Shun Yuen Construction Company Limited carried out road maintenance works on Castle Peak Road, Yuen Long at night, breaching the conditions of a construction noise permit (CNP). The company was convicted and fined $14,000 at Fanling Magistrates' Courts today (December 10) for contravening the Noise Control Ordinance (NCO). 

     A spokesman for the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) said the department received a complaint from a member of the public in April that a contractor carried out road re-surfacing works on Castle Peak Road – Ping Shan, Yuen Long at night, creating excessive noise and disturbances. The EPD immediately sent officers to the scene for an investigation and confirmed that the total of breakers used by the contractor involved for carrying out the road works exceeded the number that was allowed, and that no noise enclosure was erected to reduce the construction noise, breaching the conditions of the relevant CNP. The EPD immediately revoked the CNP for the concerned works and initiated prosecution action against the contractor involved under the NCO.

     The spokesman said that the NCO aims to protect the public from disturbance of their rest. Construction contractors should arrange for construction works to be carried out during daytime and non-general holidays as far as possible to minimise disturbances to nearby residents. If road maintenance works need to be carried out at night due to busy traffic in certain road sections during the daytime period, construction contractors must obtain a CNP from the EPD in advance, and must strictly comply with the conditions of such a CNP. Otherwise, it constitutes an offence. Offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $100,000 on first conviction. A maximum fine of $200,000 may be imposed on a subsequent conviction.

      Special traffic arrangements will be implemented in Happy Valley tomorrow (December 11). The arrangements will come into effect one and a half hours before the start of the first race and will last until the crowds have dispersed after the race meeting.

A. Traffic arrangements before the commencement of the first race

1. Road closure

     Southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Queen's Road East and the up-ramp outside Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) will be closed except for vehicles heading for Aberdeen Tunnel.

2. Traffic diversions

– Southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Village Road and the up-ramp outside HKJC will be re-routed one way northbound;
– Traffic along eastbound Queen's Road East heading for Wan Chai and Happy Valley will be diverted to turn left to Morrison Hill Road;
– Traffic along southbound Morrison Hill Road heading for Happy Valley will be diverted via Sports Road and Wong Nai Chung Road;
– Traffic along Queen's Road East cannot turn right to Wong Nai Chung Road except for vehicles heading to Aberdeen Tunnel;
– Traffic from Cross Harbour Tunnel heading for Queen's Road East will be diverted via the down-ramp leading from southbound Canal Road flyover to Morrison Hill Road to turn right at the junction of Wong Nai Chung Road and Queen's Road East; and
– Traffic from Cross Harbour Tunnel heading for Happy Valley or Racecourse will be diverted via the down-ramp leading from southbound Canal Road flyover to Canal Road East, southbound Morrison Hill Road, Sports Road and Wong Nai Chung Road.

B. Traffic arrangements before the conclusion of race meeting

1. Road closure

     The following roads will be closed from about 35 minutes before the start of the last race:

– The up-ramp on Wong Nai Chung Road outside HKJC leading to Aberdeen Tunnel;
– Southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Queen's Road East and the up-ramp leading to Aberdeen Tunnel;
– Southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Village Road and the Public Stands of HKJC;
– Westbound Leighton Road between Wong Nai Chung Road and Canal Road East; and
– Southbound Morrison Hill Road between Leighton Road and Queen's Road East.

     In addition, southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between the up-ramp leading to Aberdeen Tunnel and the Public Stands of HKJC will be closed from about 10 minutes before the start of the last race.

2. Traffic diversions

     The following traffic diversions will be implemented from about 35 minutes before the start of the last race:

– Eastbound Queen's Road East at its junction with Morrison Hill Road will be reduced to one-lane traffic heading for northbound Canal Road flyover;
– Traffic from Cross Harbour Tunnel heading for Wan Chai will be diverted via the down-ramp leading from southbound Canal Road flyover to Canal Road East, U-turn slip road beneath Canal Road flyover, Canal Road West and Hennessy Road;
– Traffic from Cross Harbour Tunnel heading for Happy Valley will be diverted via the down-ramp leading from southbound Canal Road flyover to Canal Road East, eastbound Leighton Road and Wong Nai Chung Road;
– Traffic along southbound Morrison Hill Road will be diverted to turn left to eastbound Leighton Road;
– Traffic along southbound Morrison Hill Road heading for Happy Valley will be diverted via eastbound Leighton Road and Wong Nai Chung Road; and
– Traffic along westbound Leighton Road will be diverted to Wong Nai Chung Road.

