Housing Department urged to step up efforts to tackle illegal parking

The Office of the Ombudsman has urged the Housing Department to strengthen enforcement efforts against illegal parking in public housing estates following findings that such violations were blocking emergency access.

In a direct investigation into the department’s handling of the issue, the office inspected four estates in Tuen Mun, Tsing Yi, Kwai Chung and Fanling, where geographical constraints make it infeasible to install barrier gates in all vehicular access.

In the findings, released on Thursday, the Ombudsman discovered illegally parked vehicles in all four locations, including Yau Oi Estate, Cheung Hong Estate and Queens Hill Estate.

During a night-time inspection in the fourth location, Lai Yiu Estate, the watchdog found alleged illegal parking of more than 30 vehicles, including one near the emergency vehicular access.

Ombudsman Jack Chan Jick-chi said: “Our site inspections revealed prolonged illegal parking of many vehicles in public housing estates at night; some of these vehicles may even obstruct emergency vehicles. The situation is unsatisfactory.”

The office made 12 recommendations to the Housing Department, including formulating enforcement strategies, strengthening collaboration with police, setting key performance indicators for security service contractors in their follow-up actions.

The Housing Department agreed and accepted the suggestions from the watchdog, vowing to keep enhancing its existing measures against illegal parking, especially to ensure emergency vehicular access remains unobstructed.

A spokesman said: “[We will] make timely manpower deployments and increase resources, actively explore the use of innovative technologies to enhance management effectiveness, and collaborate with other government departments to conduct joint operations.”

(Jamie Liu)