Govt seeks to extend ferry licences to 10 years

After years of inaction, the government is finally planning to extend ferry licence terms.

The Transport Advisory Commission said today the government has proposed to increase the cap from three years to effectively up to ten years.

TAC Chairman Larry Kwok said committee members welcomed Government’s proposal to amend the Ferry Services Ordinance.

Members hope to see that the Government’s proposed legislative amendments, if passed by the Legislative Council, will encourage ferry operators to make necessary longer-term planning and investment, with a view to promoting quality and sustainable ferry services for the citizens.”

Critics have complained that the existing three-year limit is too short to allow ferry operators to make long-term plans and investments.

The policy shift has likely been driven by the sharply increasing subsidies the government is handing out to ferry operators.

It is tipping HK$412 million into these private companies over the current three-year licence period, more than twice as much as the HK$190 million paid in the previous term.

Despite the subsidies, fares increased around 5%-6% over 2014-17.

While the longer licence period will give some stability and predictability, the government has no plan to rationalise the highly fragmented islands services.

Aside from Discovery Bay, which has its own service, three operators serve the outlying islands.

New World First Ferry, a division of the New World Group, services Mui Wo, Cheung Chau and the inter-island routes.

HKKF runs between Hong Kong Island, Lamma and Peng Chau, and CKS Fortune Ferry operates the Tuen Mun-Tung Chung-Tai O service.

‘Serious’ foundation problems delaying bridge opening: report

“Serious problems” of shifting foundations land are the main reason for the delay in the HK-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, according to a Sing Tao Daily report.

Officially, the bridge is to open in May, but government staff assigned to the border checkpoint still don’t know when they will start work.

The Highways Department has revealed the date has not been set. It says it is still finalising arrangements with Zhuhai and Macau and will then report to the Central Committee.

Sing Tao says prime reason is the shifting foundations of the artificial island on which the border crossing facilities are being built.

It would take the Highways Department some time to fix the leaks in the pilings at the base of the reclamation, an un-named source told the paper. “There are lots of problems and serious leaks,” the source said.

A construction industry source agreed the problem was likely to be in the foundations of the reclaimed land.

He said the main building at the border itself was a fairly straightforward design construction and unlikely to cause any delays.

The problem lay in the abnormal settlement of the foundations of the artificial island, which is causing a delay in the topside project.

The bridge, under construction since 2009, was due to open in 2016.

The Macau and Zhuhai segments have been completed, but the Hong Kong end has been hit by a series of scandals and accidents.

Another 1200 Tung Chung HOS flats on sale next week

Apartments at a new Tung Chung public housing complex will go on sale next week.

The new estate, Yu Tai Court, is on the corner of Yu Tung and Chung Yan roads, opposite the North Lantau Hospital.

It contains 1226 flats in two towers, 40 and 28 floors.

The units range in size from 277.7 to 571.6 square feet and the sales prices will range from HK$1.59 million to HK$4.28 million – a 70% discount on the market price, HK01 reports.

Source: Housing Authority

While applications will be open from March 29 to April 11, tenants won’t be moving in for two and a half years. The current estimated completion date is August 2020.

The Housing Authority is also selling another 3200 HOS apartments at Kai Tak and Cheung Sha Wa.

HK govt received 10,000 fly-tipping complaints, took 80 to court

Government departments received more than 10,000 complaints about illegal dumping of construction waste last year, but prosecuted only 80 cases.

The Environmental Protection Department, which had received 1850 complaints, was responsible for 75 of the prosecutions, according to a paper compiled for the Legco Environmental Affairs Panel.

The paper, which has been prepared ahead of a panel discussion next Monday, does not say how many of those prosecutions were successful, or what penalties were imposed.

Source: Legco Environmental Affairs Panel

But it does reveal that the total number of complaints filed to the EPD and the Lands, Highway, Food & Health and other departments had increased 39% over the three years to the end of 2017 (see chart above).

Construction waste was dumped without authorisation on a Pui O wetland plot last November (see photo above) but the EPD has taken no action against the owner, Au-Yeung Kam Ping.

Interestingly, the EPD has said it has surveillance camera footage of dumping taking place on Au-Yeung’s site. However, according to the Legco paper, no such camera exists anywhere on Lantau.

Source: Legco Environmental Affairs Panel

The Legco hearing follows a scathing report by the Audit Commission on the EPD’s repeated failures in tackling illegal waste dumping. It found that the department was almost totally reactive in dealing with the issue, waiting for public complaints rather than initiating its own inspections.

The figures above indicate that even when it receives a public complaint it rarely takes action.

The Environmental Affairs Panel hearing on the enforcement of fly-tipping laws takes place at 2:30pm next Monday.

