Tag Archives: China

     To align with the special work arrangements announced by the Government yesterday (February 7) and to further reduce the risk of the spread of the novel coronavirus in the community, the Planning Department (PlanD) announced today (February 8) that starting from next Monday (February 10) to Friday (February 14), the department will maintain provision of essential and basic services for the public on a limited scale.

     The Planning Enquiry Counter (PEC) on 17th floor of North Point Government Offices (NPGO) will continue to make available documents required under the Town Planning Ordinance for public inspection. Other counter services will be suspended. Meanwhile, the PEC on the 14th floor of Sha Tin Government Offices will be temporarily closed and no public services will be provided.

     To reduce the risk of the spread of the novel coronavirus in the community, members of the public are encouraged to avoid visiting the PEC.  They may make enquires through the telephone hotline (2231 5000) or email (enquire@pland.gov.hk), and can visit PlanD’s website (www.pland.gov.hk) for general planning information.

     Meanwhile, the receipt and dispatch counter of the department (18/F, NPGO) will maintain basic services during office hours (9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday).

     The Town Planning Board Secretariat’s Reception Counter will maintain services for collection of submissions made under the Town Planning Ordinance via the drop-in box located on the 15th floor of NPGO during office hours (9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday). Other counter services will continue to be temporarily suspended. Members of the public can continue to make enquires through the telephone hotline (2231 4810) or email (tpbpd@pland.gov.hk), and can visit the Town Planning Board’s website (www.info.gov.hk/tpb) for statutory planning information.

     City Gallery will continue to be temporarily closed until further notice. All educational activities and docent services will be cancelled during the closure period.

      For enquiries, please call the hotline 2231 5000 during office hours or visit PlanD’s website. read more

     To align with the special work arrangements announced by the Government yesterday (February 7) to reduce the risk of the spread of the novel coronavirus in the community, the Transport Department (TD) said today (February 8) that it will provide limited services to members of the public from February 10 until further notice. Details are as follows:
 
Licensing and related services
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(1) The Licensing Offices at Admiralty, Cheung Sha Wan, Kwun Tong and Sha Tin will suspend walk-in counter services, but will continue to process licensing applications submitted by applicants with scheduled appointments, by post or online (except for the direct issue of a full Hong Kong driving licence).
 
     Applicants who have made an online appointment for renewal of a full driving licence/vehicle licence or an application for an international driving permit from February 10 to February 14 can visit the Licensing Office concerned at the scheduled time. Applicants with an appointment made for the period from 9am to 10am should visit the Licensing Office concerned on the scheduled appointment day after 10am.
 
     Members of the public without prior booking may submit applications by post or online, or via the drop-in boxes placed at each Licensing Office from 10am to 5pm from Monday to Friday. Those submitting an application by post or via drop-in box should put the completed application form, all necessary documents and the appropriate fee (by crossed cheque payable to either “The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region” or “The Government of the HKSAR”) into an envelope. Original identity documents and cash must not be sent by post or drop-in box. Members of the public should submit applications to the relevant Licensing Office in accordance with the types of licensing services currently provided by them.
 
     Under the limited service arrangements, the TD will as far as practicable accord priority to processing renewal applications for licences/permits for which the validity period has expired or is about to expire. The TD appeals to members of the public to submit an renewal application at a later time if the validity period of a licence is longer than 14 days.
 
     Upon receipt of the completed application form, all necessary documents and the appropriate fee, the TD will send out the licence/permit for which application has been successful by registered mail as soon as practicable. If an application requires checking of an original identity document, or if necessary for other reasons, the TD will contact the applicant to make arrangements.
 
(2) The Public Vehicles Unit at Admiralty will suspend counter services from February 10. Members of the public can submit their applications for public vehicle licences using the drop-in box placed at the Hong Kong Licensing Office from 10am to 5am from Monday to Friday. The TD will process the applications according to established procedures and deliver the respective licences/permits/approval letters to the applicants upon completion of processing such applications.
 
(3) The Vehicle Records Office, the Driving Licence Records Office and the Driving Offence Points Office at Admiralty will suspend counter services from February 10. Those with enquiries relating to the collection of a driving licence after a disqualification period should contact the Driving Licence Records Office or the Driving Offence Points Office from 10am to 5pm from Monday to Friday.
 
(4) The Cross Boundary Unit at Sheung Wan will suspend counter services from February 10. Members of the public can submit their applications using the drop-in box placed at the Cross Boundary Unit from 10am to 5pm from Monday to Friday. The TD will contact individual applicants to follow up on the applications.
 
Driving test services
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(5) The TD’s driving test centres and the Driving Test Appointment Office at Cheung Sha Wan will suspend services from February 10. All driving tests (road tests) originally scheduled for February 10 and thereafter will be suspended and the written test (Part A of the driving test) and the taxi written test will continue to be suspended until further notice. The TD will notify the affected candidates of the arrangements after resumption of the driving test appointment services.
 
