Lawmakers criticise gov't proposal to hike parking fines to HK$400, warning it will cause ‘resentment'
Hong Kong's pro-establishment lawmakers have criticised the government's proposal to increase parking fines to HK$400, warning the move will cause 'resentment' amid a shortage of car parks.
The Transport and Logistics Bureau, the Transport Department, and the Hong Kong Police Force attended a meeting at the legislature on Friday for a debate on the proposal to increase tickets for traffic-related offences, including parking fines, from HK$320 to HK$400.
Lo Wai-kwok, a lawmaker representing the engineering sector, said that drivers, especially those driving commercial vehicles, suffered from a severe shortage of car parks.
'I'm sorry, but I have to say that your department is the one creating the most resentment in Hong Kong. The shortage of parking spaces is so severe. How can you handle it?' Lo said in Cantonese. He did not specify which government department he was referring to.
Lo said that in Kowloon City, trucks parked in front of their shops after work – which were not legal parking spots – were rarely ticketed in the past as the area was quiet. However, he suggested that the situation had changed.
'The other night, I saw a truck in front of a grocery store. It had its shutters down and was closed. Two beef jerkies!' Lo said, using the Cantonese slang for parking tickets. 'These shops might not even make enough in a day to cover the cost of the beef jerkies.'
Pro-establishment lawmaker Frankie Yick said that although the number of carparks for private vehicles had increased over the past few years, there was still a severe shortage of carparks for commercial vehicles in the city.
Yick said that many trucks were often ticketed when the drivers rushed to use the toilets, urging authorities to handle the fines on commercial vehicles and on private vehicles differently.
In response, Liu Chun-san, undersecretary for transport and logistics, said the policy on illegal parking fines aimed to prevent traffic congestion and ensure road safety.
As both private and commercial vehicles are involved in these issues, there will be no distinction in penalties for the two types of vehicles, Liu said.
The authorities are actively working to increase various drop-off and parking spaces, but they encounter difficulties finding suitable spaces in urban areas, he added.
According to a paper submitted to the Legislative Council's Panel on Transport last week, the city's illegal parking penalty has remained unchanged since 1994, while the Consumer Price Index has risen by more than 70 per cent.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
HKFP
3 hours ago
- HKFP
Hong Kong hails ‘overwhelming support' for legalising basketball betting, proposes 50% levy on profits
The Hong Kong government has hailed 'overwhelming support' from scholars, athletes, and youth groups for its plan to legalise basketball betting in the city, following the conclusion of a one-month public consultation last month. Ninety-four per cent of the 1,063 submissions received by the government between April and May 'expressed support or positive views' on the proposal to regulate basketball betting under the Betting Duty Ordinance, according to a paper submitted by the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau to the Legislative Council on Thursday. Those who supported the legal amendment said public demand for basketball betting has 'increased significantly,' and a regulatory regime can protect bettors' rights and interests. The government proposed in April to amend the ordinance to grant the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs the power to issue a basketball betting license to the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC). The regulatory regime will mirror the existing one for football betting, the government said. In the paper released on Thursday, the government proposed imposing a 50 per cent levy on the net profits from basketball betting. Citing responses from supporters of the legislative proposal, the government said the HKJC may donate its additional revenue to welfare and charitable purposes. The tax revenue generated may also help the government allocate more resources on social welfare, supporters said, according to the government. Financial Secretary Paul Chan first unveiled the government's intention to regulate basketball betting during his 2025 budget speech in February. He said the legalisation could tackle illegal gambling and raise tax revenue amid the city's estimated deficit of HK$87.2 billion. The finance chief projected that regulating basketball betting could generate HK$1.5 billion to HK$2 billion in tax revenue. The government acknowledged on Thursday that 36 submissions – or 3.4 per cent of the responses collected – opposed the proposal. Those who objected raised concerns about the adverse impact of basketball betting on the youth, adding illegal gambling still existed after football betting was legalised. Responding to the concerns, the government said in the paper that the impact of betting activities on young people has been 'steady' in recent years. The proportion of bettors aged between 18 and 21 also 'consistently remained below two per cent,' the government said quoting the HKJC. Some suggested the government to prohibit individuals aged between 18 and 25 from placing bets online, while others proposed imposing restrictions on the amount and number of bets that can be placed by young people. The paper submitted on Thursday is set to be discussed by lawmakers on the Legislative Council's Panel on Home Affairs, Culture and Sports on Monday. 'Disastrous move' In February, the Hong Kong Committee on Children's Rights criticised the government's plan to regulate basketball betting, saying that giving a green light to basketball betting was a 'disastrous move.' The group said popularising sports betting could 'lure' young people to bet with their limited financial resources that should otherwise go to other needs. Gambling loss may also result in psychological pressure and guilt, which may deter individuals from seeking help, it said, warning that gamblers could enter a 'vicious cycle' where they turn to lending agencies or engage in criminal activities.
