Special Scheme
In the 2019 Policy Address, the Government announced that a Special Scheme would be launched under the UA Programme for retrofitting lifts at the walkways in or connecting to the common areas of the three types of housing estates which meet the certain criteria1, namely estates under the Tenants Purchase Scheme, the Buy or Rent Option Scheme and public rental housing estates with non-residential properties divested. With the approval from the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council in 2020, the ambit of Subhead 6101TX under Capital Works Reserve Fund Head 706 – “Highways” was expanded to cover the lift retrofitting items under the Special Scheme.
From May to October 2020, HyD invited relevant DC to suggest lift retrofitting items under the Special Scheme for inclusion in the preliminary study2. From November 2020 to April 2021, we reported the findings of the preliminary study and invited the relevant DCs to each select not more than three existing walkways as priority items for implementation. A total of 35 items were selected by the relevant DCs. Details of the latest progress are set out at here.
- 1. Lift retrofitting items under the Special Scheme could only be taken forward provided that the relevant owner(s) or parties responsible for the management of the concerned land/walkways agree to such lift retrofitting proposals and are willing to cooperate with the Government in subsequent management and maintenance of the lifts, and that no land resumption would be involved.
- 2. The scope of the study includes assessing the pedestrian flow, factors affecting the pedestrian flow in the future, whether there are any facilities nearby for the elderly or disabled, preliminary technical feasibility and preliminary construction costs estimate, etc.