand of short-distance passengers in the district while raising the fare. She appreciated such a move. As such, she opined that the route 502 operator should also consider improving its service or changing the route.

(iii) She asked the TD to enhance its communication with the GMB route 502 operator and try to put forward more service improvement proposals. For example, if KMB route 73B could serve the residents along Tai Wo Service Road West, she would suggest GMB route 502 take the expressway, so that the journey would be shortened and passengers would also be willing to pay a higher fare.

(iv) She stressed that she had never asked KMB route 73B to be shelved at any meeting, and was not intended to stop this route from commencing service. She would also be happy if route 73B could carry residents between Nethersole Hospital and North District Hospital.

(v) Her specific suggestion as regards the route of KMB route 73B (from North District to Tai Po) was as follows: North District Hospital (the terminus in North District), Choi Yuen Estate, Shek Wu Hui, Shek Wu Hui Jockey Club Clinic, Cheung Wah Estate, Tai Wo Service Road West, route within Tai Po District (not specified), Nethersole Hospital (the terminus in Tai Po). She hoped that this route would commence service as soon as possible.

99. Mr. WU Cheuk-him added that he supported setting up a stop for KMB route 73B at North District Hospital, and hoped that the TD would provide minibus and bus services for the residents at the same time. 100. As regards Ms. WONG Pik-kiu’s suggestion of GMB route 502 taking the expressway, Mr. MAN Nim-chi enquired whether she meant that the minibus would directly take Tolo Highway on its way to Tai Po immediately after departing from Ching Ho Estate and travelling past North District Hospital, or only after travelling past North District Hospital and other places in North District (such as Fung Ying Seen Koon and Wo Hing Tsuen, etc.). 101. Ms. WONG Pik-kiu said that she was referring to Fanling Highway instead of Tolo Highway.

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102. Mr. MAN Nim-chi said that if route 502 eventually took Fanling Highway instead of Tai Wo Service Road West, it would affect the residents in the area of Tai Wo Service Road West, and he opined that it was necessary to take the stakeholders’ views into account. He enquired why the minibus would not head towards Tai Po via Fanling Highway immediately after leaving North District Hospital, rather than only after travelling past other places in North District. He did not want to see that only the needs of North District residents would be catered for when changing the route. 103. Ms. WONG Pik-kiu said that she had just suggested KMB route 73B turn onto Tai Wo Service Road West right after departing from Cheung Wah Estate, so that it could serve the residents in the area of Tai Wo Service Road West. Besides, the service hours of this route should also be extended. After route 73B had commenced service, the GMB route 502 operator could apply for fare increase again, and had to provide proposals on service improvement or route changes for Members’ consideration. She indicated that the afore-mentioned suggestions should be implemented in a gradual manner and, at present, route 502 should continue to serve the residents along Tai Wo Service Road West. 104. Mr. Francis YAM indicated that KMB route 73B only provided limited service from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., while GMB route 502 provided service the entire day. He said that unless KMB route 73B could enhance its service, it could not replace GMB route 502 entirely, and this suggestion might also affect the residents along Tai Wo Service Road West. 105. Ms. Flora MA responded as follows:

(i) Due to insufficient manpower, the operator had to raise the salary to ensure enough minibus drivers could be hired, especially those of higher quality. The fare increase application for GMB route 502 aimed at recruiting drivers and raising their salary.

(ii) The GMB route 502 operator noted Members’ comments and pledged to introduce 19-seaters to increase the number of passengers. Besides, the operator was planning to increase the frequency of the Tai Po-bound service during the morning peak hours and the North District-bound service in the afternoon, so as to facilitate members of the public’s visits to the hospitals.

(iii) As regards short-distance service, the operator was proactively considering the operation of special departures in the area of Tai Po Mega Mall during the afternoon peak hours. The TD would continue to follow up on the situation.

(iv) The TD had not shelved KMB route 73B. Instead, it had always been listening to the stakeholders’ views so as to come up with a proposal that could balance the needs of each district for implementation.

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(v) As regards bus route planning, the TD would study the route of route 73B and other bus routes between Tai Po and North District with KMB in a proactive manner, so as to enhance the traffic network of the two districts. They would discuss with Members once the proposal concerned had been drawn up.

106. The Chairman suggested continuing to follow up on this agenda item at the Working Group on Provision of Public Bus and Minibus Services. 107. In view of the numerous comments made by a number of Members as regards the service of GMB route 502, Ms. WONG Pik-kiu suggested the TD invite the minibus operator concerned to attend the next Working Group meeting to listen to Members’ views. 108. Mr. KWAN Wing-yip indicated that no Members at the meeting supported the fare increase application for route 502. He asked what the TD would do next and whether it would not approve the application before securing the clear consent of the TTC. 109. Ms. Flora MA responded that the department would examine Members’ comments as regards the fare increase application for route 502.

VI. Request the Transport Department to study the traffic improvement measures for Ting Kok Road (Shuen Wan Section) (TPDC Paper No. TT 45/2018) 110. The Chairman introduced the captioned paper. 111. Mr. CHEUNG Wai-fung responded as follows:

(i) The TD just received the captioned paper on 26 June 2018. At the moment, it needed time to deal with and follow up on the issue, and would reply in due course.

(ii) The department had been paying attention to the traffic condition of Ting Kok Road and opined that the traffic on Ting Kok Road was acceptable when there was no accident. However, what the paper was talking about was traffic condition in the event of accident. As it took time to clean up the scene, traffic on the day of accident would be rather heavy.

(iii) The department would study the feasibility of widening Ting Kok Road with other relevant departments.

