28th October 2026 – (Hong Kong) In a written reply to the Legislative Council, Secretary for Transport and Logistics Ms Mable Chan responded to a question from the Hon Julia Lau on the illegal occupation of metered parking spaces, setting out current enforcement, data practices and a live trial of enhanced sensors designed to improve monitoring while protecting privacy. Ms Chan affirmed that the administration aims to speed up turnover at more than 20,000 metered spaces and deter fee evasion and other abuses.
The Transport Department’s new‑generation parking meter system, introduced in phases and in service territory‑wide since 2021–2022, uses sensors to detect real‑time occupancy but does not collect personal data, vehicle models or registration numbers. Motorists can search for spaces via HKeMeter and HKeMobility, while the system flags occupied‑but‑unpaid meters for Police follow‑up through a dedicated application. Operator staff conduct on‑street inspections at least once every four days. From 2023 to 2025, the department referred an average of about 120,000 cases a year of unlawful or improper occupation to Police and received 111 public complaints in total, comprising nine on Hong Kong Island, 64 in Kowloon and 38 in the New Territories.
The Government cited existing legal tools. Under section 8 of the Road Traffic (Parking) Regulations, vehicles parked continuously for more than 24 hours commit an offence punishable by a level 1 fine of HK$2,000, with impounding possible in serious cases. For obstructions such as reserving spaces with pallets or goods, section 4A of the Summary Offences Ordinance provides for a level 4 fine of HK$25,000 or up to three months’ imprisonment. Police issued 259,589 fixed penalty notices related to metered‑space offences in 2023, 242,550 in 2024 and 225,489 in 2025.
To strengthen oversight, the Transport Department began a six‑month on‑site trial of new sensors on 2nd July 2026 at Kut Shing Street in Chai Wan, Cheung Ning Street and San Ma Tau Street in To Kwa Wan, and Lo Tak Court in Tsuen Wan. The devices use AI‑enabled optical components to enhance the accuracy of real‑time information, record occupancy around the clock and classify whether occupying objects are vehicles, thereby assisting enforcement. Sites were chosen to reflect different layouts and usage patterns; historical utilisation at these locations averaged over 80 per cent and included areas subject to complaints about illegal occupation. Over the past three years, Police logged 126, 115 and 132 complaints involving the four sites in 2023, 2024 and 2025 respectively, issuing 4,836, 5,058 and 3,799 fixed penalty notices in those years. The sensors do not record registration numbers or facial images.
