Hawker Control Teams

To control hawking activities, about 171 squads of Hawker Control Teams (107 squads in Hong Kong and Kowloon and 54 squads in the New Territories) are deployed at two levels, namely district and division, including 10 squads in Divisional Task Force. The squads are equipped with portable radios and vehicles.

Management of Licensed Hawkers

Hawker Control Teams are responsible in the management of licensed hawkers by-

• ensuring that the licensed hawkers operate their stalls in accordance with the conditions of their licences and the provisions of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap. 132) and its subsidiary legislation and other relevant laws of the HKSAR; and
• controlling street obstruction and nuisances caused by licensed hawkers.

Staff of Hawker Control Teams inspect licensed fixed-pitch hawker stalls regularly and regulate the operation of itinerant hawkers whenever they are found hawking in the streets. Where appropriate, they take enforcement action to deal with irregularities, such action resulted in 1,916 convictions in 2023.

Control of Unlicensed Hawkers

To combat unlicensed hawking, the Hawker Control Team conducts sector patrols and raids at hawker black-spots. There are also Hawker Control Team staff working overnight shift to tackle unlicensed hawking activities during the late-night and early-morning hours.

There were 2,763 convictions of unlicensed hawker or hawker-related offences in 2023. At the end of December 2023, the number of unlicensed hawkers was around 804.

The chart shows the number of unlicensed hawkers during the period from 1994 to 2023.

Enforcement Strategies against Hawking Activities

Current enforcement strategies of the Department are as follows-

• The Hawker Control Teams continue to take stringent enforcement action against unlicensed hawkers selling prohibited/restricted food or cooked food.
• The Hawker Control Teams maintain hawker-free situation in major thoroughfares, areas of high pedestrian flow (for example, heavily used footbridges, MTR Rail Lines entrances/exits, ferry concourse and bus termini, tourist spots and pedestrian precincts, etc.) and places under repeated complaints of hawking activities.
• Provided that food and environmental hygiene would not be compromised, the Hawker Control Teams will issue verbal warning to licensed hawkers or unlicensed hawkers (selling non-food dry goods) if and when they cause obstruction or are subject of complaint. If the verbal warning is not heeded, the Hawker Control Teams will take the normal course of enforcement and seizure action.

Legislation

Legislation applied by the Government of the HKSAR in the control of hawking activities includes -

• Sections 83-86D of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap. 132);
• Hawker Regulation (Cap.132, sub. leg.);
• Food Business Regulation (Cap.132, sub. leg.); and
• Section 4A of the Summary Offences Ordinance (Cap. 228).