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The Chief Executive, Mr Tung Chee Hwa, visited Causeway Bay tonight (May 4) to receive a briefing from Deputy Commissioner for Transport, Mrs Dorothy Chan, on the implementation of a pedestrian scheme to improve the environment in the district.

His visit also covered spots where some very high air pollution indices had been recorded.

The pedestrian scheme, operated by the Transport Department, is designed to improve the general pedestrian environment through beautification of the area and diversion of vehicular traffic. The separation of pedestrians and vehicular traffic will reduce traffic accidents.

The scheme comprises either full-time, part-time pedestrianisation of certain streets, and mixed priority streets where vehicular traffic are either banned or permitted to enter only during certain hours of the day mainly for loading and unloading purpose and where pavements would be widened.

Mr Tung first visited Russell Street, which had been closed to vehicular traffic since December last year. Beautification efforts, including planting trees, adding special lighting and paving with coloured clay blocks, were completed recently.

The Chief Executive then took a walk from Russell Street, along Kai Chiu Road and Great George Street to Paterson Street, which came under Phase I of the pedestrian scheme.

Photo:A grocery shop operator at Russell Street, Causeway Bay, told the Chief Executive, Mr Tung Chee Hwa, that business has improved recently.

End/Thursday, May 4, 2000

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