Tents thin out at LOHAS Park interchange — but where have they gone?

The "tent camp" at the public transport interchange at LOHAS Park station in Tseung Kwan O has visibly shrunk compared with a photograph taken in July. But the tents that have disappeared from view may not have gone away altogether — some have moved to corners beyond the escalators that attract less attention.

Sai Kung district councillor Cheung Mei-hung previously said the problem of domestic helpers camping at the interchange had worsened in recent years. What was once largely confined to weekends had spread to weekdays, with dozens of tents remaining from Monday to Friday at one point, raising residents' concerns about potential public safety and hygiene issues. The Transport Department subsequently launched a multi-department clearance operation with other government departments, and Cheung said weekday occupation had been "significantly reduced". A Sing Tao Daily reporter visited the site on September 12 and compared the scene with photographs provided by Cheung from July. The number of tents had indeed fallen sharply, but a few could still be seen near the escalators, while others had "moved to less conspicuous places" rather than disappearing altogether.

Legislative councillor Priscilla Leung offered another set of figures, saying that at the peak of holiday periods, more than 100 tents had at one point been set up along both sides of the bus interchange. She said she frequently received complaints about domestic helpers gathering there and making excessive noise, and had sought police assistance on some occasions, but the problem had never been fully resolved. Both Leung and Cheung said they understood that domestic helpers travelled a long way to work in Hong Kong and needed somewhere to spend their rest days. But they also believed public space should not be occupied indefinitely. That has been the dilemma both sides have faced in recent years: enforcement can clear away the tents that are visible, but it cannot resolve the reality that the domestic helpers have nowhere else to go.

Resident Mr Hung put the pattern more plainly: domestic helpers generally begin putting up tents on Fridays and Saturdays, then remove them themselves on Sundays, creating a cycle that repeats every week. He was concerned that the tents could obstruct passengers waiting for buses and cause children to trip, but also sympathised with the domestic helpers, who had left their homes and wanted a shaded place to meet fellow workers on their days off.

In other words, the multi-department clearance operation has reduced the visible scale of the tent camp, but has not addressed the underlying problem of domestic helpers having nowhere to spend their rest days. There are fewer tents, but the demand remains — it has simply continued in locations that are less obtrusive. The two lawmakers have proposed different ways to ease the situation. Leung suggested using multilingual leaflets and public announcements in the short term to remind domestic helpers about the use of public space. In the longer term, she said the concept of an "Overseas Domestic Helpers Centre" could be revived, with organisations lending air-conditioned indoor venues during long holidays. Cheung suggested that the Leisure and Cultural Services Department identify grassland at a nearby restored landfill for conversion into a park or rest area. Both proposals remain at the suggestion stage. The Transport Department and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department have yet to publicly respond on whether they will be adopted or whether there is a timetable.