Improvement works for Barrier Free Access (BFA) facilities are making steady progress at The Link REIT’s ("The Link") properties. The upgrading process will add eight major BFA facilities, including tactile guide paths and warning strips, low platform service counters, accessible toilets, Braille layout maps, visual fire alarms, accessible parking bays, ramps and lifts.
The decision on which facilities to upgrade was made in reference to the Formal Investigation Report: Accessibility in Publicly Accessible Premises issued by The Equal Opportunities Commission.
Since the announcement of The Link’s plans for BFA facilities in early 2011, improvement works have begun at a total of 73 properties, according to the Best Practicable Principle and the standards of universal design, the Buildings Department’s Design Manual: Barrier Free Access 2008 and other associated requirements.
Among the 73 properties currently being upgraded, improvement works at 56 properties have essentially been completed; the works for the 17 other properties are still in progress. The Link will kick start the improvement works at another 28 properties in 2013-2014, with an expected completion date for all 182 properties by the end of 2016.
The sixth batch of properties on which improvement works began in April comprises the following:
New Territories |
Tsui Lam Shopping Centre, King Lam Shopping Centre, Tong Ming Court Retail & Car Park |
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Kowloon |
Fung Tak Shopping Centre, Fung Lai Court Car Park, Choi Ha Estate Retail & Car Park, King Lai Court Car Park |
Due to ownership issues, physical constraints or statutory requirements, some of the major BFA improvement works currently underway cannot be completed within a short period of time. However, if the BFA facilities are functional, with at least five major BFA improvement works completed in a property, these properties will be included in the List of Properties with Basic BFA Facilities Completed for public information (Appendix 1). The progress of BFA improvement works in other properties up to the end of March 2013 is shown in (Appendix 2).
Please click here to download the appendix