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112. Mr. FU Kin-chiu said that the HKPF was aware of the traffic flow issue on Ting Kok Road, and would deploy police officers to carry out traffic control measures in the area of Ting Kok Road on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. He opined that such an arrangement could help divert the traffic and promptly deal with the complaints from members of the public. Besides, the HKPF would also implement special traffic control measures, such as placing traffic cones at Tai Mei Tuk Bus Terminus, so as to prevent the illegally parked vehicles from obstructing the buses. 113. Mr. Francis YAM’s comments and questions were as follows:

(i) As regards the traffic incident that took place on 7 June 2018 as mentioned in the paper, he enquired why it took HKPF six hours to clean up the scene. Was it because someone had been injured or killed in the accident? Did the relevant departments have other feasible measures to clean up the scene of the accident as quickly as possible?

(ii) Vehicles could turn right from the fast lane of Ting Kok Road (Tai Po-bound) at the junction near Lo Fai Road onto Lo Fai Road, but the vehicles on the opposite side towards Tai Mei Tuk could keep going. As the vehicles turning onto Lo Fai Road had to wait until there were no vehicles on the opposite lane before turning right, they had to wait on the fast lane of Ting Kok Road momentarily. However, the vehicles behind might be mistaken that the vehicles in front would go straight ahead and therefore failed to apply the brakes in time. As a result, it could easily lead to accidents. He enquired whether the department had the statistics showing the approximate number of vehicles turning right onto Lo Fai Road in this way. He suggested the department consider prohibiting vehicles from turning right at this location. As an alternative, vehicles could turn onto Lo Fai Road via Tai Po Industrial Estate.

(iii) During the swimming season, the HKPF would put up road signs at the main junctions around the car parks near the beaches in Southern District, so as to inform the drivers of the number of parking spaces remained at the car parks concerned. When Lung Mei Beach was opened in future, the demand for parking spaces there and at the car park in Tai Mei Tuk was expected to be high. As such, he enquired whether the HKPF would consider adopting the arrangement similar to that at the beaches in Southern District.

114. Mr. YAM Man-chuen indicated that some of the roads were similar to Ting Kok Road, in the sense that they were long but only had two or three lanes. They would be severely congested in the event of traffic accident. Thus, he asked whether the TD would make reference to the approaches taken in foreign countries, such as reserving a gap in the kerbs at the interval of several hundred metres, so as to facilitate traffic diversion in the event of accident.

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115. Mr. MAN Nim-chi expressed concern over the law enforcement issue of the HKPF as regards the traffic in Tai Mei Tuk. He indicated that there was a serious illegal parking problem on Tai Mei Tuk Road during holidays (especially at the section between Tai Mei Tuk Bus Terminus and Bradbury Jockey Club Youth Hostel). As vehicles had been parked on the left lane of Tai Mei Tuk Road on a prolonged basis and the road itself was narrow, very often other vehicles could only travel on the right lane, which had turned the road into a one-lane-two-way carriageway. Besides, as there were bends on the road, drivers might not be able to see clearly whether there was oncoming traffic. If there were vehicles coming from the opposite direction and approaching from behind at the same time, the vehicles would be stuck in the middle of the road and it would be rather inconvenient. He urged the HKPF to strengthen the law enforcement effort as regards the illegal parking at the afore-mentioned road section, and hoped that the HKPF and the TD could study ways to improve the illegal parking problem there. 116. Mr. CHEUNG Kwok-wai said that he had also driven past Ting Kok Road on the day of the accident, and noticed that it was still congested at around 10 p.m. Apart from traffic accidents, Ting Kok Road would also be seriously congested during festivals or major events. He indicated that the residents along Ting Kok Road were aware of the pressing traffic problems, and were therefore disappointed by the TD’s reply. He asked the department to seriously study what improvement could be made on Ting Kok Road, such as the traffic lights where vehicles turned right from Ting Kok Road onto Lo Fai Road mentioned by a Member earlier, as well as other accident-prone locations, etc., and hoped that the issues could be taken care of as soon so possible. He continued by suggesting the department study the feasibility of widening the one-way roads in the area of Tsz Shan Monastery and Tung Tsz Road, and hoped that the department could provide short-term and long-term proposals on improving the traffic on Ting Kok Road. 117. Mr. CHEUNG Kwok-wah’s comments were as follows:

(i) As a resident of Lung Mei Village, he said that many villagers were worried about the traffic issue on Ting Kok Road.

(ii) He disagreed with the TD that the current traffic on Ting Kok Road was acceptable, and opined that we should not wait until problems propped up before addressing it seriously.

(iii) He indicated that apart from the accident mentioned in the paper, a fatal traffic accident had also taken place at the entrance to Lung Mei Village. He did not want similar accidents to happen again.

(iv) He had earlier put forward a number of measures to the TD, such as installing the SECs and traffic signs to reduce the likelihood of accidents. He hoped that the department could follow up as soon as possible.

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(v) The suggestion to widen Ting Kok Road was proposed a long time ago, and he hoped that the department could implement it as soon as possible. Besides, he opined that the department could first carry out road surface improvement works, such as providing pedestrian lights with press-button function at appropriate locations, and enhancing the junction where vehicles turned right from Ting Kok Road onto Lo Fai Road, etc.

(vi) Many organisations hosted running events in the area of Bride’s Pool Road. He would also request the hosting organisations to put up electronic display panels at appropriate locations to set out the event time and relevant road closures, etc., so as to allow visitors to make arrangement accordingly. He opined that the Government could not rely on the arrangement made by local organisations. Instead, it should put up similar display panels on Tolo Highway and Ting Kok Road, etc., to provide drivers with information. He believed that after Lung Mei Beach was opened, these measures could help reduce the pedestrian flow on Ting Kok Road and the likelihood of traffic accidents.

