Building a safe city (2013/06/19)

Deputy President, Hong Kong has all along been one of the safest cities in the world. According to the 2012 Prosperity Index published by the Legatum Institute of the United Kingdom, Hong Kong's ranking in safety and security has risen significantly from 18th in 2011 to fifth. The overall crime rate of Hong Kong was 1 064 cases per 100 000 population in 2012, which is far lower than other major cities such as London, Tokyo, Toronto, New York and Paris. The law and order of Hong Kong is the basis on which we receive visitors and attract investments, and is a competitive edge that must be recognized.

In my opinion, if we simply look at the ranking list on China's safest cities released by the China Institute of City Competitiveness and conclude that Hong Kong is not a safe city, it would be too one-sided and unfair. One of the features of a safe city is that there are no particularly serious safety incidents in the year. In 2010, Hong Kong was top on the list. But then in 2011 and 2012, the Fa Yuen Street fire and the Lamma maritime disaster had caused Hong Kong's ranking to drop to below 30. Nonetheless, we cannot conclude that the overall safety environment of Hong Kong is deteriorating. After consolidating and comparing various figures, I hold that Hong Kong is still one of the safest cities in China and even the world.

Yet, there is one thing which is worthy of our reflection. The spate of incidents that happened in recent years appeared to be "accidents" on the surface, yet it has actually reflected the potential safety problems associated with the ageing buildings, ageing facilities and ageing population. The authorities must look squarely at these hazards and actively address them.

Firstly, it is the safe living. Apparently, the heavy casualties caused by the collapse of tenement buildings in To Kwa Wan and the tragic fire at Fa Yuen Street were associated with the ageing buildings and lack of fire escape facilities. Although the Buildings Department has launched the mandatory building and window inspection schemes targeting old buildings since June 2012, the coverage of the schemes is only confined to unauthorized building works located in common areas and external walls and does not cover the interiors of flats. Thus, the effectiveness is yet to be known. The exorbitant property prices and rents have made "sub-divided units" not only the choice of low-income families, but also the single youths. To increase revenue, some unscrupulous property owners have disregarded building safety and partitioned their units to provide independent kitchens and toilets. Interior structural walls have been removed and the floor platform raised for embedding drains and water pipes, which have imposed additional burden on the buildings. Worse still, the electrical wirings are messy and fire escapes are obstructed. Thus, the safety problems have gradually surfaced, which are pretty worrying. I hope that the authorities will not see the inspections as a formality but will seriously enforce the law.

Secondly, it is the safety of public facilities. The findings of the inquiry into the Lamma maritime disaster were very shocking. The sinking of Marine Department's surveying vessel, Hydro 1, 13 years ago due to a hole on the watertight cabin has failed to draw serious attention. The sinking of both Hydro 1 and Lamma IV does share some similarities, both attributable to the loss of function of the watertight cabin. If the authorities can identify the cause of the problem, conduct a review and promptly formulate the relevant measures, the ending of the maritime disaster may be completely different. Furthermore, on 7 April 2013, an air bridge collapsed at the Chep Lap Kok Airport, injuring one worker and damaged a Cathay Pacific plane. Although the accident has not resulted in heavy casualties, it has reflected the ageing public facilities at the airport. The authorities must learn the lesson and make immediate associations by identifying the potential hazards of various public facilities throughout the territory, so as to avoid the recurrence of catastrophic accidents. The loss of 39 valuable lives in the Lamma maritime disaster is indeed a lesson too painful to learn.

Lastly, it is the transport safety. According to the findings of a survey conducted by the Occupational Safety and Health Council on the health conditions of professional drivers in 2010, 52% of the interviewed drivers indicated that they had been indisposed over the past three months, and 39% of non-franchised bus drivers felt dizzy or fell asleep while driving; among them 52.9% only slept for five to six hours a day. Between 2009 and 2012, investigation of traffic accidents by the police showed that 55 cases might be related to poor health of drivers. At present, franchised bus companies require bus captains aged 50 or above to undergo annual body check. And yet, many drivers of non-franchised buses, public light buses or taxis are still not mandatorily required to undergo body check. Among them, coach drivers have the longest working hours under poor working environment. Even though employers are willing to enhance the remuneration package, it is difficult to attract young entrants. In the face of the ageing problem of professional drivers, the authorities proposed to amend the law to lower the age at which drivers are mandatorily required to undergo body check to 60. I support this proposal. Also, they proposed that the employers and employees should negotiate for a more satisfactory working time schedule so that professional drivers will have sufficient rest time, thereby minimizing the safety problems arising from long driving hours.

Hong Kong is a metropolis, but behind the prosperity is the indisputable fact that both the people and the facilities are ageing. The authorities must look squarely at this problem and should not let our thinking and measures grow old. Instead, they must practicably and seriously identify solutions and prevent the recurrence of the tragedy.

Deputy President, I so submit.