Gates plan puts tenants at risk, panel told
A proposal to no longer install metal gates on new public rental flats has been criticised by legislators as a bid to save money at the expense of tenants' security.
The proposal, put forward by the Building Committee of the Housing Authority, was discussed at the housing panel of the Legislative Council yesterday.
In a paper outlining a 'functional and cost-effective' approach to the design and construction of public rental housing, the authority said metal gates were no longer needed for newly built flats as security of housing blocks had been tightened.
The enhanced security features included security gates fitted with digital locks at the entrances to the block, stationing of 24-hour guards, installation of closed circuit television and door-phone systems, the authority said.
However, Democrat legislator Wong Sing-chi said he was angered by the proposal, saying tenants wanted gates.
In fact, tenants had been complaining about their poor durability, he said.
But instead of improving the design of the gates, the authority wanted to drop them, he said.
The authority said the proposal was in line with practices in the private sector, and tenants would still be free to install metal gates themselves.
