Government Removes 630 Hygiene Black Spots, Achieving 94% Improvement in City Cleanliness

Government removes 630 hygiene black spots from list

The Government today (March 31) updated a list of hygiene black spots (listed on a website: www.hygieneblackspots.gov.hk). A significant number of 630 hygiene black spots have been removed from the list, accounting for 85 per cent of the total number. The overall number of black spots has been reduced from over 730 to about 100. As more than 60 hygienic black spots, where conditions have been improved for no more than two years, are also included on this list, the overall conditions of 94 per cent of the black spots in total have been improved.

The Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, thanked various departments for their concerted efforts and co-operation over the past two years. With continuous cleanups and inspections, the Government Programme on Tackling Hygiene Black Spots has achieved good results. The cityscape and hygiene have been effectively improved, enhancing the well-being of society.

Mr Cheuk said, "At the meeting of the Task Force on District Governance held in February this year, I instructed various departments to critically review the situation of all 738 hygiene black spots, to assess which ones are suitable for removal from the black spot list and continue to follow up on those still requiring improvement. Based on subsequent reviews by the departments, the hygiene conditions at 94 per cent (696) of the hygiene black spots on the list have been markedly improved and could be considered for removal from the black spot list. However, eight per cent (64) of the black spots have not yet met the standard of continual improvement for two years, so they have to remain on the black spot list for now.

"The Government's work on tackling hygiene black spots is ongoing. The departments concerned will continue to sustain their efforts and closely monitor the hygiene conditions of these spots. Prompt actions will be taken in case of any change of circumstances."

When the Government Programme on Tackling Hygiene Black Spots was launched in August 2022, the total number of hygiene black spots was 663. After the launch of the website in January 2023, which enabled members of the public to provide feedback on hygiene black spots, the number of black spots increased to 738 in July 2023.

Under the co-ordination of the District Matters Co-ordination Task Force (later renamed as the Working Group on Environmental Hygiene and Cityscape) and with the efforts of various departments, the hygiene conditions of more than 90 per cent of the 738 black spots have considerably improved in early 2024, achieving the key performance indicator set by the Chief Executive for the Programme in the 2022 Policy Address, i.e. eliminating at least 75 per cent of the hygiene black spots by the end of 2023.

Special traffic and transport arrangements for triathlon event in Central and Wan Chai districts from this Friday to Sunday

The Transport Department (TD) today (April 3) reminded members of the public that the following special traffic and transport arrangements will be implemented in phases from this Friday to Sunday (April 4 to 6) to facilitate the holding of the triathlon event in Central and Wan Chai districts.

1. Road closures

From 10am on Friday (April 4) to about 6pm on Sunday (April 6), the section of Expo Drive between Legislative Council Road and Expo Drive Central will be temporarily closed; and

From 1am to about 2pm on Saturday (April 5) and from 1am to about 6pm on Sunday (April 6), road closure and diversion measures will be implemented in the vicinities of the Central Harbourfront and Wan Chai North (Yiu Sing Street, Lung Wo Road, Lung Hop Street, Lung Tat Path, etc). The slip road of eastbound Central-Wan Chai Bypass Tunnel from Wan Chai heading to North Point will also be temporarily closed during the above period.

2. Public transport arrangements

To tie in with the road closure arrangements in the vicinity of Central Harbourfront, the departures of cross-harbour bus route nos. H1S and H2 heading to Central will be temporarily diverted to operate via Connaught Road Central in the following time periods until the closed road is reopened to traffic:

from the first departure on Saturday (April 5) to about 2pm; and

from the first departure on Sunday (April 6) to about 6pm.

During the road closure in Central Harbourfront, the bus stop on Man Yiu Street near Two International Finance Centre will be temporarily suspended.

Members of the public are advised to make use of public transport services as far as possible to avoid traffic congestion and unnecessary delays. During the event, the TD and the Police will closely monitor the traffic situation. The Police may adjust the traffic arrangements subject to the prevailing crowd and traffic conditions in the areas. Members of the public should pay attention to the latest traffic news through radio, television or the "HKeMobility" mobile application.

For details of the special traffic and public transport arrangements, members of the public may visit the TD website (www.td.gov.hk), its mobile application "HKeMobility" or passenger notices issued by the relevant public transport operators.