Tagged: Tung Chung
After peak smog yesterday, another bad-air day ahead
After a day of hazardous air yesterday, Hong Kong is set for a hot, hazy Sunday.
Late Saturday afternoon 15 districts, including Tung Chung, reached 10+, or ‘serious’ – the highest level on the government Air Quality Health Index (AQHI).
At that level, the public is advised to reduce outdoor activity to a minimum, and children and the elderly are asked to avoid staying outdoors.
The index forecasts moderate to very high levels this afternoon.
The Environmental Protection Department says light winds and intense sunshine, under the influence of an anti-cyclone, are trapping pollutants and enhancing photo-chemical smog activity.
The Hong Kong Observatory forecasts a likely change on Monday as stronger east to northeast winds arrive.
The Observatory has also issued a hot weather warning, with temperature expected to reach 34 degrees.
Hong Kong air quality trackers
- Environment Protection Department AQHI
- Weather Underground of Hong Kong Index (measures Hong Kong readings using US AQI methodology)
- China government AQI (includes all areas of Hong Kong)
(Photo: Headline Daily)
Govt brushes aside fears of bridge parking squeeze in Tung Chung
The Transport Dept has brushed aside concerns over a lack of parking spaces in Tung Chung after the opening of the Hong Kong-Macau Bridge.
Islands District Councillor and DAB vice-chairman Holden Chow says he was “disappointed” by the department’s attitude, which he believes will lead to bridge travellers taking up scarce parking spots in Tung Chung.
“The 650 parking spaces currently planned by the government are definitely not sufficient to meet future needs,” he told a council meeting last week. By comparison Macau and Hengqin at the other end of the bridge have 10,000 parking spots, he pointed out.
“There will certainly be a problem with parking spaces in Tung Chung Town Centre.”
In a written response, the Transport Dept said the government had built a public transport interchange which was accessible from all parts of the city via different types of transport.
“The government expects most visitors to and from the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge will use public transport service,” it said.
However it said the department would consider the need for parking lots and other facilities on the bridge landing zone following the completion of a Development Bureau study.
The bridge, expected to open late this year or early next, has been forecast to carry 14,000 vehicles daily.
North Lantau Hospital expansion to meet growth in elderly population
North Lantau Hospital, which opened just four years ago, is about to expand to meet the needs of Hong Kong’s growing aged population.
But the initial expansion will be to provide support services for the Hospital Authority (HA).
The authority is planning a support services centre that will carry out laundry, catering and data centre services for the city’s public hospitals. It will have capacity for 12.5 million meals and 27.5 million kg in laundry annually.
Services centre planned for vacant site on Yu Tung Rd
The city’s hospital services face a steep rise in demand over the next 20 years, with the population expected to grow 10% and the number of elderly residents forecast to nearly double, the HA said.
The HA can’t yet say what extra beds or medical services it will provide for Lantau residents.
It says the second phase of the development will be for capacity growth by using the residual portion of the reserved site.
The HA says it wants to begin work as soon as possible. The Islands District Council will discuss the plans at its scheduled meeting on Monday.
Tung Chung air hits danger level as Amy Yung calls for EPD answers
Tung Chung’s air quality yesterday hit dangerous levels, with more bad air on its way.
The government Air Quality Index (AQI) reached 10+ – its highest level – in Tung Chung, Tuen Mun and Yuen Long on Tuesday afternoon, a result of high temperatures and light winds.
The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) says the hot, still conditions are the result of a subtropical ridge which will continue today. It said in a statement:
Hong Kong will remain very hot with sunny periods. Showers will increase gradually in the latter part of this week. It is expected that pollution levels will remain higher than normal until then.
The department warns that when AQI readings reach the 10+ or “serious” level, children, elderly and people with heart or respiratory illnesses are advised to stay indoors.
The general public is advised to reduce to the minimum outdoor physical exertion, and to reduce to the minimum the time of their stay outdoors, especially in areas with heavy traffic.
Islands District Councillor Amy Yung has called on the EPD to explain the “continued deterioration of air quality in Tung Chung.”
In a question tabled prior to yesterday’s readings, Yung asked EPD officials to attend next Monday’s council meeting to advise what measures have been formulated to improve Tung Chung’s air.
Tung Chung historically has had some of the city’s worst air quality, a result of its proximity to the airport and the Pearl River as well as the basin effect of mountains on three sides.
The area is in the throes of a massive expansion in population, from 80,000 today to an estimated 268,000 in the middle of the next decade.
