Ombudsman announces results of four direct investigation operations
The following is issued on behalf of the Office of The Ombudsman:
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The Office of The Ombudsman today (June 29) announced the results of a direct investigation operation into the combating of unlawful occupation of government land. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
The Office of The Ombudsman today (June 29) announced the results of a direct investigation operation into the arrangements for counter services at Licensing Offices of the Transport Department. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
The Office of The Ombudsman today (June 29) announced the results of a direct investigation operation into the combating of unlawful occupation of government land. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
The Office of The Ombudsman today (June 29) announced the results of a direct investigation operation into the Government's work on the management of countryside facilities. (Photo provided by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department) Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
The Office of The Ombudsman today (June 29) announced the results of a direct investigation operation into the arrangements for counter services at Licensing Offices of the Transport Department. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
The Office of The Ombudsman today (June 29) announced the results of a direct investigation operation into the Government's determination of slope maintenance responsibility and risk management of private slopes. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
The Office of The Ombudsman today (June 29) announced the results of a direct investigation operation into the Government's work on the management of countryside facilities. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
The Office of The Ombudsman today (June 29) announced the results of a direct investigation operation into the Government's determination of slope maintenance responsibility and risk management of private slopes. (Photo provided by the Buildings Department) Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
The Ombudsman, Mr Jack Chan, today (June 29) announced the completion of four direct investigation operations, which examine the Government's determination of slope maintenance responsibility and risk management of private slopes, the management of countryside facilities, the arrangements for counter services at the Licensing Offices of the Transport Department, and combating unlawful occupation of government land. A total of 127 improvement recommendations were made. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
The Ombudsman, Mr Jack Chan, today (June 29) announced the completion of four direct investigation operations, which examine the Government's determination of slope maintenance responsibility and risk management of private slopes, the management of countryside facilities, the arrangements for counter services at the Licensing Offices of the Transport Department (TD), and combating unlawful occupation of government land. A total of 127 improvement recommendations were made.
Mr Chan said, "The Office has strived to enhance the quality of public administration by conducting direct investigation operations to address maladministration and make improvement recommendations. I would like to express my gratitude to the Government for the importance it has attached to our investigations and recommendations and for its support. All the recommendations made in these four direct investigation operations have been accepted by the departments concerned. The Office highly appreciates their receptiveness to the recommendations and taking the initiative to propose improvement measures."
The four direct investigation operations are summarised below.
(a) Government's determination of slope maintenance responsibility and risk management of private slopes
Following the Office's first report on the Government's work on landslide prevention and mitigation and management of government slopes announced on January 8, 2026, this is the second report of the series on slope management. Private property owners are responsible for the routine inspections and maintenance of private man-made slopes, while the monitoring and regulation of slope safety fall within the ambit of various government departments. The Office's investigation has revealed inadequacies, where improvement of efficiency is especially required, in the Lands Department (LandsD)'s determination of maintenance responsibility for man-made slopes, handling of related disputes and granting of permission letters to carry out works on government land, as well as the Buildings Department (BD)'s issuance and follow-up of dangerous hillside orders and carrying out of default works. As for the inadequate maintenance of private slopes, the Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) can strengthen education and support to private property owners. Moreover, there is still substantial room for improving interdepartmental collaboration in the risk management of private slopes and enforcement. The Office has made 37 recommendations to the LandsD, the BD and the CEDD, including:
• the LandsD should notify the maintenance parties immediately upon completion or revision of the determination results for newly formed slopes and re-determination cases involving changes in cadastral records, and issue notifications to private property owners in batches based on the latest situation of slopes for determination cases already completed in the past;
• the LandsD should continue to review the progress of vetting applications for permission letters to carry out works on government land under dangerous hillside orders, and the implementation of newly established target processing times;
• the BD should classify complex cases, such as those subject to consent from owners of adjacent lots or site constraints, and strengthen its follow-up mechanism with proactive intervention, co-ordination and support for owners in difficulties to facilitate their early compliance;
• the BD should further review the workflow for default works and carefully examine potential areas for streamlining at each stage to expedite completion;
• the LandsD should join the regular co-ordination meetings between the CEDD and the BD, which should function as a standing high-level interdepartmental working group for the risk control of private slopes, to strengthen synergy; and
• the three departments should establish a monitoring mechanism for cases involving disputes over slope maintenance responsibility to ensure timely information exchange and consultation among them, and step up staff training to ensure proactive assistance to other departments as required for speedy resolution of disputes.
(b) Government's work on the management of countryside facilities
Hong Kong's country parks, hiking trails and related countryside facilities are important public resources for hiking, countryside recreation, leisure activities and enjoying nature. Proper management and maintenance of countryside facilities are vital for ensuring public safety, maintaining the normal operation of these facilities and enhancing the quality of the rural environment. This direct investigation operation examines the work of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), the Home Affairs Department and the CEDD on the management and maintenance of countryside ancillary tourist facilities. The Office's investigation has revealed room for improvement in the AFCD's internal monitoring and record-keeping of facility inspections and maintenance, maintenance time frames and standards, temporary measures for damaged facilities, supervision of contractors, information dissemination and interdepartmental collaboration. The Office has made 42 recommendations to the AFCD, including:
• comprehensively and seriously review the existing maintenance mechanism for country park facilities, explore setting maintenance time frames or indicators for works of different scales and types, and establish a regular monitoring and notification system to enable early identification and follow-up of delays;
• consider creating a performance rating system for contractors with clear and measurable indicators to assist in monitoring their performance and determining whether verbal or written warnings or further actions, such as deducting service fees and terminating contracts, are warranted;
• provide clearer and more accessible information relating to facility closures with details on closure dates, reasons for closure and expected reopening dates as far as practicable, and suggest alternative routes; and
• explore reinforcing interdepartmental co-ordination and formulate plans for ongoing collaboration on works progress, incident reporting, transport and crowd management.
