Village blockade 'doesn't breach access rules'

In a strange twist of bureaucracy, it has emerged that a blocked section of a road through a Sai Kung village is not classed as emergency vehicle access, while the rest of the road is.

The inconsistency emerged a week after a pile of rubble was dumped across the road to block off access - when the Lands Department yesterday broke its silence over concerns that fire engines and ambulances would be unable to get to residents of Ho Chung New Village in an emergency.

The blockade appeared across the three-metre-wide lane on September 15, cutting off access from the river to the central and eastern parts of the village.

The landlord who owns that section dumped the debris after issuing a public notice expressing his dissatisfaction with Home Affairs Department officials. Following villagers' protests and petitions, lands officers gave a short reply on Tuesday to inquiries.

"The heap of concrete … is outside the emergency vehicular access," the Lands Department said, distancing itself from the row. The clarification means it will ignore villagers' pleas for help and take no action against the blockage that has forced 270 vehicles to park outside the village, another potential obstacle to any rescue services.

"For now, the District Lands Office and relevant departments are working closely to monitor the traffic situation and accessibility in and out of the village," a lands spokeswoman said.

The reply left locals enraged over the department's inaction.