Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Following is a question by the Hon Nixie Lam and a written reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, in the Legislative Council today (April 22):

Question:

The Government has implemented the JoyYou Card arrangement in phases since 2022, and with effect from August 25, 2024, has required that eligible Hong Kong residents aged 60 or above must use the JoyYou Card to enjoy the $2 concessionary fare. However, as the JoyYou Card is currently only available in physical form, it is learnt that many members of the public who are accustomed to using Mobile Octopus for mobile payment are unable, upon becoming eligible for the concession, to integrate their Personalised Octopus on their mobile phone into an electronic version of the JoyYou Card. Instead, they can only transfer the concession and services from their Octopus card to a physical JoyYou Card, causing inconvenience to them. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it knows the total number of JoyYou Card applications received by the Octopus Cards Limited (OCL) as at February 2026, and among them, the respective numbers of applicants in the age groups of 60 to 64 and 65 or above;

(2) whether it has assessed the respective numbers of persons who will be eligible to apply for the JoyYou Card in each of the next five years; whether it has compiled statistics on or estimated the number of such eligible persons who currently use or will use the Personalised Octopus on mobile phones;

(3) whether it knows the number of current JoyYou Card holders who had long been using Mobile Octopus (the mobile payment version) prior to applying for the JoyYou Card; whether it has assessed the impact on such elderly persons, who are accustomed to digital payments, of only being able to use the physical JoyYou Card;

(4) given that OCL has launched student and adult versions of Mobile Octopus, whether it knows if OCL will (i) conduct technical studies on the digitalisation of the JoyYou Card (i.e. integrating the functions of the JoyYou Card into mobile wallets); if OCL will, of the progress of such studies; (ii) introduce an electronic version of the JoyYou Card; if OCL will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(5) if the JoyYou Card is digitalised or an electronic version is made available, how the authorities will collaborate with various public transport operators on ticket inspection to enable their staff to verify users’ identities, so as to ensure that the current “$2 flat rate or 80 per cent off” concessionary fare is not abused?

Reply:

President,

Starting from August 25, 2024, the Government has fully implemented a real-name registration system under the Government Public Transport Fare Concession Scheme for the Elderly and Eligible Persons with Disabilities ($2 Scheme), under which Hong Kong residents aged 60 or above must use a JoyYou Card, while eligible persons with disabilities aged below 60 must use a Personalised Octopus card encoded with “Persons with Disabilities Status”, in order to enjoy the concession under the $2 Scheme. The real-name registration system helps strengthen monitoring and provide evidence for combating abuse of the $2 Scheme. The reply to the various parts of the question raised by the Hon Nixie Lam is set out below.

(1) to (3) As at the end of February 2026, about 2.68 million applications for the JoyYou Card had been received, of which about 1.29 million were from applicants aged 60 to 64, and about 1.39 million were from applicants aged 65 or above.

According to the latest figures from the Census and Statistics Department, the projected numbers of Hong Kong residents who will reach the age of 60 and become eligible to apply for the JoyYou Card in the coming five years are tabulated as follows:
 

The Government does not have information on the number of the above-mentioned Hong Kong residents using mobile Octopus, or the number of JoyYou Card holders who had been long-term users of mobile Octopus before applying for the card.

(4) and (5) The Government has all along been closely monitoring the beneficiaries’ demand for digital services under the $2 Scheme, and has been maintaining communication with the Octopus Cards Limited and various public transport operators to explore the feasibility of developing a mobile JoyYou Card.

A mobile JoyYou Card must meet a range of requirements, including the provision of reliable and effective anti-counterfeiting and identity verification functions, so that law enforcement officers and frontline staff of public transport operators can quickly verify passengers’ identities when necessary and prevent abuse. In addition, the mobile JoyYou Card must also be user-friendly for the elderly and eligible persons with disabilities, while also meeting the operational needs of public transport operators.

The Government will continue to work with relevant parties to explore the development of a mobile JoyYou Card, while carefully examining various issues including law enforcement, technical specifications and system requirements, with a view to striking an appropriate balance between facilitating beneficiaries and preventing abuse.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Buildings Department approved 15 building plans in February, with three on Hong Kong Island, three in Kowloon and nine in the New Territories.

     Of the approved plans, nine were for apartment and apartment/commercial developments, two were for community services developments, and four were for factory and industrial development.