A maximum of 34.3 degrees was recorded at Chek Lap Kok yesterday. At 11:45 today the temperature at Chek Lap Kok was 31.1 degrees.
Coin collection truck in Tung Chung this week
Residents can turn unwanted local coins into notes or Octopus credit at the government coin truck that is visiting Tung Chung this week.
The free service, run by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, collects excess Hong Kong currency coins and re-circulates them to meet demand.
The coin cart will be outside the Tung Chung Health Centre at Fu Tung Estate between 10am-7pm. The free service operates every day until Sunday (except Wednesday). It will return on October 23-29.
The HKMA has collected HK$354 million in coins since 2014.
Police seize $3m in contraband in Tung Chung raid
Police seized HK$3 million worth of contraband electronics and coral goods early yesterday morning following an overnight operation in Tung Chung.
In a joint operation by Marine Police and Customs say they intercepted six suspected smugglers loading a sampan at the Ma Wan Chung pier at 1am Wednesday morning, Oriental Daily reported.
The men escaped in the boat, but left behind goods including mobile phones, hard disks, tablets, electronic watches and coral. The Customs Department is continuing to investigate.
Windfall: Investor pockets 30% profit on Tung Chung parking space
As Hong Kong’s property price spiral continues, a Tung Chung investor has pocketed a cool HK$290,000 gain from the sale of a parking space.
The ground floor parking space in Tung Chung Crescent, purchased in January for HK$1.04 million, sold again in July for HK$1.3 million.
But it’s not even the most expensive parking space in the private housing estate.
According to Centaline Tung Chung deputy regional manager Ivan Chan, another parking spot sold for HK$1.398 million – the most expensive in Tung Chung. Two other spaces sold for HK$1.328 million and HK$1.39 million, Ming Pao reported.
Tung Chung Crescent parking spots are popular for property investors because the number is limited and while only tenants can use them, anyone can buy or sell them.
In nearby Century Link a scheduled auction last Sunday of parking spaces was delayed because of a typhoon warning, but still received bids of HK$1.23-$1.3 million.
Here come the green minibuses
Lantau is about to get its first minibus service.
The Transport Department has called a tender for a green minibus service between the airport, the new bridge border crossing and Tung Chung North.
The circular route will be 22 kilometres long, with buses departing on average every 10 minutes apart. Fares will be capped at HK$11.30.
The service is expected to start when the Hong Kong-Macau bridge opens either late this year or in the first half of next year.
Cheung Honwah, chairman of the Hong Kong Public Minibus Bus Driver Association Association, said a number of owners were interested in the bidding for the contract, which also includes new routes in Tseung Kwan O, Tiu Keng Leng and Yuen Long, HK01 reported.
Cheung said he hoped the new service would be extended to include the Tung Chung MTR station.
In addition to the minibus service, the Transport Department is planning three new regular bus routes to carry passengers to the airport from Tung Chung, Sunny Bay and Disney, HK01 said.
Minibus route around airport and Tung Chung North
Bus company and driver sued over fatal Tung Chung accident
The estate of a man fatally struck by a bus in Tung Chung last year is sueing the bus company and the driver.
A 38-year-old chef, Ng Konghung, was hit by a no. 34 mini-bus while crossing the road outside the Ngong Ping 360 cable station on January 24 last year. The driver was given a suspended four-month sentence and fined $5000.
Ng’s estate filed in the High Court earlier this week, seeking damages from Kwoon Chung Motors – the owner of the New Lantao 1973 Bus Company – and the driver, Oriental Daily reported.
Tung Chung east reclamation to begin by year-end
Work on the Tung Chung East housing development will start by year-end and take six years to complete, according to a government tender document.
The Civil Engineering and Development Dept yesterday issued a tender for the reclamation of 130 hectares from Tung Chung Bay and the construction of 4.9km in seawalls and infrastructure.
It is the biggest part of what is officially known as the Tung Chung New Town Extension, which the government says is one of its most important land supply projects.
Under the project, the CEDD will build 49,400 new apartments and 877,000 sq metres of commercial space in developments in east and west Tung Chung in the next seven years.
Tung Chung east extension. Source: CEDD
The new apartments will house approximately 144,000 people, CEDD says. Combined with other developments underway, they expect Tung Chung’s population will increase from approximately 80,000 today to 268,000.
The first residents are expected to move in in 2023.
The issue of the tender follows Legco’s approval of HK$20.5 billion for the first funding tranche last month.
A new MTR station is planned for Tung Chung East, but is not likely to be completed until 2026.
Lantau Confidential 