118. As regards the junction where vehicles turned right from Ting Kok Road onto Lo Fai Road, Mr. AU Chun-ho suggested that apart from considering directing vehicles to turn onto Lo Fai Road via Tai Po Industrial Estate, the TD could also consider turning the fast lane into a right-turning lane only, so as to reduce the likelihood of accidents. 119. Mr. Clement WOO, the Vice-chairman, indicated that traffic in different areas in Tai Po was inter-connected and would affect each other. On the day the accident took place on Ting Kok Road, there was another traffic accident at the junction of Yuen Shin Road and Ting Kok Road, which had led to serious congestion on Nam Wan Road. However, as Nam Wan Road was the main road leading to Nethersole Hospital, together with the additional population of 20 000 brought about by the public housing development projects at Tai Po Area 9, Chung Nga Road East and Chung Nga Road West, the traffic burden would definitely increase. Therefore, the department should plan ahead or it would be too late when the problem had worsened. Besides, he indicated that there was a right-turning traffic light at the junction where vehicles turned right from Ting Kok Road onto Lo Fai Road. However, it was hardly noticeable and not enough to warn the drivers. He asked the department to enhance the traffic safety measures and the relevant warning signals. 120. Mr. AU Chun-wah’s comments were as follows:

(i) When Ting Kok Road was widened years ago, the extent of the widening works he proposed was greater than what the government departments had suggested, such as widening it to four lanes, etc. However, Ting Kok Road had only been widened to a two-lane road eventually, which had made it easily congested at present.

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(ii) Traffic could not be diverted no matter how many lanes were there in the event of major accident. Therefore, apart from considering widening Ting Kok Road, the relevant government departments should also study the construction of other roads, so as to alleviate the traffic on Ting Kok Road.

(iii) On special occasions such as Mid-Autumn Festival, extended holidays, autumn or meteor showers, many members of the public would be attracted to visit Tai Mei Tuk for barbeque or moon watching, etc. As a result, the traffic volume on Ting Kok Road would often exceed its limit. It would not only affect the visitors, but also make it difficult for the residents along Ting Kok Road to go home.

(iv) It was unfair to the residents along Ting Kok Road if no improvement proposal for Ting Kok Road was available or no such timetable had been drawn up at present. He continued that widening works could not be completed in a matter of years. As such, the department should carefully consider factors such as traffic development needs and population growth in future when planning for the works.

121. The Chairman opined that the HKPF should deploy more manpower to help divert the queue of vehicles on the day of the accident to alleviate the traffic on Ting Kok Road. He hoped that the HKPF could learn from the incident. 122. Mr. CHEUNG Wai-fung noted Members’ comments. He reiterated that the TD had been keeping an eye on the traffic condition of Ting Kok Road and the current condition was acceptable. On the other hand, the department had also studied the improvement proposals for Ting Kok Road. As regards the situation of the junction where vehicles turned from Ting Kok Road onto Lo Fai Road, he indicated that the vehicles would travel past a bus stop before arriving at the junction, and there was also a traffic sign “Traffic lights ahead” in front of the bus stop to remind the drivers of it. The department would continue to review whether the situation could be further improved, and factors of considerations included traffic volume, traffic safety, as well as whether the traffic volume on Ting Kok Road would be changed following changes to the traffic control measures, etc. The department would report to the TTC once further information was available. 123. Mr. FU Kin-chiu responded as follows:

(i) It took a long while to divert the traffic for the previous accident as a lot of people had been injured and it took time for the HKPF to remove the bus involved. The HKPF had deployed manpower to direct the traffic at the scene on that day. However, he would still reflect the comments to the department to study if there were other better arrangements.

(ii) At present, the public car park at Tai Mei Tuk was usually full on weekends, and the HKPF would make public announcement about the situation through the Police

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Public Relations Branch. Besides, he would reflect to the department Members’ suggestion to provide signs at suitable locations to indicate the number of remaining parking spaces in car parks.

(iii) He would reflect the illegal parking problem on Tai Mei Tuk Road to the department and ask the department to strengthen the law enforcement effort.

124. The Chairman agreed with Members that suitable room should be reserved on Ting Kok Road for traffic diversion in the event of accident. He would take follow-up action in this regard after the meeting. 125. Mr. MAN Nim-chi asked the HKPF to provide statistics concerning the law enforcement actions taken on Ting Kok Road at the next meeting. (Post-meeting note: The HKPF had provided statistics on the law enforcement actions taken on

Tai Po Ting Kok Road. Please see Annex 1 for details.)

VII. Matters arising from the minutes of the 3rd meeting in 2018 of the TTC on 11 May 2018 (TPDC Paper No. TT 46/2018) (1) Objection against the handing over of MTR feeder buses in Tai Po District by MTR

Corporation Limited to Kowloon Motor Bus Company Limited 126. The Chairman welcomed Mr. LEUNG Man-tik, Assistant Public Relations Manager (External Affairs) of MTRC, and Mr. LAM Tsz-ho, Deputy Director of the Communications and Public Affairs Department of KMB to the meeting for discussion of this agenda item. 127. Mr. LEUNG Man-tik said that at present, the feeder bus service provided by MTRC (commonly known as “K bus”) remained normal. Although MTRC had earlier contacted KMB to discuss the operation matters of the four feeder bus routes in Tai Po District, no decision had been made for the time being. If necessary, MTRC would further report on the situation to the TTC in a timely manner. 128. Mr. LAM Tsz-ho indicated that there was no new progress for the time being. KMB would also further report on the situation to the TTC once update was available. 129. Mr. Francis YAM hoped that MTRC would continue to operate the K bus service in Tai Po District, and not to hand it over to KMB.