     In the same month, consent was given for works to start on nine building projects which, when completed, will provide 19 032 square metres of gross floor area for domestic use involving 226 units, and 56 346 sq m of gross floor area for non-domestic use. The department has received notification of commencement of superstructure works for one building project.

     The department also issued 10 occupation permits, with three on Hong Kong Island, two in Kowloon and five in the New Territories.

     Of the buildings certified for occupation, the gross floor area for domestic use was 81 216 sq m involving 1 068 units, and 90 080 sq m was for non-domestic use.

     The declared cost of new buildings completed in February totalled about $18.4 billion.

     In addition, four demolition consents were issued.

     The department received 2 115 reports about unauthorised building works (UBWs) in February and issued 544 removal orders on UBWs.

     The full version of the Monthly Digest for February can be viewed on the Buildings Department’s homepage (www.bd.gov.hk).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is a question by the Hon Kingsley Wong and a written reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, in the Legislative Council today (April 22):
 
Question:
  
     Regarding the employment and poverty situation in Hong Kong, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) as, according to data from the Census and Statistics Department, the median monthly household income (median income) (excluding foreign domestic helpers) rose from $16,700 to $24,500 over the 10-year period between 2006 and 2015, an increase of over 45 per cent, but the median income rose only from $25,000 to $30,000 over the last decade (between 2016 and 2025), with the rate of increase falling to 20 per cent; whether the authorities have examined the reasons for this decline in the rate of increase, such as easing wage growth, loss of positions at middle and senior levels, reduction in the average household size, or decline in the labour force participation rate; if so, of the details; 

(2) as it is learnt that the number of economically inactive households with non-elderly members has more than doubled over the past 20-odd years, whether the authorities have examined the reasons for this significant increase; if so, of the details;  
President,
 
     In consultation with the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD), the reply to the Member’s question is provided as follows: 
     The increase in the median monthly household income (excluding foreign domestic helpers) from 2016 to 2025 was lower than that in the preceding decade (2006-2015). The statistics relating to changes in demographic structure showed that during 2016 to 2025, the number of elderly households increased by 59.7 per cent from 320 000 households to 510 000 households (higher than the growth rate of 51.1 per cent in the preceding decade). Among which, the number of economically inactive elderly households also grew by 49.6 per cent from 290 000 households to 430 000 households (higher than the growth rate of 45.4 per cent in the preceding decade). In addition, the average household size (excluding foreign domestic helpers) decreased continuously in the past 20 years respectively from 2.9 persons in 2006 to 2.7 persons in 2015 and from 2.7 persons in 2016 to 2.5 persons in 2025. Generally speaking, elderly households have lower incomes than non-elderly households, and households with fewer members also tend to have lower household incomes. The growing proportion of these two types of households among all domestic households has exerted a downward pressure on the growth of the overall median household income. 
     Furthermore, the Government has been supporting lower-income working households who are not receiving CSSA through the Working Family Allowance (WFA) Scheme, with a view to promoting full-time employment and self-reliance, as well as rewarding hard work. The WFA Scheme also provides child allowance to households with eligible children. The Government reviews the WFA Scheme and enhances its support from time to time. The rates of the household and child allowances under the WFA Scheme have been increased by 15 per cent across the board with effect from April 2024 to further alleviate the burden of lower-income working families and incentivise more families to join the labour market. In addition, the 2025 Policy Address announced the provision of time-limited cash incentives for households leaving the CSSA Scheme and joining the WFA Scheme on a pilot basis, with a view to encouraging more people with working capability to leave the CSSA Scheme and promoting self-reliance through continuous employment. The Government is preparing to launch the initiative in the second half of this year. 
     In response to this situation, the Government launched the School-based After School Care Service Scheme (the Service Scheme) in the 2023/24 school year, allowing primary students in need to stay after school for care and learning support in a safe and familiar environment, thereby easing the pressure on parents/guardians in caring for and supervising their children. At the same time, it gives parents/guardians who otherwise need to look after their children in after-school hours the option of taking up employment and improving their livelihood. Both single-parent and dual-income families stand to benefit. The Government has further expanded the Service Scheme in 2025/26 school year by removing the cap on the number of places, thereby extending support to more primary students and parents in need. As at February 2026, 205 primary schools have joined the Service Scheme, providing over 10 000 service places, many of which are in Kwun Tong, Kwai Tsing and Wong Tai Sin districts.
 
