The Hong Kong government remains hung up over what to do about residents hanging laundry on public railings and bridges, after many months of debate.
Residents in the suburban area of Sai Kung have been hanging their washing to dry on roadside handrails, bridges, lampposts, trees and dividers in the middle of major roads.
Ombudsman Alice Tai complained Thursday that five government departments had shirked responsibility for the problem, the South China Morning Post reported Friday.
She said the Home Affairs Department had made a "feeble attempt" to deal with it by holding an interdepartmental meeting in May last year.
"It is laughable that citizens lack such civic responsibility in a modern city like Hong Kong, but this shows the lack of co-ordination among departments," Tai said. She blamed a culture of blame and fear of criticism for the government's inability to act.
© Copyright 2005 by United Press International
