Official also says authorities have already handed out penalties in 13,000 such cases discovered since 2023 launch of venue-booking app
Hong Kong authorities will ramp up penalties for those who repeatedly misuse public sports and recreation facilities, an official has said, noting authorities had handed out punishments for 13,000 such cases since the launch of a booking app in 2023.
Raistlin Lau Chun, the acting culture, sports and tourism minister, said on Wednesday that the government would impose stricter punishments for venue hirers who repeatedly breached the rules, adding that authorities were still deciding on the appropriate penalties.
“The [Leisure and Cultural Services Department] has always paid close attention to unauthorised transfer or touting activities in relation to sports and recreation facilities, and has adopted a multipronged approach to combat touting activities, including enhancing the booking system on an ongoing basis, imposing penalty arrangements, and stepping up inspections,” Lau told the Legislative Council.
He noted that the department conducted more than 890,000 random inspections between the introduction of SmartPLAY in November 2023 and May this year, resulting in more than 13,000 venue hirers being penalised for breaching hiring rules twice within 60 days.
