Transport Department Boosts Services for Residents Displaced by Wang Fuk Court Fire in Tai Po

TD steers to enhance public transport services to support Tai Po fire residents admitted into transitional housing

The Transport Department (TD) today (December 6) said that it has been steering public transport operators to strengthen services by deploying additional vehicles and manpower to support residents affected by the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po who have been admitted into transitional housing in various districts.

Among them, an additional shuttle bus service has been launched connecting Good House in Tai Po, Tai Po Centre and Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital (AHNH); while a supplementary service of a residents' service (RS) has been introduced connecting THE STEP in Yuen Long and Tai Po Market Station. To date, the public transport arrangements of various transitional housing projects are set out below:

District

Location

Current public transport services

Additional/enhanced public transport services

Tai Po

Good House

• KMB 72C, 73P, 74E, 75K, 75P and 275R to Tai Po Market, Tsuen Wan and Kwun Tong respectively

• Green Minibus (GMB) 20B, 20C, 20E, 20G, 20R and 20T to Tai Po Market Station

• Additional RS NR540 to and from Good House and Tai Po Market Station, providing service from morning to nighttime daily

• Additional shuttle bus service to and from Good House, Tai Po Centre and AHNH, providing service from morning to nighttime daily

Lok Sin Village

• GMB 20B, 20C and 20G services enhanced

• Enhanced service by three additional vehicles under KMB 75K

Trackside Villas

• RSNR50 to and from Trackside Villas and Tai Po Market Station

• NR50 to enhance service

Yuen Long

CONCORDIA Sheung Yue River

• KMB 77K to Sheung Shui Station and Yuen Long Station

• Red minibus to Sheung Shui Station and Yuen Long

• Enhanced service by additional vehicle under KMB 77K

CONCORDIA Tsat Sing Kong

• KMB 54, 77K, 251B and 251M to Yuen Long, Sheung Shui and Tsuen Wan respectively

• GMB 608 and 608S to Yuen Long and Kam Sheung Road Station respectively

THE STEP

• RS NR976 to and from THE STEP and Kam Sheung Road Station

• KMB 76K to Long Ping and Sheung Shui

• GMB 75 to Yuen Long and Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point, 76 to Yuen Long and 78 to Tai Lam Tunnel Toll Plaza and Lok Ma Chau (San Tin)

• Red minibus to Sheung Shui Station and Yuen Long

• Additional supplementary service of RS NR976 to and from THE STEP and Tai Po Market Station, providing service from morning to nighttime daily

North

Pok Oi Sing Ping Village

• KMB 79K to Fanling and Sheung Shui Station

• GMB 52K to Fanling Station

• Service enhanced by additional vehicle under KMB 79K

For details of franchised bus and GMB services, please refer to the website of the TD (www.td.gov.hk) and franchised bus operators. The TD will continue to maintain close liaison with operating organisations of transitional housing projects concerned and public transport operators to cater for residents' commuting needs.

The Transport Department, Photo by Bastille Post

Remarks by SHYA and SLW at media session regarding follow-up work on fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po

​The Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, and the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, met the media today (December 6) regarding the follow-up work on the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, after attending a radio programme. Following are their remarks at the media session:

Reporter: Miss Mak, right now the funds are being used for immediate relief. How does the Government plan to ensure that funds allocated for the fire victims are used effectively in the long term to help them rebuild their lives? Are there any specific schemes or initiatives being developed to assist affected families? And how will the funds be allocated toward long-term housing solutions? And in terms of scaffold netting, how will the authorities help those who are unable to meet the deadline by today? Mr Sun, what specific penalties do you foresee for companies or workers who violate the proposed smoking ban that comes into effect?

Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs: For the Support Fund ("Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po"), right now we have already raised a total of $3 billion from the private sector and also from the Government's allocation fund. We hope we will make the best use of this Support Fund to help our residents being affected in this fire incident. As you know, we have already launched several relief funds to cater for their short-term needs. We will also make the best use of the Support Fund to provide long-term and sustainable support and assistance to those residents to help them rebuild their homes and let their lives resume normal.

The Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, Photo source: reference image

Secretary for Labour and Welfare: Thank you. On the prohibition of smoking at construction sites, of course, it's subject to a discussion with the Legislative Council (LegCo) upon its establishment next year, on January 1. One of the issues we have to discuss is about if the consensus among the LegCo and the administration is to prohibit smoking at construction sites in general, we have to consider what kind of penalty we have to put in place.

One of the possible options we could explore is possibly a fixed ticket, so this is one of the ideas we need to explore. But of course, the detailed proposal is to be hammered out after discussions with LegCo and also we're going to consult the trade to make sure that whatever new prohibition is going to be introduced, it is enforceable. Thank you.

The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, Photo source: reference image of Bastille Post

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the remarks.)