Following is a question by the Hon Tam Yiu-chung and a written reply by the Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works, Dr Sarah Liao, at the Legislative Council meeting today (February 4) :
Question:
I often receive complaints from members of the public about rugged surfaces of slab-paved pavements which may endanger the safety of the public, especially the elderly. Regarding the quality of and repair works on these pavements, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the respective numbers of complaints received and repair works carried out by the Highways Department in respect of uneven pavement surfaces in each of the past two years;
(b) whether it will formulate measures, including the use of paving slabs that are harder and of better quality, to minimise the occurrence of uneven pavement surfaces; and
(c) of the measures in place to handle complaints from the public in a timely manner and expedite the repair works on uneven pavement surfaces?
Reply:
Madam President,
(a) The number of complaints received by the Integrated Call Centre (ICC) and Highways Department (HyD) on uneven surface of paving slab footway for the last 2 years was about 950 each year. The number of maintenance works on paving slabs was about 1050 each year.
(b) There are many factors which contribute to the uneven surface of precast paving slabs. This may be due to the heavy loading caused by illegal parking of vehicles on the footway; improper construction methods and substandard reinstatement works after road excavation. The strength and quality of the block pavers used on footways are already sufficient for the designed purposes and have not been found to be the contributing factors towards the uneven surfaces.
To enhance the workmanship, HyD promulgated guidelines on construction of paving slab footpath and offered in-house refresher courses to train up their supervisory staff to ensure good quality. In addition, HyD has incorporated contract provisions requiring workers engaged in the works to receive satisfactory training on laying of paving slabs. Defective works, once discovered, will be rejected by the Engineer on site and rectified at the contractor's own expense.
(c) HyD accepts complaints and reports from all channels, including telephone, email, letter, fax, and through receipt of "Road Damage or Defect Form". The public can also report road defect online through HyD's homepage. The HyD 24 hours complaint hotline (2926 4111) has been amalgamated with that of the ICC since end 2001 to enhance efficiency. All these channels are made known to the public via the pamphlet 'HyD Performance Pledge' and HyD homepage at www.hyd.gov.hk.
Upon receipt of complaints on uneven precast paving slabs, HyD will make prompt inspections. For road defects with potholes which endanger public safety, HyD would endeavour to complete such repair works once spotted. For other defects such as uneven or undulating surface that cover a larger area or that cannot be carried out immediately, HyD would liaise with the Transport Department/Traffic Police, where appropriate, and the affected parties, such as the adjoining shop owners, and plan for the repair works without undue delay.
Ends/Wednesday, February 4, 2004
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