Elevator Safety Concerns Raised at Two Hong Kong Public Housing Estates
HK01 · 3 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago5 MIN
Summary
Forty-eight elevators at two Hong Kong public housing estates have been found to have serious construction defects, with fire-rated doors installed without corresponding door frame components. Tai Yip Elevator (HK) Ltd, the contractor responsible for the replacement works, faces scrutiny over the substandard installation at Choi Ping (North) Estate in Kwun Tong and Pok Hong Estate in Sha Tin. Some residents have expressed concern and called for greater transparency from authorities, while others adopted a more resigned attitude, saying the issues could simply be rectified.
Key Points
- A total of 48 elevators across two public housing estates were found to have fire-rated doors installed but without door frame components, constituting a serious construction defect .
- Pok Hong Estate in Sha Tin accounts for 39 elevators involved in the defect, while Choi Ping (North) Estate in Kwun Tong has 9 elevators affected .
- According to the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department evaluation covering July 2025 to June 2026, Tai Yip Elevator (HK) Ltd received a three-star service quality rating and scored 90-99 points, with no safety issues identified and no warning letters or prosecutions on record .
- The company, established in 2006 and chaired by Zhang Qin (張欽), maintains its own manufacturing facility and brand; it was fined 210,000 Hong Kong dollars in 2016 for engineering violations and has faced two civil personal injury lawsuits .
- Tai Yip Elevator's website now displays a "Forbidden" error message and cannot be accessed .
Why It Matters
The discovery of systematic installation defects in elevators serving tens of thousands of public housing residents raises questions about the oversight mechanisms for government-subsidized maintenance projects. Given that Tai Yip Elevator has been contracted for multiple housing estates under various subsidized ownership schemes, this incident could erode public confidence in the safety standards of aging housing infrastructure across Hong Kong.
The discovery of systematic installation defects in elevators serving tens of thousands of public housing residents raises questions about the oversight mechanisms for government-subsidized maintenance projects. Given that Tai Yip Elevator has been contracted for multiple housing estates under various subsidized ownership schemes, this incident could erode public confidence in the safety standards of aging housing infrastructure across Hong Kong.