     In addition, the Labour Department (LD) provides diversified employment services and implements various employment programmes to assist job seekers of different backgrounds to secure employment. The LD operates 10 job centres across the territory, providing personalised employment advisory and job referral services to job seekers, and regularly organising job fairs to help job seekers in the respective districts secure employment.
 
     To promote the employment of the middle-aged and older persons, the LD launched the three-year Re-employment Allowance Pilot Scheme (REA Scheme) in July 2024 to encourage persons aged 40 or above who have not been in paid work for three consecutive months or more to join the employment market. The LD also implements the Employment Programme for the Elderly and Middle-aged (EPEM) to encourage employers to hire persons aged 40 or above and provide them with on-the-job training. Both the REA Scheme and EPEM cover full-time and part-time jobs. The response to the REA Scheme is very favourable, with over 72 000 participants and 43 000 placements recorded as at March 2026. Of which, about 60 per cent of participants and placements involve women, showing the REA Scheme’s effectiveness in helping women secure employment.
 
     At present, LD officers will upon invitation participate in or attend committee meetings of individual District Councils to listen to the views of local communities on labour issues. The Government will continue to review policies related to poverty alleviation and employment, collect the views from local communities and stakeholders, and adjust relevant measures in a timely manner having regard to the economic and labour market situations of Hong Kong.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Following is a question by the Hon Jonathan Leung and a reply by the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, in the Legislative Council today (April 22): 

Question:

There are views that digitalisation and the development of artificial intelligence present significant opportunities for the upgrading and transformation of the food and beverage (F&B) sector. However, although the Government has successively launched the Technology Voucher Programme (TVP) and the Digital Transformation Support Pilot Programme (DTSPP) to assist various sectors (including the F&B sector) in adopting technology, according to the Government’s reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council on February 25 this year, the F&B sector accounted for only 8 per cent and 34 per cent respectively of the approved projects under these two programmes, and the response has not been particularly enthusiastic. In this regard, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether the authorities have conducted any survey to find out why the F&B sector has not actively applied for the aforementioned programmes in the past; if so, of the details; if not, whether the authorities have plans to conduct such a survey;

(2) given that TVP and DTSPP have now ceased accepting applications, and the authorities have indicated that they will examine ways to enhance DTSPP, whether the authorities have any plans to introduce targeted measures during this policy gap to assist the F&B sector in enhancing the adoption of technology and artificial intelligence; and

(3) while examining ways to enhance DTSPP, whether the authorities will conduct an opinion survey on catering enterprises that have previously applied for the Programme to gauge their views on various aspects of DTSPP such as application procedures, vetting and approval time, funding amounts, scope of funding and shortcomings; if so, of the details; if not, how will the authorities ensure that the enhanced DTSPP meets the needs of enterprises?

Reply:

President,

Regarding the question from the Hon Jonathan Leung, our reply is as follows.

(1) and (2) The Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC) launched the Technology Voucher Programme (TVP) in November 2016 to support non-listed local enterprises/organisations in adopting technology services and solutions to enhance productivity, or upgrade or transform business processes, thereby strengthening their long-term competitiveness. The TVP has approved a total of 38 640 applications, with over 3 000 approved applications falling under the category “restaurants and hotels”, ranking second among the types of businesses supported. The ITC conducted a fundamental review on the TVP in 2024 and considered that the programme has achieved its original intent. Additionally, multiple policy bureaux and departments have introduced more targeted funding schemes dedicated to the specific conditions or operational needs of individual industries in recent years. In view of the above, the TVP ceased accepting new applications after December 31, 2024.

On the other hand, the Digital Transformation Support Pilot Programme (DTSPP) was launched in January 2024. Through subsidies on a one-to-one matching basis, the DTSPP assists small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in food and beverage, retail, tourism, and personal services sectors in adopting off-the-shelf and basic digital solutions in three categories (digital payment and shopfront sales, online promotion and customer management systems), with a view to accelerating their digital transformation. When the DTSPP’s application period was ended in May 2025, approximately 4 500 SMEs from the F&B sector had submitted applications, of which nearly 3 000 were approved, accounting for over 30 per cent of the total of approximately 8 800 successfully approved applications under the DTSPP.

