Attention TV/radio announcers:
Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:
Here is an item of interest to swimmers.
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (February 25) that Lido Beach and Casam Beach in Tsuen Wan District will be temporarily closed from 2.30pm to 5pm for inspection of the shark prevention nets. Beachgoers are advised not to swim at the beaches during the closure period.
The Water Supplies Department (WSD) announced that an agent of a subdivided flat in Sheung Shui, New Territories, was convicted today (February 25) of overcharging its subdivided unit (SDU) tenants for water, in contravention of regulation 47 of the Waterworks Regulations. The agent pleaded guilty to six counts of offences at the Fanling Magistrates' Courts.
This is the 25th similar conviction since the first conviction in June 2022, with associated fines ranging from $1,000 to $22,000.
A spokesman for the WSD said that the Waterworks (Amendment) Ordinance 2024 (the amended WWO) has strengthened the power of the Water Authority in evidence collection and information disclosure during the investigation of suspected cases of overcharging for water. The Water Authority can request the landlords, their agents, etc, to provide the tenancy agreement, receipt or payment record for charges for water. Failure to comply with such a request can be an offence, and the offender is liable on conviction to a maximum fine of $10,000 and a further fine of up to $1,000 for each day the offence continues. It is anticipated that there will be more prosecution cases. The maximum penalty for overcharging SDU tenants for water has been raised to $25,000 to deter this illegal act. Moreover, providing false or misleading information to the Water Authority is also an offence with a maximum penalty of a $25,000 fine and six months' imprisonment.
The WSD spokesman strongly appealed to landlords to apply for the installation of separate water meters for their SDUs, which can greatly reduce the risk of contravening the amended WWO. The WSD encourages the public to report any illegal act of overcharging SDU tenants for water for follow-up and investigation by the department. The public can call the WSD Hotline 3468 4963 or WhatsApp 5665 5517 to apply for the installation of separate water meters for SDUs. The WhatsApp hotline also handles matters relating to water overcharging in SDUs. Alternatively, the public can call the WSD Customer Enquiry Hotline 2824 5000 to report water overcharge cases. After calling the hotline and choosing a language, they can press "7" for reporting to staff directly.
​The Transport Department (TD)'s first online auction of vehicle registration marks (VRMs) was completed successfully yesterday (February 24). A total of 50 Ordinary VRMs were sold at the five-day auction, with total proceeds of $632,000.
A spokesman for the TD said, "The first online auction was held via the E-Auction website (e-auction.td.gov.hk) from noon on February 20 to noon on February 24. A total of 50 Ordinary VRMs were put up for auction and were completed successfully yesterday. Operation of the E-Auction was smooth, and the functions of the platform, including real-time bid, auto-bid (during auction), and pre-set auto bid (before auction), also performed well. During the auction, bidders could participate via the Internet and place bids. The entire auction process and the subsequent payment were conducted online."
Among the 50 Ordinary VRMs sold with total proceeds of $632,000, the VRM "AA 681" fetched the highest price of $60,000. The auction proceeds will go to the Government Lotteries Fund for charity purposes after the deduction of expenses incurred in conducting the auction. Details of the auction results are available on the E-Auction website.
Successful bidders shall follow the TD's instructions in the notification email to log into the E-Auction within 48 hours from the issuance of the email and complete the necessary processes, including completing the Purchaser Information for the issuance of the Memorandum of Sale of Registration Mark (Memorandum of Sale) and making auction payment for the relevant VRM(s) online. They will receive another notification email around seven working days after successful payment has been confirmed for generating the Memorandum of Sale from the E-Auction system.
The VRMs allocated through the auction can be assigned only to motor vehicles registered in the name of the purchasers. The purchaser shall, within 12 months after the issuance of the Memorandum of Sale, arrange to assign the registration mark to a motor vehicle registered in the name of the purchaser. If the purchaser fails to assign the registration mark within 12 months, the allocation of the mark concerned will be cancelled and arranged for reallocation in accordance with statutory provisions without prior notice to the purchaser.
Members of the public may refer to the E-Auction website for the relevant information. Please call the E-Auction hotline (3583 3980) or email (e-auction-enquiry@td.gov.hk) for enquiries.
The next online auction will be held from March 20 to 24, with details to be announced in due course. The TD will conduct a review of the e-Auction operations and gradually increase the number of auctions.
The Labour Department (LD) will hold a public talk entitled, "Chemical and Occupational Health", on March 3 (Monday) at 6.30pm at the Lecture Theatre of the Hong Kong Central Library, 66 Causeway Road, Causeway Bay. The talk will elaborate on how chemicals enter the human body and their impact on health, as well as the prevention of chemical hazards.
The LD will hold another talk entitled "Infection Control in the Workplace" on March 13 (Thursday) at 3.30pm in the Lecture Hall of the Hong Kong Space Museum, 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. The talk, designed for employees who may come into contact with pathogenic bacteria and viruses in their workplace, will explain how micro-organisms enter the human body and affect people's health. The concept of infection control in the workplace will also be covered.
Both talks will be given in Cantonese by the LD's occupational health nurse. Admission is free but pre-registration is required. Interested parties can register online (www.oshsreg.gov.hk). For enquiries, please call 2852 4040.
The Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) will hold the "Hong Kong Slope Safety Exhibition – Proper Slope Maintenance for Worry-free Life" from tomorrow (February 26) to March 2 at The Wai in Tai Wai to enhance public understanding of the importance of slope safety and proper slope maintenance.
With the support of the Buildings Department (BD) and the Lands Department (LandsD), the exhibition will provide slope safety and maintenance information through display panels and docent service, as well as interactive games offering souvenirs to participants.
The exhibition will be held between 11am and 8pm from tomorrow to March 1 and between 11am and 7pm on March 2 on the 4/F of The Wai in Tai Wai. Admission is free.
Building surveyors and structural engineers from the BD will provide information on the maintenance of private slopes at the exhibition. A senior estate surveyor from the LandsD will explain the use of the Slope Maintenance Responsibility Information System to the public from 3pm to 6pm on February 27 and 28, and a geotechnical engineer from the CEDD will answer questions on slope safety and maintenance from 1pm to 3pm on March 1 and 2.
Members of the public can visit the Hong Kong Slope Safety website (hkss.cedd.gov.hk/hkss/en/home/index.html) for information on slope safety.