The government of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has spent over 66 million Hong Kong dollars (around 8.5 million U.S. dollars) to repair public facilities including traffic lights vandalized during social unrest last year, Secretary for Transport and Housing Frank Chan said Wednesday.
Chan said in a written reply to HKSAR Legislative Council lawmakers that from June last year to May this year, a total of 740 sets of traffic lights were vandalized to different extent, some 60 km of railings were removed, at least 177 CCTV cameras installed in government facilities and public places were damaged, some 22,000 square meters of paving blocks of footpaths were removed, and about 1,320 litter bins and 130 recyclables collection bins were sabotaged.
To guard against vandalism, Chan said relevant government departments have already implemented protective measures for traffic lights at some major road junctions which cost around 40 million Hong Kong dollars (5.1 million U.S. dollars).
Chan said the government also temporarily put up plastic chains to alert road users at locations where the railings have been removed, restored the damaged pavements, and provided new litter bins and recyclables collection bins.
To safeguard public safety, the government has installed temporary protective fencing on some of the public footbridges to prevent throwing of objects onto the nearby roads, especially trunk roads, Chan said.
Chan said if there is any illegal or violent act to harm public safety and order, the police will not tolerate and definitely enforce the law resolutely. The police will deploy suitable manpower to take all feasible and legitimate measures to prevent and detect crimes, especially serious violent crimes and cases of recklessly causing serious casualties.
Apart from enhancing intelligence gathering and conducting patrols at high risk locations, the police will also make timely arrest actions with a view to curbing the culprits, thereby averting incidents of serious casualties, Chan added.