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130. As MTRC and KMB both indicated that there was no progress in the captioned matter, the TTC agreed to remove this agenda item from Matters Arising. However, should there be any changes to the K bus service in Tai Po District in future, MTRC and KMB would have to consult the TTC, and such changes could be implemented only after securing the approval of the TTC. (2) Demand for the prompt setting up of a bus stop on Lam Tsuen Heung Kung Sho Road 131. Mr. Alex LAM reported that the TD inspected Lam Tsuen Heung Kung Sho Road with Mr. CHAN Cho-leung, as well as representatives of KMB and the HKPF on 12 June 2018. The preliminary view was that a temporary bus stop could be set up there, with several considerations as follows:

(i) The vacant site on Lam Tsuen Heung Kung Sho Road was a Government site. A gate had been built there to prevent illegal parking of vehicles. The villagers said that they could help open and close the gate when the buses arrived and departed.

(ii) As the Government site was not managed by the TD, the department had to discuss the land use issues with the District Lands Office, Tai Po (“TPDLO”).

(iii) Although KMB would set up a temporary bus stop for special departures of route 63R on Lam Tsuen Heung Kung Sho Road during Lunar New Year, as the road there was rather steep, the TD and KMB would carry out further road tests to see whether buses could enter / exit smoothly.

(iv) The department would increase or reduce the number of road signs as appropriate. 132. Members did not have any comments or questions. (3) Proposed provision of a vehicular bridge near Kwong Fuk Bridge

(TPDC Paper No. TT 49/2018) 133. The Chairman welcomed Ms. KAN Yim-fun, Project Coordinator of the Works Division of the HyD to the meeting for discussion of this agenda item. 134. Ms. KAN Yim-fun introduced the paper and, by way of PowerPoint, the alignment, feasible designs, nearby developments, works impacts, etc., of the proposed Kwong Fuk Vehicular Bridge (“Vehicular Bridge”).

135. Mr. LI Kwok-ying’s comments and questions were as follows:

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(i) He was pleased that the HyD had submitted the second feasibility study report, and opined that the department had done its best to address the requests and concerns raised by Members before. However, as there were too many factors the department had to take care of, he was worried that the works could not be carried out in the end. He hoped that the department could do its best in meeting the requirements of the departments concerned and commence the works as soon as possible.

(ii) According to the road design, there was a road marking “Ahead or turn right” on the northbound lane of the Vehicular Bridge. However, since it was a T-junction, in theory there should only be two options, either turning left or turning right. Therefore, he enquired why such a marking was drawn.

(iii) He would like to know the distribution of traffic signals in the vicinity of the Vehicular Bridge. He explained that the western exit of the metered car park on Pak Shing Street had been permanently closed, leaving the eastern exit as the only available access. However, as there was only one southbound lane of the Vehicular Bridge leading to Kwong Fuk Road, vehicles turning right into the metered car park on Pak Shing Street would obstruct those following them. Therefore, he would like to know the distribution of traffic signals, review whether the operation of the car park would be affected, and whether it was necessary to change the exit / entrance of the car park.

(iv) To arrive at Hong Kong Railway Museum and Man Mo Temple, vehicles had to travel along the one-way Wai Yi Street and Shung Tak Street (and departed via Yan Hing Street afterwards). If the department prohibited long vehicles from accessing the Vehicular Bridge via Pak Shing Street, coaches would not be able to leave the area. The department should give careful consideration. He suggested at least allowing long vehicles to turn right from Pak Shing Street onto Kwong Fuk Road to leave the area.

136. Mr. Patrick TANG’s comments and questions were as follows:

(i) The designed height of the Vehicular Bridge was constrained by the requirements of the Drainage Services Department (“DSD”). As the HyD would construct the piers of the Vehicular Bridge, he enquired whether the department had consulted the DSD as regards the design.

(ii) He suggested enhancing the connectivity of the cycle tracks and pedestrian walkways on the two sides of Lam Tsuen River in the enhanced design (no need to be on the same plane as the Vehicular Bridge).

(iii) He would like to know the deck height of the Vehicular Bridge.

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137. Mr. CHOW Yuen-wai’s comments and questions were as follows:

(i) He enquired whether the Vehicular Bridge would be of similar height to Tai Wo Bridge nearby after the addition of piers.

(ii) As Po Nga Road was the only road accessing Tai Wo Bus Terminus, if it would take six years to complete the works, he was worried that the access of buses would be affected. He enquired how the department could reduce the impact in this regard.

(iii) He enquired whether the department had any photomontage or reference photos to illustrate the general design of the Vehicular Bridge.

138. Ms. KAN Yim-fun responded as follows:

(i) The HyD would re-examine all the road markings and the operation of traffic signals with the TD later.

(ii) As regards the prohibition of long vehicles from accessing the Vehicular Bridge possibly affecting the coaches heading to Hong Kong Railway Museum and Man Mo Temple, the HyD had noted the comments and would study the solution with the TD, and long vehicles would be prohibited from using the Vehicular Bridge only when necessary.

(iii) As the HyD had been liaising with the DSD, the DSD was aware of the design of the Vehicular Bridge. Besides, the HyD also had to submit the drainage impact assessment and sewage impact assessment of the works to the DSD when carrying out preliminary design work.

(iv) She noted Members’ concerns over the possible impact on the operation of Tai Wo Bus Terminus during the works. The department would maintain close contact with the TD and make its best efforts in terms of temporary traffic arrangement during the works.

139. Mr. CHEUNG Kwok-wai’s comments and questions were as follows:

(i) A lot of Members had commented on the HyD’s design. As such, he enquired when the department could provide a further enhanced design.

(ii) As it was estimated the Vehicular Bridge would take as long as six years to complete, he enquired when the expected completion date was and whether there were ways to shorten the time required for the works.

