Q Should building inspections be compulsory every seven years?
Since the beginning of this month, on a daily basis, there have been reports of incidents of aluminium windows falling from flats by the media. Luckily, nobody was killed in these incidents. However, it is surprising that the media have begun to wake up to this kind of accident only recently.
Such reports have sparked the concern of the general public and even relevant government departments on the safety of that kind of window.
To prevent such accidents, it should be mandatory for flat owners to have their aluminium windows inspected at least once a year, and immediately mended if necessary. A heavy penalty, including imprisonment, should be imposed on those who fail to comply with this requirement. I favour tough penalties for offenders since they serve as a good deterrent.
Take littering as an example. It had been one of the ingrained habits of many members of the public during the past colonial period. But thanks to the introduction of the fixed penalty of $1,500, many litterbugs have seemingly kicked the habit. The improvement of the problem can be seen in the sharp decline in the volume of rubbish dumped by revellers on public holidays.
Thomson Leung Pak-fai, Tuen Mun