The government says a campaign to clean up Hong Kong will continue until at least 2024, but hopefully it won't need to last forever if people stop littering.

Deputy Chief Secretary Warner Cheuk, who is overseeing the operation, told an RTHK programme on Monday that authorities will take action at more than 600 locations, including back alleys where people often throw rubbish, with abandoned vehicles and broken signs also to be cleared away.

“We will do this in the remainder of this year. We will continue next year and the year after. But will we continue forever? In fact, I do not hope so,” said Cheuk.

“I hope that, after a year or two, when the overall environment improves, people will get used to being in a clean city, and will then stop the bad behaviour,” he said.

Cheuk said the government will look into increasing the penalty for littering and introducing a hefty fine for people who abandon their cars or motorcycles.

On the same programme, DAB lawmaker Vincent Cheng said the government also has to solve what he called the “old, big and difficult problem” of unclear responsibilities of different departments.

“Can the government set up a standard working mechanism this time round, so each department would follow through a case? If a certain department is working on it, then complete the entire task. Don’t say 'the next block or the next two units are not our duties',” he said.

Tsuen Wan district councillor Man Yu-ming, meanwhile, said the government has to do more work on rodent control at public housing estates.