140. Mr. CHAN Siu-kuen indicated that the TPDC had been asking for the construction of the Vehicular Bridge for years. As the Vehicular Bridge would connect the two sides of Lam Tsuen River, it would play an important role in the event of traffic congestion. As such, regardless of whether the works would take six years to complete, he would still strongly request the department

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to start the works as soon as possible. To speed it up, he suggested setting up a Working Group led by the DC Member of the constituency concerned to follow up wholeheartedly on the matters concerning the construction of the Vehicular Bridge. 141. The Chairman’s comments and questions were as follows:

(i) He enquired whether the deck height of the Vehicular Bridge was about 5 metres.

(ii) A lot of pedestrians were used to walking to the other side of Lam Tsuen River along Kwong Fuk Bridge. However, as the construction of the Vehicular Bridge might affect the existing pedestrian walkway and crossing facilities, etc., he hoped that the HyD could provide plans to illustrate the route of pedestrian walkways (such as the route between Tai Po Market and Tai Po Government Offices, etc.). Besides, he asked the department to study whether the provision of barrier-free facilities (such as elevators) was necessary, and provide Members more specific information.

(iii) The HyD submitted the first preliminary design of the Vehicular Bridge to the TTC in September 2017 and the second one at this meeting. He enquired at which stage the department would commence the works, and whether funding application could be made upon the endorsement of the TTC to carry out tasks such as enhanced design.

142. Ms. KAN Yim-fun responded as follows:

(i) After consulting Members, the HyD would conduct a preliminary technical feasibility study (“PTFS”). If it was feasible, funding application would be made to carry out the preliminary design for the Vehicular Bridge.

(ii) The deck of the Vehicular Bridge could not be too high or it would not be able to connect to the roads on the two sides.

(iii) According to the current design, pedestrians could reach the deck via the ramp which was a barrier-free access. The department and the TD would study ways to enhance the connectivity of the pedestrian walkways in the future design.

143. Mr. LI Kwok-ying said that the HyD was supposed to have followed the requirement and design standards of the relevant departments when it submitted its first preliminary design last year, and many Members had commented on the design and asked the HyD to change the design and take follow-up action. At this meeting, the design submitted by the HyD was the second one, which should have fulfilled the requirements and design standards of other relevant departments and improved based on Members’ comments. However, the HyD had earlier indicated that it still had to submit various assessment reports to the Environmental Protection Department and the

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DSD. He was worried about it and wondered whether it meant that the department had not consulted the other departments before submitting the second design. 144. Mr. AU Chun-wah opined that it was inappropriate to discuss the details relating to the Vehicular Bridge at the TTC meeting or the meeting would become lengthy. Therefore, he suggested setting up a Working Group to follow up on the matters concerned. 145. Ms. WONG Pik-kiu said that as the HyD had brought up many works related problems which were difficult to be resolved one-by-one at the meeting, she agreed with setting up a Working Group to speed up the works progress. Besides, she opined that as Mr. LI Kwok-ying was relatively more familiar with the situation in Tai Po Market, she nominated him as the Chairman of the Working Group. 146. The Secretary added that pursuant to the TPDC Standing Order (“Standing Order”), each committee could appoint no more than three standing working groups at the same time, and there were already three standing working groups under the TTC. If the TTC resolved to set up a working group to follow up on the matters relating to the construction of the Vehicular Bridge, the TTC might consider setting up a non-standing working group with a term of no more than eight months, and decide on the name, terms of reference and term of the working group at this meeting. 147. Mr. Patrick TANG said that the HyD had amended the design of the Vehicular Bridge and reduced the impact of the Vehicular Bridge on the surrounding environment. He opined that they should allow the HyD to continue to follow up on the matters first, and call for a special meeting to allow the department to report on the progress later on. 148. As regards the matters concerning the construction of the Vehicular Bridge, the Chairman enquired the HyD about the general works progress in future. 149. Ms. KAN Yim-fun said that the HyD would complete the PTFS as soon as possible. If it was feasible, funding application would be made to carry out the preliminary design, and Members’ comments would be considered when carrying out the preliminary design. 150. The Chairman said that there was improvement in the design proposal reported by the HyD at this meeting in terms of the route, deck height and impact on the surrounding environment. He enquired whether the presence of two cultural heritages nearby, namely Hong Kong Railway Museum and Man Mo Temple, was the reason why the Vehicular Bridge works had been classified as a designated project, and thus an environment impact assessment was required. 151. Ms. KAN Yim-fun responded that the reasons why the Vehicular Bridge works had been classified as a designated project were that dredging was necessary for the construction of the piers, and that the distance between the works site and the closest boundary of the cultural heritage