The DTSPP offered SMEs over 1 200 off-the-shelf and basic digital solutions, including technological solution service plans covering up to 24 months for applicants to choose from. As the implementation agent for the DTSPP, Cyberport maintained close communication with SMEs, service providers, relevant industries and SME associations etc. through various channels. To enhance industry awareness and promote participation in the DTSPP, Cyberport conducted promotional training sessions for over 30 industry organisations in the F&B sector during the implementation of the programme, and organised workshops to facilitate matching between SMEs and digital solution providers, thereby accelerating the digital transformation of SMEs including those in the F&B sector.

 (3) As mentioned above, Cyberport maintained close communications with stakeholders during the implementation of the DTSPP to gain insights into market conditions. At the same time, it collected feedback on the DTSPP from various parties, through application reports submitted by SMEs receiving subsidies and questionnaires, etc., as well as analysing and monitoring the progress and effectiveness of the funded enterprises in implementing digital solutions, to ensure that the programme was run smoothly and had met the intended objectives. In light of the positive response from SMEs to the DTSPP, the Government will allocate an additional $300 million to enhance the programme, with a view to further encouraging SMEs to adopt off-the-shelf and basic digital solutions to boost their competitiveness and strengthen cybersecurity. The Government is currently reviewing the DTSPP with Cyberport. In addition to including AI and cybersecurity solutions into the programme, considerations will also be given to factors such as SMEs’ latest needs for transformation, market products offering and pricing, and operational experience, etc, in devising the funding model, scope and amount, as well as the implementation details of the new round of the programme. Our target is to roll out the enhanced DTSPP in the second half of this year following consultation with the Legislative Council.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is a question by the Hon Carmen Kan and a written reply by the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau, Professor Sun Dong, in the Legislative Council today (April 22):

Question:whether the authorities have assessed what synergies such computing power capacity will generate with other GBA cities; and

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Following is a question by Dr the Hon Elvin Lee and a written reply by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, in the Legislative Council today (April 22):
 
Question:
 
The Chinese Culture Promotion Office (CCPO), established in 2024, is tasked with the important mission of increasing the awareness of, and interest in, Chinese culture and history across all sectors, fostering patriotic education, and enhancing the public’s sense of national identity and cultural confidence. In order to better achieve this mission, there are views that the CCPO should adopt innovative methods to enhance the contemporary appeal and reach of Chinese culture, and collaborate extensively with different stakeholders to precisely reach different strata of society. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) whether, in the process of creating iconic flagship projects such as the Chinese Culture Festival, the CCPO has formulated a more comprehensive set of key performance indicators beyond attendance figures (including assessing the reach of relevant projects on social media, their role in shaping the values of young people, and their actual contribution to raising the international visibility of Hong Kong’s “cultural icons”);
 
(2) of the total number of events organised by the CCPO in various districts across the territory in the past year, as well as the number of participants and the distribution of resources; the targeted and differentiated promotion strategies adopted by the CCPO for different audience groups, such as adolescents, working people, the elderly and ethnic minorities, to ensure that the dissemination of Chinese culture combines professional depth with community inclusiveness and achieves all-round coverage; and
 
(3) how the CCPO will further deepen its strategic co-operation with the local publication sector, the cultural and creative industries, educational institutions and mainstream/emerging media platforms; in the face of new trends in digital communications, whether the CCPO will consider leveraging technologies such as artificial intelligence, augmented reality or big data analytics to improve content presentation, and enhancing the reach and contemporary appeal of Chinese culture among the younger generation and overseas tourists through cross-sectoral collaboration (e.g. developing cultural intellectual property and promoting themed tourism in a synergistic way)?
 
Reply:
 
President,

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) established the Chinese Culture Promotion Office (CCPO) in April 2024.  By co-ordinating the LCSD resources related to Chinese culture and history, the CCPO plans and organises a wide array of activities to promote Chinese culture to various audiences, aiming to strengthen the public’s cultural confidence and foster identification with the country and national identity.
 
The CCPO is committed to developing the “Chinese Culture Festival” (CCF) into an annual signature cultural event in Hong Kong. Through a series of performing arts programmes in different forms covering Chinese opera, dance, music, films and more, held annually from June to September, the CCF enables the public to understand, embrace, experience and appreciate traditional Chinese culture, arts and history during the months-long event. Leveraging Hong Kong’s advantages of enjoying strong national support and a high degree of global connectivity, the CCF also showcases fine traditional Chinese culture elements to the international audience and helps overseas visitors better understand traditional Chinese cultural excellence.
 