     Candidates who would like to submit applications for test postponement/temporary cancellation of a driving test appointment or change of driving test region can submit the applications within two weeks after resumption of the services of the Driving Test Appointment Office. In addition, the online booking service for driving test appointments and the telephone booking service for repeater early test appointments will be suspended until further notice. Candidates who have already applied for repeater early test appointments can make payment at the Hong Kong Licensing Office and the Kowloon Licensing Office within two working days after resumption of the counter services. For enquiries about driving test appointments, please contact the Driving Test Appointment Office from 10am and 5pm from Monday to Friday by phone.
 
Vehicle examination services
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(6) The TD’s Vehicle Examination Centres will provide vehicle examination services for vehicles with an appointment from Monday to Friday.
 
     For enquiries, members of the public can contact the offices concerned of the TD at the following numbers:
 

Hong Kong Licensing Office	2804 2636
Kowloon Licensing Office	2150 7728
Kwun Tong Licensing Office	2775 6835
Sha Tin Licensing Office	2606 1468
Public Vehicles Unit	2804 2574
Driving Licence Records Office	2804 2596
Driving Offence Points Office	2804 2594
Driving Test Centre/Driving Test Appointment Office	2771 7723
Cross Boundary Unit	2543 2114
To Kwa Wan Vehicle Examination Centre	2364 7211/2333 3112
Sheung Kwai Chung Vehicle Examination Centre	2424 5215
Kowloon Bay Vehicle Examination Centre	2759 7036
New Kowloon Bay Vehicle Examination Centre	2751 8862

 
     The TD apologises for inconvenience caused to members of the public as it is unable to provide full services due to the novel coronavirus. To reduce the risk of virus transmission, members of the public are advised to submit applications after the TD’s resumption of full services unless there are urgent needs.
 
     Drivers and registered vehicle owners are reminded that any person who drives a vehicle on a road or provides transportation services should possess a valid licence/permit in accordance with the law. read more

     In accordance with the Government’s extension of special work arrangements in order to enable staff to work from home as far as possible and to further achieve social distancing more effectively with a view to reducing the risk of the spread of novel coronavirus in the community, the Lands Department (LandsD) today (February 8) announced that its offices will adjust their basic, limited-scale public services from February 10 to 16. 

     Services for receipt and delivery of documents at counters and enquiry telephone lines will be provided between 1pm and 5pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday during this period. The LandsD headquarters at North Point Government Offices will open only the counter on the 21st floor during the above opening hours. Other counter services, including counter enquiries, payment of government rent and premiums, map sales counters, collection of compensation for land resumption, depositing of land boundary plans and survey record plans and inspection of the full list of Authorised Land Surveyors, will continue to be suspended. Online services will be maintained as normal. The public may continue to make enquiries or complaints through email.
 
     An appeal is made to the public to minimise visiting LandsD’s offices in person for services as far as possible unless necessary. The public can purchase most map products from HKMS 2.0, pay Government rent and land premiums and file enquiries or complaints as well as requests for service online or through other electronic payment means. However, as the need to contain infection and the special work arrangements have affected workflow and impeded progress, LandsD’s processing of various enquiries, complaints and applications may be delayed and it may take a longer time for LandsD to reply. LandsD apologises for any inconvenience caused. read more

     To align with the special work arrangement announced by the Government, the Legal Aid Department (LAD) today (February 8) announced that the LAD offices will open from 9.30am to 4pm between February 10 and 14 to provide ba… read more

     In light of the extension of special work arrangements for government departments and the latest development of the novel coronavirus infection, the Drainage Services Department (DSD) announced today (February 8) that, in addition to the emergency and essential public services being maintained, the DSD will continue to provide basic and limited public services to members of the public next week (until February 16), including the 24-hour DSD Drainage Hotline, the inspection of drainage records and the handling of Sewage Charges/ Trade Effluent Surcharge matters. The public are advised to minimise their usage of the above services unless under emergency or necessary situations. The public are also advised that the handling time of the above services would be longer than usual.
 
     Except for the 24-hour Drainage Hotline (2300 1110), all enquiry phone lines and reception services will be suspended temporarily.
 
     The opening hours for inspection of drainage records, and the five locations below which provide limited receipt and dispatch services, will be further shortened to Monday, Wednesday and Friday, from 10am to noon and from 2pm to 4pm.
 
43/F, Revenue Tower, 5 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
12/F, Kowloon Government Offices, 405 Nathan Road, Kowloon
23/F, 1063 King’s Road, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong
G/F, Western Magistracy Building, 2A Pok Fu Lam Road, Hong Kong
G/F, Shatin Sewage Treatment Works Administration Building, 1 Shui Chong Street, Ma Liu Shui, Sha Tin, New Territories
(Deposit boxes will be available at the above five locations outside the opening hours for document reception)
 
     The DSD facilities will also be temporarily closed for public visits or other educational purposes until further notice. read more