26th December 2021 – (Hong Kong) The florists and traders on Flower Market Road are getting more rampant nowadays by blatantly using one of the 2 lanes on Flower Market Road as their storage space. Not only their actions are selfish but they are posing risks to road users and causing traffic congestions in the area permanently. The local authorities have been turning a blind eye to the shop owners and traders for a long time and no action has been taken. There is already insufficient car park space in the area and some traders even place their trucks with plants for sale or racks permanently on the metered parking lots reserved for public.
Meanwhile, many banks installed hoardings outside their branches to ensure safety during 2019 anti-extradition protests but most of them have not been dismantled. The Lands Department asked the banks concerned to remove the hoarding a month ago. Many bank hoardings have been installed for 2 years as some of the hoardings have occupied street locations. After considering the social situation, the Lands Department temporarily tolerated hoardings installed on government land without obstructing pedestrian passages or public safety. However, individual banks indicated that it would take more time to remove the hoardings, so the deadline was extended by another 4 months to next Friday (31st), therefore, starting from New Year’s Day next year (January 1st), all banks will need to remove the hoarding.
It is high time that the authorities would give the traders and shop owners to stop placing potted plants and erecting racks on Flower Market Road and surrounding areas.