HONG KONG'S police chief yesterday sprang to the defence of local traffic wardens, who were branded lazy and incompetent in a recent report on wasteful government spending.
Police Commissioner Eddie Hui Ki-on dismissed Director of Audit Brian Jenney's criticisms as 'unfair', and said there was little support for his proposal to set a quota for issuing fixed parking tickets.
Instead Mr Hui offered to shoulder the blame for the wardens' failure to issue more tickets.
'If you have to criticise, it should be my policy that is criticised rather than the wardens,' he told yesterday's Legislative Council's Public Accounts Committee.
He said only seven per cent of fixed tickets were issued for overstaying at parking meters, while the wardens' main duty was traffic management and road safety.
In a fiery defence of their work, Mr Hui said wardens would also soon be given extra duties. They would be given the authority to ask for an offending driver's identity, and share half the traffic police's duties.