C. Learner drivers prohibition

     Learner drivers will be prohibited to turn left from Caroline Hill Road to Leighton Road between one and a half hours before the start of the first race and one hour after the last race. In addition, learner drivers will be prohibited from accessing the following roads within the above period of time:

– Shan Kwong Road between Yik Yam Street and Wong Nai Chung Road;
– Village Road between its upper and lower junctions with Shan Kwong Road;
– Percival Street between Hennessy Road and Leighton Road;
– Canal Road East; and
– The service road leading from Gloucester Road to Canal Road flyover.

D. Suspension of parking spaces

     Parking spaces on southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Sports Road and Blue Pool Road will be suspended from 11am to 7pm during day racing, from 4.30pm to 11.59pm during evening racing, and from 5pm to 11.59pm during night racing.

     Any vehicles found illegally parked within the precincts of the above affected areas will be towed away without prior notice.

     Actual implementation of road closure and traffic diversion will be made by the Police at the time depending on traffic conditions in the areas. Motorists should exercise tolerance and patience, and follow the instructions of Police on site.

     â€‹The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) today (December 10) announced that the department collected eight liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) samples from auto-LPG filling stations and LPG terminals on a random basis in November 2019 for laboratory tests. The results showed that the LPG quality of all these samples complied with auto-LPG specifications.
 
    The detailed test results are available on the EMSD's website (www.emsd.gov.hk/en/rl/lpg_sample_analysis_simple). Enquiries can also be made to the EMSD's hotline on 2333 3762.
 
     In addition, the EMSD has been vetting independent third-party test reports submitted by LPG supply companies for each shipment to ensure that the quality of imported LPG complies with the specified requirements.

     Hong Kong Customs yesterday (December 9) seized about 1.8 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine and about 40 grams of suspected crack cocaine with an estimated market value of about $1.3 million in Cheung Sha Wan.

     During an anti-narcotics operation in Cheung Sha Wan yesterday afternoon, Customs officers intercepted a man and found a small quantity of suspected methamphetamine inside his shoulder bag. The 52-year-old man was then arrested.

     After follow-up investigation, Customs officers escorted the arrested man to a factory unit nearby where about 1.8kg of suspected methamphetamine, about 40g of suspected crack cocaine and a batch of drug packaging paraphernalia were further seized.

     Investigation is ongoing.

     Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.

     Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).

  

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Housing Authority:
 
     A total of 3 701 flats in five new non-standard blocks of the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA)'s four existing public rental housing (PRH) estates are tentatively scheduled for completion between January and June 2020. Their rents will be set at the best rent levels in the Urban District.

     The best rent for public rental housing flats in Urban District is $85.5 per square metre per month. This rate will apply to all the flats in this phase. They include 754 flats in Fu Fai House of Fu Shan Estate and 1 033 flats in Wui Chi House of Tung Wui Estate in Wong Tai Sin; 826 flats in Yue Chun House of Yue Wan Estate in Eastern, Hong Kong Island; and 1 088 flats in Long Tin House and Ching Tin House of Pak Tin Estate in Sham Shui Po.

     "Under this rent-fixing exercise, rents of over 36 per cent of the flats are below $2,500 per month," a spokesman for the HA said today (December 10), adding that PRH rents, which are inclusive of rates, management fees and maintenance costs, are heavily subsidised.

     "PRH applicants who are allocated new flats but cannot afford the rents may request refurbished flats at lower rents, and they may also apply for assistance under the Rent Assistance Scheme for flats in older block types where applicable," the spokesman added.