 Another key initiative of the CCPO is the “General History of China Exhibition Series” launched since 2024. Through chronological exhibitions focused on significant historical periods, together with corresponding educational and outreach activities, the series enables the general public to learn about the development of Chinese history and culture in a structured way, thereby strengthening national identity and cultural confidence. The CCPO also launches roving exhibitions at parks, public libraries, sports and recreation venues, as well as government office buildings across Hong Kong, bringing interesting knowledge about Chinese history and culture into the community and broadening the audience base.
 
In response to the question raised by Dr the Hon Elvin Lee, our reply is as follows:
 
In 2025, the CCPO launched more than 200 activities to promote Chinese culture and history, with the second edition of the CCF, the exhibitions under the “General History of China Exhibition Series” and the “National Development and Achievements Series” recording a total attendance of more than 1.2 million. The second edition of CCF with over 290 programmes attracted more than 960 000 attendances, of which 17 per cent being tourists.
 
The LCSD attaches great importance to the evaluation of the overall benefits of cultural mega-events, and has established evaluation mechanisms for the CCF. Specifically, the LCSD collects data on participants’ interests, spending habits and other aspects through questionnaire surveys so as to formulate more targeted promotional strategies and enhance the programme appeal. This will help attract tourists to Hong Kong for a first-hand experience of its unique cultural charm and an appreciation of the distinctive elements of the profound traditional Chinese culture, thereby boosting local spending. According to the data collected from questionnaire surveys during two editions of the CCF, over 90 per cent of the participants rated the programmes positively, and over 85 per cent agreed that the CCF had enhanced their understanding of and interest in Chinese culture, indicating that the CCF has achieved tangible results in improving the quality of the public’s cultural life.
 
Targeting youth and student groups, the CCPO has collaborated with the Education Bureau offering professional development for teachers and experiential learning activities for students. Apart from integrating museum resources effectively into classrooms, these efforts also provide teachers with hands-on experience in museum-based teaching and learning, enabling them to make full use of LCSD’s historical and cultural resources. To give students and younger generations more opportunities to learn about and experience Chinese culture, the CCF also offers free “Outreach Programmes for Popularising Chinese Cultural Arts” and “Chinese Opera En Route to Campus”. Across the two editions, it attracted about 15 000 teachers, students and community participants, with encouraging responses.
 
In order to promote Chinese culture in a multifaceted approach, the LCSD has put in place various measures to facilitate participation and attract diverse sectors of society to its cultural programmes and exhibitions. For instance, the CCF offers various ticket concessions, including half-price discounts for senior citizens, full-time students, people with disabilities and their minders, as well as Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients. In addition, the second edition of the CCF introduced the new “Generations Together 1+1” Discount. Under this offer, each purchase of a concessionary ticket for students or seniors entitles the holder to one more discounted standard ticket for the same performance, thereby encouraging intergenerational participation in Chinese cultural programmes. To engage more local non-Chinese speakers and overseas visitors to learn about and appreciate Chinese culture, in addition to the bilingual (Chinese-English) display materials provided for general programmes and exhibitions, major exhibitions also offer guided tours and/or audio guides in both Chinese and English, while selected performances include bilingual subtitles, ensuring that visitors from all backgrounds can fully enjoy the cultural events. To accommodate the needs of working people, the LCSD schedules performances during weekday evenings and weekends. Selected museums also extend their opening hours on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays to better serve their needs.
 
The CCPO also rolled out public activities that connect with communities including the “Chinese Culture in Hong Kong Gardens” series focusing on local parks. Through guided visits and site studies of parks with Chinese cultural features, such as Kowloon Walled City Park, Nan Lian Garden and the Lingnan Garden within Lai Chi Kok Park, the public are introduced to historical cultures and architecture from different dynasties in everyday leisure spaces, exploring the Chinese cultural meanings embedded therein.
 
In terms of promotion, the CCPO reaches different audience segments via social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Xiaohongshu, promoting exhibitions and activities related to Chinese history and culture in an interactive way. The CCPO also provides rich online resources on its website, making it easy for the public to learn about different areas of Chinese culture. Besides, the CCPO also uses conventional channels of mass media, such as newspaper, e-mail, books and magazines, television programmes and radio broadcasts, as well as collaboration with local cultural organisations to promote Chinese culture.
 
