What are the measures taken by the Hong Kong government to deal with dangerous buildings and advertising signboards?
The Buildings Department provides emergency services to deal with dangerous buildings and advertisement signboards. A total of 836 calls were received under the 24-hour service for emergencies during the year. Some 71 per cent of the emergency calls concerned danger from external building defects and loose wall finishes.
Surveys of the advertisement signboards continued with 56,119 signboards inspected, resulting in the removal or repair of 1,917 signboards which were found to be abandoned or dangerous.
Apart from removing UBWs, the Buildings Department launched the pilot Coordinated Maintenance of Buildings Scheme in 2000. Of the 150 buildings targeted by the scheme that year, owners of 143 buildings had initiated repair works with a completion rate of 62 per cent. Besides this, a total of 6,578 unauthorized building works have been removed. Of the 40 targeted buildings that did not have an Owners Corporation when the scheme was launched, 22 now have one. Another 200 buildings have been selected for action under the scheme.
The Buildings Department has revamped the Building Safety Loan Scheme to expand the coverage and provide more flexibility in eligibility criteria. The department recorded a fivefold annual increase in applications since its commencement in July 2001. During the year, 2,830 applications were approved.
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