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site was less than 500 metres. 152. The Chairman said that construction of piers could substantially reduce the height of the Vehicular Bridge, which was an obvious improvement compared with the first design proposal. Therefore, the TTC opined that the works concerned should be implemented at full throttle. Besides, setting up the Working Group was mainly intended to have an in-depth understanding of and find out the solutions to all the problems brought about by the works, such as the arrangement of pedestrian walkways or cycle tracks, the design of the barrier-free access, etc. He hoped that after the Working Group had been set up, the department could report on the works progress to the Working Group every two months or so. However, he would first like to know whether substantial progress would be made in the works in the next few months. Otherwise, it would not be of much use to call for Working Group meetings. 153. Ms. KAN Yim-fun said that as the HyD had proposed to construct piers for the Vehicular Bridge, consultation on the proposal with the relevant departments had to be conducted again, and the cost and time required for the works would also be different. However, it was estimated that it would take six years to complete the works. 154. The Chairman indicated that the timeframe of six years the HyD mentioned only referred to the construction time. He was worried that other preliminary work, such as environmental impact assessment, funding application, preliminary design, tendering, etc., would also take years to complete. 155. Ms. KAN Yim-fun responded that the department could not confirm the time required for the preliminary work, as it was subjected to factors such as the complexity of the works and the progress of funding application, etc. 156. Mr. Francis YAM enquired the ways the TPDC could help the HyD to carry out the preliminary work and commence the works, etc. as soon as possible. 157. Mr. Patrick TANG understood that the plans submitted by the HyD were preliminary ones, and work such as feasibility study and funding application would be carried out later. He would like to learn about the procedures the department had to go through before making the funding application. 158. Ms. KAN Yim-fun said that the HyD would finish the PTFS first and, if feasible, apply for funding to carry out the preliminary design (including work site inspections, as well as impact assessments on the environment, traffic, drainage and sewage, etc.), conduct public consultation, and then gazette the works and carry out detailed design. Afterwards, the HyD would apply for funding to launch the works. She added that the above was the works procedure in general, but, no specific timetable was available at this stage.

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159. As the HyD needed time to complete the PTFS, Mr. Patrick TANG suggested the department wait until the study concerned had been completed before informing the TTC. The TTC would call for another meeting to discuss and decide at that time on ways to follow up on the matters, such as considering whether to set up a Working Group, etc. 160. Mr. AU Chun-wah opined that it was better to discuss the works details at the Working Group, and suggested inviting representatives of all the departments concerned to the Working Group meeting. Besides, he opined that it was not important whether it was a standing working group or not. Even if it was a non-standing working group, the TTC could also extend the terms of the group when necessary, or relax the restriction that “each committee could appoint no more than three working groups at the same time” by amending the Standing Order. Therefore, he suggested setting up the Working Group first. 161. Mr. CHAN Siu-kuen opined that as the Working Group was set up to follow up on the works, he supported the setting up of the Working Group. 162. Upon discussion, the TTC agreed to set up a non-standing working group to follow up on the matters relating to the Vehicular Bridge, and approved the title, term and terms of reference of the Working Group as follows: Title: Working Group on Kwong Fuk Vehicular Bridge

Term: 13 July 2018 to 12 March 2019 (8 months in total)

Terms of reference: (a) To follow up on matters relating to the construction of a vehicular bridge near Kwong Fuk Bridge;

(b) To report on the works progress to the TTC on a regular basis.

163. The Chairman invited Members to nominate the Chairman of the Working Group. 164. Mr. Clement WOO, the Vice-chairman nominated Mr. LI Kwok-ying as the Chairman of the Working Group and was seconded by Mr. LO Hiu-fung. Mr. LI Kwok-ying accepted the nomination. 165. The Chairman announced that as Mr. LI Kwok-ying was the only one nominated, he was elected uncontested as the Chairman of the Working Group on Kwong Fuk Vehicular Bridge. In addition, he asked the Secretariat to write to Members after the meeting, inviting them to join the Working Group. (Post-meeting note: The Secretariat wrote to invite Members to join the Working Group on 16

July 2018.)

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166. The Chairman added that as the TTC had set up a Working Group to follow up on the matters relating to the Vehicular Bridge, he would remove this agenda item from the Matters Arising. The TTC agreed with the Chairman’s suggestion. (4) Request for more parking spaces in Tai Po

167. Mr. CHEUNG Wai-fung said that the TD and the TPDLO would continue to look for suitable locations in the district for temporary car parks. Besides, the TD was proactively planning for the introduction of the highly efficient automated parking system (“APS”), and would report to the TTC when more information was available. 168. Mr. Patrick TANG noticed that there was a lot of vacant parking spaces at the large-scale metered parking car park in Kam Shek New Village. As such, he enquired whether the TD would consider extending the parking hours of metered parking spaces in remote areas, such as extending it from 2 hours to 4 to 6 hours, so that drivers could travel to the area of Tai Po Town Centre after parking at these locations, instead of having to hurry back to pick up their vehicles within 2 hours. 169. Mr. YAM Man-chuen suggested turning the school site at the public housing development project on Chung Nga Road West into a multi-storey car park and constructing an underground car park beneath the soccer cum rugby pitch proposed in Tai Po Area 33. He asked the TD to consider the relevant comments. 170. Mr. AU Chun-wah indicated that the Mainland government had made good use of the vacant sites to set up mechanical parking systems, which had increased the amount of parking spaces available to vehicles. Meanwhile, Hong Kong SAR Government had also granted short-term lease to sites for temporary car parks at present. He suggested advising the tenants to provide such mechanical parking systems as well, so as to increase the amount of parking spaces within a short period of time. 171. Mr. LO Hiu-fung indicated that the TD had made limited progress in introducing the APS. He hoped that rather than emphasising the pros of the system, the department would explain the details of the project in specific terms, such as where the APS could be introduced in Tai Po District, etc. at the next meeting. Besides, he indicated that it had also been brought up in the past that the site under the flyover near Lai Chi Shan had been left vacant for a while and only materials of the HyD were placed there. He hoped that the TD would study whether it was feasible to turn this site into temporary parking spaces. 172. Mr. CHAN Siu-kuen’s comments were as follows:

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(i) While he understood that it was very difficult to increase the number of parking spaces, he opined that it was necessary to keep fighting for it.

(ii) Taking the loading issue into consideration, mechanical parking system is not suitable for anywhere.

(iii) The department could consider setting up mechanical parking systems in temporary car parks, but it might block the view of the residents nearby and lead to privacy concerns. Therefore, he suggested carrying out trial runs at the sites of Government Offices or Tai Po Police Station first.

(iv) According to the relevant standard, only one parking space would be provided for every eight houses. He opined that such a ratio was unreasonable and had to be relaxed.