The CCPO is committed to establishing a platform for social partnership and proactively exploring collaboration with different local cultural groups and stakeholders to promote Chinese culture. Leveraging the existing social networks, district resources and professional knowledge of these organisations, a range of cultural programmes will be introduced and carried into different audience segments so that Chinese culture is more widely disseminated in the community. At the same time, the CCPO actively explores collaboration with the tourism sector to achieve the effect of “shaping tourism with cultural activities and promoting culture through tourism”.
 
The LCSD will continue to apply innovative technological elements to museum exhibitions and will set up photo spots and immersive exhibitions to enhance visitor experience. Serving as a key base for promoting Chinese culture in the community, the CCPO is establishing the Chinese Culture Experience Centre (Experience Centre) in Kowloon Park. The Experience Centre will, making use of interactive and object-based learning approaches, present cultural relics and intangible cultural heritage, and employ new technologies and approaches to design creative and life-oriented cultural programmes to promote Chinese culture to citizens and tourists. Construction of the Experience Centre commenced in June 2025, with an expected completion in 2028 and opening to the public at the year end.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Following is a question by the Hon Christine Fong and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, in the Legislative Council today (April 22):

Question:

A number of road tunnels in Hong Kong were completed and commissioned successively between the 1970s and 1980s, including the Cross Harbour Tunnel, the Aberdeen Tunnel, the Kai Tak Tunnel and the Eastern Harbour Crossing. Among them, the Cross Harbour Tunnel has remained in use for over 50 years. Given the heavy usage of road tunnels in Hong Kong, traffic safety in tunnels has aroused public concern. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the fire service installations and equipment provided in existing road tunnels in Hong Kong (including their numbers and types) and the year when their fire alarm systems were last updated, with a tabulated breakdown by road tunnel;

(2) whether the authorities have any plan to further upgrade the ventilation systems and fire service systems of road tunnels in Hong Kong; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(3) as it is learnt that wear and tear of the road surfaces in some road tunnels reappears shortly after repair, how frequently the authorities carry out repair works for various road tunnels, and whether they will step up the review of the road surfacing materials for repairing the road surfaces of tunnels to enhance the durability of their road surfaces; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(4) whether the authorities have any specific plans to undertake road re-‍surfacing works for existing road tunnels, repair tunnel walls and hard shoulders, or replace other equipment/systems; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(5) as the Government indicated in its reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council on the Estimates of Expenditure for the 2018-2019 financial year that the Highways Department would conduct routine inspections of road tunnels once every six months, how frequently the authorities conduct routine inspections for various road tunnels at present?

Reply:

President,

The Government attaches great importance to the safety of road tunnels and ensures the normal operation of tunnel systems and facilities through regular inspections, thereby safeguarding the safety of road users. The co-ordinated reply to the question raised by Member is as follows:

(1) All government road tunnels are currently installed with fire service installations and equipment (FSIs) in accordance with the law and requirements of the Fire Services Department (FSD). The tunnel operators under the Transport Department (TD) conduct routine inspections and preventive maintenance on a regular basis, as well as corrective maintenance as necessary, while the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department exercises strict supervision on the inspections and maintenance works carried out by the tunnel operators. The tunnel operators also engage registered fire service installation contractors, in accordance with the law, to conduct annual inspections on the FSIs to ensure that they are maintained in good working order.

The TD and the tunnel operators have formulated comprehensive contingency plans for fire incidents and provide regular fire-fighting training to the tunnel operators’ staff. In the event of a fire in the tunnel, the tunnel operator will immediately take appropriate actions, including promptly reporting to government departments such as the FSD and the TD, activating the ventilation and fire services systems in the tunnel, implementing traffic management and tube closure measures, and assisting in the safe evacuation of motorists in the tunnel, etc. To enhance response efficiency, the TD and the tunnel operators, in collaboration with the FSD, jointly conduct fire drills in each tunnel every six months on average. These drills test the contingency procedures of various parties and the operation of FSIs, etc to ensure that all parties are familiar with the protocols and able to respond promptly to fire incidents. The TD and the tunnel operators will review the contingency plans from time to time and update them as necessary.

Regarding the detailed number of FSIs installed in various government tunnels and the year of the last fire services system upgrade, please refer to Annex 1. Due to variations in design, geographical environment and operational needs, the number of FSIs installed in each tunnel differs.

(2) The Government conducts reviews on the operational condition of ventilation and fire services systems at all government tunnels every year to ensure that they remain in proper and effective operation. According to the latest review of government tunnels, all ventilation and fire services systems are currently effective in meeting fire safety requirements.