(c) Arrangements for counter services at Licensing Offices of the TD
In recent years, applications for direct issue of a Hong Kong full driving licence without test (direct issue) have surged. The excess demand for counter services to process this type of applications has given rise to the presence of “queueing gangs” at the Licensing Office of the TD. The Office's investigation has revealed systemic deficiencies in the TD's arrangements for counter services, booking and queue ticketing systems, as well as implementation and execution of anti-abuse measures at its Licensing Offices. Since mid-March 2026, the TD has required advance online appointments for all "direct issue" counter services and increased service quotas, thereby largely resolving the problems associated with "direct issue" services. However, these problems and the phenomenon of "queueing gangs" exposed loopholes and shortcomings in the original systems. As other counter services remain under the original arrangements, it cannot be ruled out that similar situations may recur, and thus this matter should not be overlooked. The Office has made 33 recommendations to the TD, including:
• enhance the queue ticket dispensers for general driving licensing services, with a built-in mechanism to identify duplicate identification numbers;
• consider extending the requirement to input all applicants' identification numbers when obtaining same-day queue tickets to other counter services;
• based on the latest situation of queue ticketing for driving licensing counter services, consider revising the practice of allowing ticket holders who are significantly late to rejoin the queue anytime, such as setting a reasonable time limit for rejoining the queue;
• expedite the adoption of artificial intelligence technology to facilitate "direct issue" applications and explore its use in other types of licensing applications, with a view to enhancing overall service efficiency; and
• regularly review the existing mechanisms for monitoring and reporting problems or anomalies to ensure timely escalation to senior management for discussion.
(d) Combating unlawful occupation of government land
A persisting problem in Tin Shui Wai (the Site) has come to the Office's attention, involving the illegal erection of structures and tents on the walkway off a pedestrian subway, together with the accumulation of a large quantity of miscellaneous articles. The Office's investigation has revealed that the LandsD, as the lead department against unlawful occupation of government land, should take a more proactive approach in co-ordinating with other departments and following up on cases. There is room for improvement in recording the on-site situation, conducting investigations, gathering evidence and monitoring cases. Furthermore, the Site involved environmental hygiene issues and a slope on a public road, so the Office has also made recommendations to the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) and the Highways Department (HyD) for improvement within their ambit. In sum, the Office has made 15 recommendations to the LandsD, the FEHD and the HyD, including:
• the LandsD should continue to review the effectiveness of the land enforcement data system, and where necessary consider introducing more functions for data integration and analytical applications in a timely manner; explore more extensive use of technology to assist with routine inspections, analysing and comparing changes in occupation status to enhance enforcement efficiency; strengthen training for frontline staff in investigation and evidence collection; enhance staff understanding of their leading role and responsibilities in tackling land occupation and co-ordinating interdepartmental operations; in cases involving the mandates of different departments, remind case officers that when making referrals, they must clearly explain how the followup outcomes of other departments may affect the District Land Office's case prioritisation and subsequent enforcement actions;
• the FEHD should remind frontline staff and cleaning contractors to report cases, based on circumstances and needs, to their supervisors during site inspections and cleaning work for referral to the relevant departments;
• the HyD should remind staff, when conducting site inspections in response to complaints, to pay closer attention to the condition of road facilities under their maintenance, and carefully assess whether the complaints and related issues fall within their remit; and
• each department should share the lessons learned from this case with frontline staff to deepen their understanding of interdepartmental collaboration and how to address cases involving unlawful occupation of government land and related issues, thereby encouraging a "one-government" mindset.
The full reports of the four investigations are available on the website of the Office of The Ombudsman at www.ombudsman.hk for public information.
The Office of The Ombudsman today (June 29) announced the results of a direct investigation operation into the combating of unlawful occupation of government land. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
The Office of The Ombudsman today (June 29) announced the results of a direct investigation operation into the arrangements for counter services at Licensing Offices of the Transport Department. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
The Office of The Ombudsman today (June 29) announced the results of a direct investigation operation into the combating of unlawful occupation of government land. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
The Office of The Ombudsman today (June 29) announced the results of a direct investigation operation into the Government's work on the management of countryside facilities. (Photo provided by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department) Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
The Office of The Ombudsman today (June 29) announced the results of a direct investigation operation into the arrangements for counter services at Licensing Offices of the Transport Department. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
The Office of The Ombudsman today (June 29) announced the results of a direct investigation operation into the Government's determination of slope maintenance responsibility and risk management of private slopes. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
The Office of The Ombudsman today (June 29) announced the results of a direct investigation operation into the Government's work on the management of countryside facilities. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
The Office of The Ombudsman today (June 29) announced the results of a direct investigation operation into the Government's determination of slope maintenance responsibility and risk management of private slopes. (Photo provided by the Buildings Department) Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
The Ombudsman, Mr Jack Chan, today (June 29) announced the completion of four direct investigation operations, which examine the Government's determination of slope maintenance responsibility and risk management of private slopes, the management of countryside facilities, the arrangements for counter services at the Licensing Offices of the Transport Department, and combating unlawful occupation of government land. A total of 127 improvement recommendations were made. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
