Merchant Shipping (Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships) Bill to be gazetted on Friday
The Merchant Shipping (Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships) Bill will be published in the Gazette on Friday (March 21) to enact legislation to implement the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, 2009 (HKC).
The HKC was adopted in Hong Kong, China on May 15, 2009, at the Diplomatic Conference of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) held in Hong Kong, China from May 11 to 15, 2009. It aims to ensure that ship recycling does not pose any unnecessary risk to human health, safety or the environment by addressing various issues in relation to ship recycling concerned by the IMO's member states and other relevant parties. It will enter into force globally on June 26, 2025. The Central People's Government is considering ratifying the HKC and will decide on the applicability of the HKC to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
The HKC regulates both ships and ship recycling facilities. Although some objectives of the HKC align with those of the local legislation, existing provisions of the local legislation are not enough to fully implement the requirements of the HKC. A new ordinance with a new regulation will hence be enacted, with the new ordinance to be enacted first to ensure that it will be in place before the global entry-into-force date.
A spokesman for the Transport and Logistics Bureau said, "Hong Kong is the fourth largest shipping register in the world with more than 2 300 ships. We aim to ensure that these ships will fully comply with the requirements of the HKC, which is conducive to promoting sustainable development for ships that have reached the end of their operating life and protection of workers and the environment in the context of ship recycling. We believe the shipping industry and the public will welcome the enactment of such a Bill."
The Panel on Economic Development of the Legislative Council (LegCo) and the Hong Kong Fleet Operation Advisory Committee have been consulted. Members supported the proposal.
The Bill will be introduced into the LegCo on March 26.
Interdepartmental working group on festival arrangements releases latest information and appeals to public and visitors to plan cross-boundary trips early during New Year holidays
The interdepartmental working group on festival arrangements, led by the Chief Secretary for Administration, released the following information today (December 30) on the traffic and public transport arrangements during the New Year holidays.
From January 1 to 4, in anticipation of a large number of members of the public, visitors and cross-boundary vehicles visiting various land-based boundary control points (BCPs), the Transport Department (TD) urged cross-boundary travellers to use public transport services between Hong Kong and the Mainland or Macao, plan their trips early and allow sufficient travelling time. The TD has been steering local and cross-boundary public transport operators (PTOs) to strengthen their services during the New Year holidays to meet passenger demand, including:
Early morning of New Year's Day
(1) Lo Wu Control Point (passenger clearance services to be extended to 2am on New Year's Day)
The operating hours of the MTR East Rail Line will be extended correspondingly, with the last departure from Admiralty to Lo Wu extended to 0.56am;
(2) Lok Ma Chau/Huanggang Port (LMC/HG Port) (24-hour operations as usual)
Travellers may take the MTR East Rail Line or other public transport services to Sheung Shui, interchange with franchised bus route No. N73 to Lok Ma Chau (San Tin) Public Transport Interchange, and then transfer to the Lok Ma Chau-Huanggang cross-boundary shuttle bus (Yellow Bus) to the Mainland;
PTOs will also strengthen the LMC/HG Port short-haul cross-boundary coach and the Yellow Bus services to cater for the peak passenger demand;
(3) Shenzhen Bay Port (SBP) (passenger and passenger vehicle clearance services to provide 24-hour operations)
Franchised bus operators will operate two special overnight bus routes, Nos. NB2 and NB3, to provide services to and from Yuen Long/Tin Shui Wai and Tuen Mun respectively during the overnight period. Travellers may also take the MTR Tuen Ma Line to Yuen Long/Tin Shui Wai and Tuen Mun Stations, and interchange with route Nos. NB2 and NB3 to SBP respectively;
The governments of Guangdong and Hong Kong have also allocated special cross-boundary coach quotas for the operation of overnight services; and
(4) Hong Kong Port of Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) (24-hour operations as usual)
The frequency of the HZMB shuttle bus (Gold Bus) will be increased, if needed.
New Year's Day daytime and long weekend of Mainland (January 1 to 4)
BCP shuttle bus services will be strengthened, including increasing the frequencies of the Gold Bus and the Yellow Bus to cater for passenger demand;
Cross-boundary coach services will be strengthened, including allocating additional cross-boundary coach quotas and enhancing the LMC/HG Port short-haul cross-boundary coach services;
The frequency of local franchised bus B routes connecting various land-based BCPs will also be increased to a level higher than that of normal weekends, and the operators will reserve sufficient vehicles and manpower to meet passenger demand; and
The train services of the MTR East Rail Line between Admiralty and Lo Wu/Lok Ma Chau will be enhanced at different times during the above period to provide convenience for the travelling public and visitors.
Travel outside peak periods
The TD anticipates that the waiting time for public transport services, including the Gold Bus and the local franchised bus B routes, may be longer during peak periods of cross-boundary travel. Passengers should avoid travelling during peak hours, observe order while queuing and heed advice from on-site police and PTO staff. Passengers planning to take cross-boundary coaches are also advised to reserve their coach tickets in advance.
Of note, motorists of cross-boundary private cars crossing the border are advised that, subject to actual traffic conditions, special traffic arrangements may be implemented at the Lok Ma Chau and the Shenzhen Bay Port during New Year holidays to secure smooth access for public transport vehicles to the above BCPs. Cross-boundary private cars may experience longer waiting times when crossing the BCPs during the peak periods. Motorists should pay extra attention to variable message signs and traffic signs along the roads. In case of traffic congestion, they should remain patient and follow the instructions of on-site police.
Information dissemination
For the HZMB, to plan their journeys ahead, members of the public can make use of the TD's HKeMobility mobile app or website (hkemobility.gov.hk/en/traffic-information/live/cctv) to access snapshots of traffic conditions at inbound and outbound vehicle plazas of the HZMB Hong Kong Port. They can also check real-time situations of the vehicle clearance plaza of the Zhuhai Port through the WeChat official accounts "hzmbzhport" or "zhuhaifabu" (traffic-info.gzazhka.com:5015/#/) (Chinese only). Moreover, motorists are reminded to always comply with the traffic control measures implemented by the Zhuhai authority when driving on the HZMB Main Bridge. Vehicles must not occupy the emergency lane unless instructed by the Zhuhai authority.
Residents and visitors may visit "Easy Boundary" (www.sb.gov.hk/eng/bwt/status.html?type=outbound), a one-stop information platform on immigration clearance launched by the Security Bureau, or the HKeMobility to obtain useful information, including the respective average waiting time for passengers and private cars at land-based BCPs, as well as for the Gold Bus and Yellow Bus to plan their trips and save waiting time. Members of the public are advised to check the latest traffic news through radio and television broadcasts, the TD's website (www.td.gov.hk) and the HKeMobility.
The TD's Emergency Transport Co-ordination Centre operates round the clock to closely monitor the traffic conditions and public transport services of various districts, the BCPs and major stations, and to implement contingency measures when necessary to meet service demands.
The interdepartmental working group on festival arrangements is tasked with holistically co-ordinating and steering the preparatory work of various government departments for welcoming visitors to Hong Kong during the New Year's Eve and New Year holidays, as well as strengthening information dissemination to enable the public and visitors to plan their itineraries according to the latest situation.
Source: AI-found images
