The Government published in the Gazette today (June 20) the scheme for the Smart and Green Mass Transit System in East Kowloon (SGMTS-EK) in accordance with the Railways Ordinance (Cap. 519).

     The SGMTS-EK is about 7 kilometres long with nine stations. The termini will be connected to MTR Choi Hung Station and Yau Tong Station respectively, with alignment passing through Choi Wan, Shun Lee, Shun On, Sau Mau Ping, Po Tat, Ma Yau Tong and Lam Tin North, serving over 300 000 residents in Kwun Tong uphill areas.

     A Government spokesman said, "The SGMTS-EK will provide convenient transport feeder services to the uphill areas of Kwun Tong, facilitating the public in gaining access to MTR Choi Hung Station and Yau Tong Station, improving the overall transportation and unleashing the development potential of East Kowloon. Depending on the system to be adopted eventually, the estimated journey time from Po Tat to Yau Tong or Choi Hung areas is about 10 to 15 minutes. Compared with road-based transport, it is expected that taking the SGMTS-EK in peak hours will save journey time by about half."

     The Government has collected public views on the SGMTS-EK earlier from multiple channels, including consultation with the Kwun Tong District Council, Sai Kung District Council and Wong Tai Sin District Council, exchanging views with relevant Legislative Council Members, representatives from relevant rural committees and stakeholders, and organising various publicity activities. The construction of the proposed SGMTS-EK will commence soon after the authorisation of the scheme and is expected to be completed by 2033 or earlier.

     Under the Railways Ordinance, members of the public may object to the scheme in relation to the SGMTS-EK from today until August 19, 2025. Additionally, any person who has a compensable interest can claim compensation under the provisions of the Ordinance.

     The scheme and relevant plans are viewable on the Highways Department (HyD) website (www.hyd.gov.hk/en/our_projects/railway_projects/index.html). They are also available for public inspection during office hours at the Central & Western Home Affairs Enquiry Centre; the Kwun Tong Home Affairs Enquiry Centre; the Sai Kung Home Affairs Enquiry Centre; the Wong Tai Sin Home Affairs Enquiry Centre; the District Lands Office, Kowloon East; and the District Lands Office, Sai Kung. A copy of the scheme and the plans may be purchased from the HyD. For details, please call the HyD at 2762 3976.

     The Transport Department (TD) announced today (June 20) that the application numbers of the 1 500 personalised vehicle registration mark (PVRM) applications selected by lot for the 54th exercise have been published on its website (www.td.gov.hk/en/public_services/vehicle_registration_mark/pvrm_application/index.html) and posted on the notice boards of the TD's licensing offices.

     "The applicants have already been sent an acknowledgement of receipt bearing an application number. They may check the list to see whether their applications have been selected. Applicants will also be notified of the ballot results by post in batches," a department spokesman said.

     The department will later check the proposed PVRMs selected against the basic combination requirements. If, among the selected applications, more than one applicant proposes the same PVRM, only the one on which the lot falls first out of those applications will be further processed.

     If the selected PVRMs meet the basic requirements, the department will send notices by registered mail to the applicants in batches, requiring them to pay a deposit of $5 000 within the period specified in the notice. If an applicant fails to pay the deposit within that period, his or her application will be cancelled automatically and will not be further processed.

     Upon receipt of the deposit, the Commissioner for Transport will determine, with the assistance of a vetting committee, whether an application should be approved or rejected. PVRMs approved in the 54th exercise will be put up for auction in batches. Auction details will be published in newspapers and on the TD's website in due course.

     For enquiries, applicants can call the TD Hotline at 2804 2600.

     The Government published the Betting Duty (Amendment) Bill 2025 in the Gazette today (June 20).

     The Bill seeks to amend the Betting Duty Ordinance (Cap. 108) and relevant subsidiary legislation to provide for a regulatory framework for basketball betting, which includes granting the power to the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs to issue a licence for conducting basketball betting and to impose licensing conditions; the calculation and collection of betting duty (which is charged at 50 per cent of the net stake receipts, same as that for the football betting duty); and expanding the functions of the Betting and Lotteries Commission to cover matters relating to the regulation of basketball betting.

