A spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) said today (September 17) that representatives from various government departments conducted public education and publicity together with local District Council members in Tsuen Wan District, Kowloon City District and Kwun Tong District respectively in the past few days. They reminded shop operators and other stakeholders not to place goods or articles in public places or on carriageways causing obstruction to pedestrian and vehicular flow. Otherwise, the FEHD and the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) will take action to remove these goods or articles.
      
     FEHD officers put up banners at prominent locations in the above-mentioned three districts and, together with representatives from relevant District Offices and HKPF as well as local District Council members, distributed notices to shop operators reminding them not to extend business areas illegally by putting goods and articles in public places or they may be liable to prosecution and would be required to bear the loss caused by the removal operations.
      
     The spokesman said, "The FEHD has in recent years noticed that some shop operators, for the sake of convenience, illegally placed goods that were delivered to shops directly on the roadsides and even on the carriageways, thus extending their business areas illegally. This practice has not only caused illegal occupation of public places and obstruction of passageways, but also jeopardised the safety of road users. This has not only attracted public complaints, but also given rise to concerns from the local community and society at large.
      
     "To tackle the illegal shop extension and obstruction problems in a more effective manner, apart from stepping up prosecution against offenders, the FEHD together with the Police will launch a trial scheme in the above-mentioned three districts in late September to early October. The Police will exercise its statutory powers in removing obstructions, and the FEHD will arrange to remove the obstructions (including goods) placed on carriageways or in public places. It is hoped that the new enforcement strategy can effectively tackle the illegal shop extension problem through the collaboration of the two departments," the spokesman added.

Ends/Friday, September 17, 2021
Issued at HKT 18:11

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