Government Tightens Grip on Measures to Curb Illegal Shopfront Obstructions

Announcing in a government press release, the Food & Environmental Hygiene Department and Police force will begin to enforce stricter action against the construction of illegal extensions and obstructions amongst ground-level shopkeepers.

Shopkeepers are liable to penalties, warning notices, and prosecution from police officers if they refuse to or unable to remove identifiable obstructions within a given time, and the ordinance will allow Police the statutory power to remove any goods or items in question. The core intent is to reduce blockage against pedestrian and vehicular flow.

An initial trial period for the enforcement has already been running since September 2021 in the districts of Eastern, Kowloon City, Kwun Tong, Sham Shui Po, Tsuen Wan, and Yuen Long.

Up to 1,537 fixed penalty notices have been issued so far, and up to 16.8 tonnes worth of obstructive goods have been seized by court order. Currently, there are 65 warning notices that have yet to be paid off.