     A spokesman for the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau said, "As a matter of policy, the Government does not encourage gambling. The Government adopts a multipronged strategy to address gambling-related problems, including law enforcement against illegal gambling activities, public education on the harms of gambling addiction, provision of counselling and support services for people in need, as well as regulation of gambling activities through legislation. On the regulation of gambling activities through legislation, the policy objective of providing authorised gambling outlets is to address the public demand for certain gambling activities, preventing people from turning to illegal operators."

     The spokesman added, "If the Bill is enacted, we will, by making reference to the current regime of horse race betting and football betting, issue a licence for basketball betting to the Hong Kong Jockey Club, and to impose licensing conditions so as to minimise the negative impact of gambling on the public, especially on young people.

     "We will continue to closely collaborate with the Ping Wo Fund Advisory Committee to strengthen publicity and counselling for young people. To this end, in addition to the existing four funded counselling centres, we will allocate additional resources to establish a new centre dedicated to providing counselling and support services for youth. Public education efforts will also be strengthened to emphasise to young people that participating in illegal gambling or placing bets with an illegal bookmaker is already a criminal offence."

     The Bill will be introduced into the Legislative Council for first reading on July 2.

     â€‹The Government today (June 20) published in the Gazette the District Cooling Services Ordinance (Amendment of Schedules 1 and 2) Notice 2025. The Notice seeks to revise the service area of the Kai Tak District Cooling System (DCS) and include the DCS in Kwu Tung North New Development Area (Kwu Tung North) and Tung Chung New Town Extension (East) (Tung Chung East) in the scope of the District Cooling Services Ordinance (Cap. 624) (the Ordinance).
      
     A spokesperson for the Environment and Ecology Bureau said, "The amendments will adjust the service area of the Kai Tak DCS by including the redevelopment area surrounded by To Kwa Wan Road, Ma Tau Kok Road, Mok Cheong Street and Kowloon City Road, as well as potential user buildings of the DCS surrounded by Wang Kwong Road and Kai Cheung Road, so that the Kai Tak DCS may serve more non-domestic developments in the vicinity. In addition, the two DCS projects in Kwu Tung North and Tung Chung East are expected to be completed in 2026 and 2027 respectively. The amendments will include the two DCS projects in the scope of the Ordinance, including their capacity charge rates and consumption charge rates, to ensure the timely provision of district cooling services in Kwu Tung North and Tung Chung East. The charges, which are subject to annual adjustments according to the changes in the Composite Consumer Price Index and electricity tariff, aim to recover the capital cost and the operating cost of the DCS respectively."
      
     The Government will table the Notice before the Legislative Council at its sitting on June 25. Upon the completion of negative vetting, the amendments will come into effect on September 5.

     The Registered Contractors' Disciplinary Board has completed a disciplinary inquiry under the Buildings Ordinance (BO) and decided that a Registered General Building Contractor (RGBC) and its Authorized Signatory (AS) should be disciplined for having been negligent and/or misconducted themselves in building works (including foundation and superstructure works).

     The Board ordered the RGBC to be fined $170,000, and the AS be reprimanded. Also, the RGBC and its AS are to pay $148,200 extra in total, being the costs of the Board and the Buildings Department (BD) for conducting the inquiry. 

     The Board's written decision and order issued on June 10, was published in the Gazette today (June 20). Details are available at the following link: www.gld.gov.hk/egazette/pdf/20252925/egn202529253644.pdf.

     The case involved a construction site at Tai Shu Ha Road West in Yuen Long. Upon investigation by the BD, it was found that the RGBC and its AS had knowledge of the construction of unauthorised concrete walls below the ground floor of all houses and the club house at the site, which deviated from the approved plans in a material way. In view of the investigation results, the BD notified the Board for its consideration of disciplinary action against the RGBC and its AS under the provisions of sections 13(1) and 13(3) of the BO.

     A spokesperson for the BD reiterated that any registered contractors who have been negligent or have misconducted themselves in building works may be subject to disciplinary action under the BO.