(v) Given the shortage of parking spaces in Tai Po District in general, he suggested constructing multi-storey car parks at the public housing development project on Chung Nga Road West and at the site of the former Jockey Club Swimming Pool, so as to provide hundreds of parking spaces.

(vi) When there was a shortage of parking spaces, vehicles would be parked on the road side or keep travelling to look for a parking space. It would not only increase the burden to the road, but also result in congestion. He opined that policy blunders of the Government would lower the living quality of members of the public. Also, as there were insufficient parking spaces in all 18 districts in Hong Kong, he opined that the Administration should review the transport infrastructure and the shortage of parking spaces.

173. Mr. CHEUNG Wai-fung responded as follows:

(i) The TD and the TPDLO had been in close contact to identify sites for temporary car parks. If suitable sites were found, the Administration would like to use them as temporary car parks.

(ii) In response to Members’ comments, the departments concerned would review the usage of Government sites in the district.

(iii) He noted and appreciated Members for their valuable comments on the mechanical parking systems. He indicated that as not all kinds of mechanical parking systems were suitable for Hong Kong, the TD needed time to study which ones were more so, and would report to the TTC once more information was available.

(iv) As regards extending the time of metered parking spaces in Kam Shek New Village and making good use of the site under the Lai Chi Shan flyover for to set up a car park, the TD would take follow-up actions proactively and study whether the suggestions concerned were feasible.

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(5) Proposed addition of a lane / covered taxi stand next to the Kwong Fuk Roundabout 174. Ms. Winnie PUN distributed the reference plans to Members via the Secretariat (see Annex 2). She indicated that the TD had earlier consulted the relevant departments as regards the captioned works. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department commented on the issue of lands rights, while the DSD indicated that part of the works site had been reserved for drainage purposes. The TD was sorting out the comments of all the departments concerned, further studying the feasibility of the works, and reviewing whether the design had to be changed. She would report to the TTC once more information was available 175. Mr. Clement WOO, the Vice-chairman, indicated that although the TD mentioned that recreational and drainage purposes were involved in the works site, no relevant information could be found in the plans. He enquired whether the TD could resolve the problems by slightly amending the design, or whether the afore-mentioned problems had already made it difficult for the works to be commenced. 176. Ms. Winnie PUN responded that the TD needed time to study the comments put forward by the other departments, and would report the progress to the TTC in a timely manner. (6) Concerns over illegal parking in Tai Po District 177. Mr. CHEUNG Wai-fung reported that the TD had earlier consulted the public as regards the improvement proposal of Po Heung Street. He would sort out the consultation result and take follow-up actions as quickly as possible. 178. Mr. FU Kin-chiu reported as follows:

(i) The Tai Po Police District issued a total of 39 054 illegal parking tickets in the second quarter of 2018, which was 17% more than those issued in the same period of 2017.

(ii) The Tai Po Police District continued to enforce traffic legislations under the Selected Traffic Enforcement Priorities policy, and take strong enforcement action particularly against those who parked their vehicles in ways that obstructed and posed danger to other road users.

(iii) The Regional Traffic Headquarters would continue the Operation Movesky to combat the illegal parking of vehicles, enhance road safety and keep the traffic smooth.

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179. Mr. AU Chun-wah noticed that the HKPF would set up traffic cones and road signs, etc., in the area of Tai Po Old Market during weekends, so as to prevent vehicles from parking illegally and driving in the opposite direction. When the Task Force on Land Supply visited Tai Po District earlier on, the HKPF had taken the initiative to ask the vehicles parked on Heung Sze Wui Street, and even those queuing up to enter Po Heung Estate Car Park, to be driven away. As there was a lot of vehicles waiting outside the entrance to the multi-storey car park near Tai Po Centre during weekends, he hoped that the HKPF could take similar actions there, such as setting up traffic cones to prevent vehicles from waiting, or deploying police officers or Traffic Wardens to direct the vehicles to leave, etc., so as to combat illegal parking and alleviate traffic congestion. He asked the HKPF and the TD to study ways to deal with the afore-mentioned situations. 180. Mr. LO Hiu-fung asked the HKPF to report on the number of prosecution made in the area of Tat Wan Road. 181. Mr. FU Kin-chiu responded as follows:

(i) As there were several car parks in the area of Tai Po Centre, it was difficult for the HKPF to set up road signs at the scene. However, he would reflect the comments to the Traffic Division to study ways to deal with the situation.

(ii) The number of prosecution made on Tat Wan Road was not available at the moment, and the HKPF would supplement the relevant information at the next meeting.

(7) Improving the facilities of Tolo Highway 182. Mr. Alex LAM reported as follows:

(i) Regarding the works of painting double white lines on parts of Kowloon bound Tolo Highway near Yuen Chau Tsai, the TD had earlier issued work orders to the HyD, and the works were expected to be completed by the end of July 2018.

(ii) As regards the congestion on the section of Tolo Highway connecting Tate’s Cairn Tunnel, the department had carried out on-site inspection and measuring work, and double white lines would be painted to separate the carriageways where necessary (i.e., on the slip road of Tolo Highway towards Tate’s Cairn Tunnel and before the junction for Kowloon Central and Tsuen Wan).

