Endangering road users during agency work

Having received numerous complaints about road safety and touting at the first-sale site of a residential development, the Police and the Authority launched a joint operation to regulate estate agents' activities in the vicinity.

On the material day, the senior police inspector in charge of the operation saw an estate agent approaching vehicles waiting at a red traffic light and canvassing drivers and passengers by showing them promotional materials for the residential development. The estate agent first approached a vehicle waiting on the slow lane. He then moved onto another vehicle on the fast lane. When the traffic light turned green, the drivers in those vehicles drove off but the estate agent remained wandering on the carriageway. As a result, a vehicle approaching on the slow lane had to move to the fast lane to avoid running him down.

The senior inspector invited the estate agent to return to the pavement and told him that his behaviour constituted an offence under the Road Traffic Ordinance. The Authority was informed of the incident and a member of staff arrived at the scene shortly afterwards. At the scene, the estate agent refused to cooperate. Not only did he refuse to produce his business card or staff card despite repeated requests, he also told the senior inspector and the Authority's staff member that he was an employee of another estate agency company.

After careful consideration, the Disciplinary Committee found that the estate agent's behaviour would undoubtedly endanger himself and other road users.