Cut-rate contractors have led to dirtier Hong Kong streets, DAB says after latest inspection

Handing cleaning contracts to the lowest bidder has led to worsening hygiene, a political party says after its latest inspection.

The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong urged the government to give more money to district councils to help tackle the problem. It earmarked 76 places across the city as hygiene black spots, including rooftops, back alleys and public toilets. That compared with 88 black spots last year and 107 in 2013.

"Though the number is lower this year, we believe the real situation is more serious than we expected," DAB lawmaker Steven Ho Chun-yin said.

"Some citizens said there had been no government feedback in response to last year's black spot reports and they have lost confidence in reporting."

Ho suspected some black spots might have been cleaned ahead of the inspection, which lasted for a week and could not reveal the scale of the situation.

Another DAB lawmaker, Ben Chan Han-pan, said: "The government only cares about how many workers a contractor can provide, regardless of the quality. We suggest quality should be taken into consideration as the most important factor."