HKFP
11 hours ago
- HKFP
Safeguarding national security should become Hong Kong's ‘culture,' leader John Lee says
Safeguarding national security should become a 'culture' in Hong Kong, Chief Executive John Lee has said, vowing to strengthen public education and train officers to counter 'state-level' threats. In an interview with the Beijing-backed newspaper Wen Wei Po, published on Friday, Lee said the government's effort to safeguard national security was still at its 'starting stage.' His remarks come almost five years after Beijing imposed a national security law in Hong Kong in the summer of 2020, following large-scale pro-democracy protests and unrest in 2019. The city enacted a homegrown security law, known locally as Article 23, in March 2024. Last month, subsidiary legislation for Article 23 was enacted. Six new offences were created to facilitate the work of China's Office for Safeguarding National Security (OSNS) in the city, and six sites occupied by the office were declared 'prohibited places,' with hefty penalties for intruders or spies. Lee said in his interview that Hong Kong was still 'setting up the institution' of safeguarding national security. 'We have to strengthen our information network to become more aware of the acts that endanger national security, as well as the opponents' financial capability, other resources, and manpower,' he said in Cantonese. He also said that authorities should step up the training of national security agents against state-level threats, such as spies. Spies 'could be highly discreet. Things that appear normal on the surface may involve a large conspiracy and a grand scheme behind,' he said. 'Ultimately, their motives and goals are to endanger our national security.' The city's government has been in 'good communication' with mainland Chinese authorities in training agents, he added. Meanwhile, Hong Kong will continue to promote national security education, Lee said, in a bid to make residents capable of recognising national security threats instantly. 'I hope they become more identified [with national security] and more proactive, so that safeguarding national security can become a culture,' he said. Over 300 people have been arrested for 'acts endangering national security' since Beijing's national security law came into effect. Beijing inserted national security legislation directly into Hong Kong's mini-constitution in June 2020 following a year of pro-democracy protests and unrest. It criminalised subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces and terrorist acts – broadly defined to include disruption to transport and other infrastructure. The move gave police sweeping new powers and led to hundreds of arrests amid new legal precedents, while dozens of civil society groups disappeared. The authorities say it restored stability and peace to the city, rejecting criticism from trade partners, the UN and NGOs. Separate from the 2020 Beijing-enacted security law, the homegrown Safeguarding National Security Ordinance targets treason, insurrection, sabotage, external interference, sedition, theft of state secrets and espionage. It allows for pre-charge detention of up to 16 days, and suspects' access to lawyers may be restricted, with penalties involving up to life in prison. Article 23 was shelved in 2003 amid mass protests, remaining taboo for years. But, on March 23, 2024, it was enacted having been fast-tracked and unanimously approved at the city's opposition-free legislature. The law has been criticised by rights NGOs, Western states and the UN as vague, broad and 'regressive.' Authorities, however, cited perceived foreign interference and a constitutional duty to 'close loopholes' after the 2019 protests and unrest.
RTHK
14 hours ago
- RTHK
URA to get two government sites for residential use
URA to get two government sites for residential use The government says the two sites are to be rezoned for residential use. File photo: RTHK The Chief Executive in Council has approved the granting of two sites to the Urban Renewal Authority (URA), with the plots to be rezoned for residential use. In a statement on Friday, the government said the sites on Bailey Street in Hung Hom and Tseung Kwan O Area 137 will be handed over to the URA by private treaty for a term of 50 years, at nominal premium of HK$1,000. It said, according to its understanding, the two sites will be rezoned for residential use through town planning procedures. Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn said granting the sites to the URA helps the body fulfil its urban renewal mission amid a sluggish property market. "The granting of the two sites to the URA could also benefit the community. Specifically, the Bailey Street site can create synergy with the URA's cluster of redevelopment projects in the Kowloon City area," Linn said. "As for the Tseung Kwan O Site, the original housing development of which has been deferred due to re-prioritisation of the Hong Kong Housing Authority's projects, granting the site to the URA would optimise the use of the land resources in a timely manner." The government said the site on Bailey Street, with a net area of 7,610 square metres, would have an estimated a total gross floor area of about 68,000 square metres. The site in Tseung Kwan O, it said, has a net area of about 9.15 hectares, and would have a total gross floor area of about 713,700 square metres. The URA said it welcomes the decision and will make good use of the extra revenue generated from the two sites.