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(8) Extending the lay-by at Tai Wo bus stop

183. Mr. CHEUNG Wai-fung reported that the TD had issued work orders to the HyD in regards of the captioned works. 184. Mr. HUI Ka-kit said that the HyD was carrying out preparatory work for the advance phase of the works. After the works had been commenced, the department would report on the works progress in the relevant TTC paper. 185. Mr. Francis YAM indicated that the works site was located within Tai Wo and Po Nga Court, and enquired about the schedule and expected commencement date of the works. 186. Mr. HUI Ka-kit responded that the HyD was working on the temporary traffic diversion measures for the works, and would later consult the DC Members of the constituencies concerned. The department estimated that the works would take approximately six months to complete, but could apply for the excavation permit only after the temporary traffic diversion measures had been approved. Therefore, no specific works commencement date could be provided for the time being. (9) Setting up a bus stop at Lam Kam Road Roundabout 187. Mr. Alex LAM reported that the TD was still dealing with the space allocation issues at the bus stop among buses, minibuses and taxis. Once the relevant work had been completed, the Projects Division would amend the draft design drawings of the bus stop as quickly as possible.

VIII. Situation report on traffic improvement works completed in the past two months and to be carried out in the next three months in Tai Po District by the Highways Department (TPDC Paper No. TT 47/2018) 188. Mr. HUI Ka-kit asked Members to note the captioned paper. 189. Members did not have any comments or questions.

IX. Reports of working groups

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(1) Working Group on Provision of Public Bus and Minibus Services 190. On behalf of Ms. WONG Pik-kiu, Chairman of the Working Group, the Secretary reported as follows:

(i) The Working Group convened its fourth and fifth meetings in 2018 on 25 May and 22 June respectively. Apart from providing comments on the service, operation and management model of franchised buses for the Independent Review Committee on Hong Kong’s Franchised Bus Service, the Working Group had also continued the discussion on some of the public bus and minibus service in the district.

(ii) Regarding public bus service, the Working Group followed up on the service improvement proposals for routes N373, 73B, 271, 64K, 65K and 71K with the TD and the bus companies. Besides, some Members asked the TD and bus companies to improve the bus service for the Pak Shek Kok area, set up route N307 to provide overnight cross-harbour bus service, and consider providing more bus services for special occasions.

(iii) Regarding GMB service, some Members opined that the service of route 502 was dissatisfactory and therefore had reservation on its fare increase application. In addition, some Members hoped that the TD could strengthen its monitoring on the quality of rural minibus services.

(iv) The Working Group would continue to follow up on the situation of the afore-mentioned bus and minibus routes, and report on the actual changes, if any, to the TTC.

(2) Working Group on Improvements to Major Roads in Rural Areas 191. Mr. Patrick TANG, Chairman of the Working Group, reported that the captioned Working Group had not held any meeting recently. The Secretariat would inform Members to attend the next meeting once the date had been confirmed. (3) Working Group on Road Safety Campaign and Cycling Network Development 192. Mr. Clement WOO, Chairman of the Working Group, reported that the Working Group convened its first meeting in 2018 on 15 June, which discussed and approved the organisation of two activities, namely Tai Po Schools Road and Traffic Safety Competition cum Publicity Campaign 2018/19 and Tai Po Road and Traffic Safety Campaign Carnival 2018/19. He asked Members to support the funding applications of the activities above, and the Working Group would continue to follow up on the matters relating to the activities above and report the progress

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concerned to the TTC on a regular basis. Besides, during the afore-mentioned meeting, the Working Group agreed with the relevant department to clear the illegally parked bicycles near Serenity Park and inside the pedestrian subway near Tai Wo Neighbourhood Community Centre by invoking the Summary Offences Ordinance (Cap. 228) starting from the third quarter of 2018. The clearing work had been tentatively scheduled to be carried out every two months.

X. Applications for DC funds (TPDC Paper No. TT 48/2018)

193. The Chairman invited Members to declare their interests regarding the two DC Funds applications submitted to the TTC for vetting on this occasion as necessary. 194. The Secretary reported as follows:

(i) Pursuant to Orders 48(9) and 48(10) of the Standing Order, a Member had to declare interests if he found that he had direct personal interests, pecuniary interests or other interests in an application for DC Funds under consideration, or had links with the benefitted party or the potential benefitted party.

(ii) Based on the information gathered before the meeting, the Secretariat did not find any Member having links with the applicant organisations.

195. The Secretary asked Members having links with the applicant organisations, or having direct personal interests, pecuniary interests or other interests in the funding applications to declare interests. 196. No Members declared any interests at the meeting. 197. The Chairman said that if Members were satisfied that the two DC Funds applications set out in the captioned paper fell within the ambit of DC Funds and the activities could benefit those who lived, worked or went to schools in the district, they could consider endorsing the applications. 198. The TTC resolved to:

(i) allocate $90,500 to the Working Group on Road Safety Campaign and Cycling Network Development for organising Tai Po Road and Traffic Safety Campaign Carnival 2018/19.

(ii) allocate $40,220 to Tai Po District Primary School Heads Association for co-organising Tai Po Schools Road and Traffic Safety Competition cum Publicity

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Campaign 2018/19 with the Working Group on Road Safety Campaign and Cycling Network Development.

XI. Any other business 199. Mr. Ken YU said that the KMB was about to launch the route revision programme for route 71K. However, as he had requested that the route had to travel past Wan Tau Tong in both directions, he opposed to the revision programme of this route. 200. Ms. Flora MA responded that revising the route of 71K was one of the decided plans under the Bus Route Planning Programme 2016-17 of Tai Po District. As the revised route 71K would operate as a circular route, it would only stop at Wan Tau Tong once. She noted Mr. Ken YU’s comments and would discuss the feasibility of the suggestion with KMB, while follow-up actions would be taken later. 201. The Chairman suggested continuing to follow up on the matters relating to route 71K at the Working Group on Provision of Public Bus and Minibus Services.

XII. Date of next meeting 202. The Chairman announced that the next meeting would be held at 2:30 p.m. on 14 September 2018 (Friday). 203. There being no other business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:20 p.m.

Tai Po District Council Secretariat August 2018