Police probe Tung Chung links to HK and Kowloon burglaries

Police are looking for links between the Tung Chung burglaries over the weekend and the recent spate of break-ins on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon

Lantau police say they are confident the robberies at two Tung Chung estates, Visionary and La Mer, were carried out by the same team.

They say the thieves climbed up the perimeter walls and along the terraces or balconies to enter through unlocked doors or windows.

The burglars escaped with a HK$1.47 million haul of watches and jewellery from a Visionary apartment last Monday or Tuesday.

At La Mer, a part of the Caribbean Coast complex, burglars climbed on to the roof in order to break in and steal watches and jewellery estimated to be worth HK$450,000.

They also broke into an another apartment through the balcony but did not steal anything.

Lantau District Crime Squad, who are investigating the case, are probing possible connections to robberies at upscale apartments in Causeway Bay, Happy Valley, Kowloon Tong and Kowloon City.

Including Tung Chung, 13 flats were burgled across the city in two weeks.

[Updated] MTR, which manages the La Mer and Caribbean Coast properties, said in an email to Lantau News that a review of security measures was underway following the break-ins.

Lantau fox finds a home in Singapore

The Lantau fox has finally found a home at the Singapore Zoo.

The young male fox – officially a red fox despite its light colouring – was found in the Tong Fuk catchwater last July.

It was put in the care of Ocean Park, where it has since been in quarantine, but the park could not keep it because it is not compatible with its population of Arctic foxes.

In a Facebook post yesterday, the AFCD said many animal welfare organisations “had shown an interest in looking after this cute and proud red fox. Taking into consideration factors such as feeding environment, experience in caring for foxes and veterinary support, Singapore Zoo is most suitable as a new home.”

Source: AFCD video

The fox left for Singapore on March 13, AFCD said.

The new home comes with a new job – he will be used in campaigns against illegal wildlife trafficking.

The fox, just a few months old when discovered in the catchwater, is not native to Hong Kong but is a popular pet in some countries.

It was most likely abandoned by its owner or those who smuggled it into the city.

Three arrested on driving, drugs charges after Yat Tung accident

Police arrested three people after a van reversed into a flower garden near the Yat Tung Shopping Centre early Sunday morning.

Officers investigating found about 1.7 grams of suspected cocaine, worth about HK$2,100, in the vehicle.

The 29-year-old driver failed to pass a breathalyser test and was arrested for drink driving and careless driving, RTHK reported.

The two passengers, aged 31 and 21, were arrested for trafficking in dangerous drugs.

Police warn on fake banknotes found in Tung Chung

Police have issued a warning following the discovery of three fake HK$100 notes issued by a Tung Chung convenience store.

A woman named Koo complained to police that she had received the notes in change after topping up her Octopus card at the MTR station OK store on Friday .

A spokesperson for the OK group said company was concerned over the incident and was cooperating with police, Apple Daily reported.

In the past year, authorities have seized 1888 counterfeit banknotes, according to HK ET.

In January 273 counterfeit notes were reported, of which two-thirds were HK$100, an d the rest HK$500 and HK$1000 notes.

Police called on members of the public to pay close attention to the banknotes they receive.

A spokesperson said the HKMA website shows the security features of Hong Kong currency, including the color patterns and the presence of a metal line and a watermark.

‘Purple haze’ trains to trial on Tung Chung line

MTR Corp has chosen the Tung Chung line to trial its new China-made train carriages, starting tonight.

The new trains, with a striking iridescent purple colour scheme, will be tested after regular services close this evening.

But MTR customers won’t see the new carriages until after the trials are complete some time later this year, according to MTR Corp.

Tung Chung Line passengers will have to wait even longer, HK01 reports.

At this stage the MTR just plans to introduce the new carriages to the Kwun Tong, Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong Island and Tseung Kwan O lines.

The first stock arrived in January, replacing the British-made M-Train that has been operating since the 1980s.

The rest will arrive gradually over the next five years.

MTR Corp awarded a HK$6 billion contract in 2015 for 93 new carriages from China train manufacturer CRRC – the largest purchase of rolling stock the company has made.

Photos: CRRC/HK01

Caribbean Coast thieves enter from roof in $430,000 break-in

Thieves have broken into two Caribbean Coast apartments this weekend, with one resident losing valuables worth HK$430,000.

A 48-year-old man told police he had lost jewellery and watches in the break-in, which occurred at 10pm Friday in La Mer, the low-rise block in Caribbean Coast.

Police said the thieves appeared to have gained entry from the rooftop, Sing Tao reported.

In another break-in at the same complex yesterday, police said burglars had entered the apartment via the balcony.

However, the resident, a 64-year-old woman, said no items had been stolen.

The break-ins come just three days after a Visionary resident lost HK$1.47 million in valuables – one of a spate of luxury apartment robberies across Hong Kong.

These latest burglaries do not appear to be linked. Lantau District detectives are investigating.