The Government has also been undertaking the replacement of the ventilation and fire services systems at government tunnels whenever necessary. Over the past three years, the Government has replaced the fire services systems at Tseung Kwan O Tunnel, Cross-Harbour Tunnel and Shing Mun Tunnels, as well as the ventilation system at Kai Tak Tunnel. Currently, the Government is replacing the ventilation and fire services systems at Aberdeen Tunnel, Tseung Kwan O Tunnel, Shing Mun Tunnels, Tate’s Cairn Tunnel and Eastern Harbour Crossing. Details of the replacement projects are set out in Annex 2. When planning for the replacement and upgrading of the ventilation and fire services systems, the Government will take into account a number of factors, including their operational condition, serviceable life, supply of spare parts and repair feasibility, and will arrange replacement in an orderly manner. The Government will seek funding approval timely for the replacement projects to ensure the safe, reliable and efficient operation of government tunnels.

(3) The HyD regularly sends staff to inspect the pavement of all road tunnels under its jurisdiction. Depending on the traffic volume and speed limits of the tunnel’s connecting road sections, routine inspections are conducted daily or weekly, while detailed inspections are conducted every six months. Based on the inspection findings, the HyD arranges maintenance work in a timely manner to ensure that the road tunnels remain in good condition.

The HyD attaches great importance to the quality of pavement works and has been continuously researching and introducing more durable and environmentally friendly bituminous materials for paving roads, with a view to enhancing pavement quality and reducing maintenance frequency. Since April 1, 2025, the HyD has fully adopted the use of “Highly Modified Stone Mastic Asphalt (HMSMA)”, a highly modified bituminous material that has better anti-deformation, anti-aging and anti-fatigue performance than the conventional bituminous materials, for road paving at suitable locations. In particular, “10mm Highly Modified Stone Mastic Asphalt (HMSMA10)”, which is commonly used on general roads, has already been adopted on certain suitable sections of tunnel carriageways. In the future, the HyD will apply this material to suitable bituminous pavements having regard to the actual site conditions and needs, with a view to continuously improving the quality of pavements in road tunnels and reducing maintenance frequency, thereby creating a better driving environment for motorists.

In addition, the HyD is exploring the introduction of new materials for repairing existing aged concrete pavements (such as High Tensile Strength repair materials). These materials are expected to enhance pavement durability while shortening the duration of construction for repair works and subsequent maintenance, thereby minimising the impact on traffic caused by repair works.

(4) The HyD continuously conducts regular inspections of road tunnels and, based on the inspection findings, arranges necessary repair works, including pavement maintenance works. Over the past few years, the HyD has completed road resurfacing or bituminous overlay works at various sections of several road tunnels (including the Cross-Harbour Tunnel, Shing Mun Tunnels, and Tseung Kwan O Tunnel, etc) to improve pavement quality of road tunnels. The HyD has planned to continue carrying out road resurfacing works in 2026 on suitable sections of the Western Harbour Crossing, Eastern Harbour Crossing, Lion Rock Tunnel, and the Airport Tunnel connecting the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port and the Hong Kong International Airport to optimise pavement quality and enhance driving comfort. Regarding other tunnel facilities (including tunnel walls and concrete profile barriers), the HyD will continue to arrange necessary repair works based on findings from regular inspections and the advice of professionals to maintain the road tunnels in good condition.

(5) To ensure the structural safety of tunnels, the HyD sends staff to conduct inspections every half year to identify obvious damage for further follow-up. Additionally, the HyD conducts General Inspections every two years. For older road tunnels (including the Cross-Harbour Tunnel, Aberdeen Tunnel, Kai Tak Tunnel and Lion Rock Tunnel), the frequency of General Inspections is increased to once every half year to once a year. General Inspections primarily involve close-up observations to thoroughly examine the condition of tunnel structures and their ancillary components. Furthermore, the HyD also regularly engages professionals to carry out Principal Inspections for tunnels, comprehensively evaluating the structural integrity of the tunnels and making recommendations for improvement. During the inspection process, professionals carry out various types of tests on tunnel structures including hammer tapping tests and core sampling of concrete components from different sections for examination and testing, to ensure the overall structural safety of the tunnels. Corresponding repairs will be arranged in a timely manner based on the inspection findings.