Traffic arrangements for New Year's Eve on HK Island

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Police will implement special traffic arrangements and crowd management measures in Central, Wan Chai and Causeway Bay on New Year's Eve (December 31) to facilitate the public to celebrate the New Year.

"Members of the public are urged to follow the advice and instructions given by Police officers who will direct them from places which have already been overcrowded," a Police spokesman said.

The special traffic arrangements will be as follows:

Lan Kwai Fong

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Depending on the crowd density, special traffic arrangements will be implemented in phases from 8 pm.

Phase One - No road closures or road diversions.

Phase Two - A section of D'Aguilar Street between Wyndham Street and Wellington Street; Wo On Lane and a section of Wellington Street between Wyndham Street and D'Aguilar Street will be closed.

Phase Three - Crowds on D'Aguilar Street will be directed to queue up along Wellington Street west of D'Aguilar Street and to Pottinger Street, Stanley Street and Queen's Road Central. The whole of D'Aguilar Street from Queen's Road Central to Wyndham Street will be sealed off for all vehicular traffic.

Phase Four - Wyndham Street from Glenealy to Queen's Road Central will be closed to ensure a smooth dispersal.

Parking spaces and green mini-bus (GMB) stands along Wellington Street between Wyndham Street and Lyndhurst Terrace will be suspended from 6 pm on New Year's Eve to 6 am the following day.

All bus stops on D'Aguilar Street will be suspended from 7 pm until the re-opening of all roads.

Causeway Bay: Victoria Park Area

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A New Year's Eve Countdown Carnival will be held at Victoria Park commencing at 8.30 pm. Road closures and traffic diversions will be implemented in the vicinity of Victoria Park from 6 pm on New Year's Eve.

(a) Sugar Street, a section of Lockhart Road east of Cannon Street, East Point Road, Great George Street, a section of Paterson Street between Kingston Street and Yee Wo Street and a section of Inner Gloucester Road between Causeway Road and the ramp leading to Victoria Park Road Flyover will be closed to traffic.

(b) Traffic from Victoria Park Flyover will be diverted to Inner Gloucester Road; and

(c) Kingston Street and Inner Gloucester Road will remain open for vehicular traffic from northbound Tai Hang Road Flyover unless the situation dictates otherwise, until 8 pm.

The following road closures will be implemented from 8 pm onwards:-

(a) Kingston Street;

(b) A section of Patterson Street between Kingston Street and Gloucester Road;

(d) one lane of Inner Gloucester Road between Victoria Park Flyover and Cannon Street; and the northbound carriageway of Tai Hang Flyover may be closed to facilitate the dispersal of crowds if necessary; and

(e) Hing Fat Street will be closed at 11 pm if necessary.

All bus stops on Hennessy Road between Canal Road East and Causeway Road; and the bus stop on eastbound Victoria Park Road near the Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter, will be suspended from 7 pm until the situation allows them to be re-opened.

The tram stops at the junction of Hennessy Road and Percival Road, Sogo, Sugar Street and Causeway Road will be suspended from 7.30 pm.

The bus terminus underneath Park Tower will be suspended between 7 pm on New Year's Eve and 4 am the following day.

The following parking facilities will be suspended between 3 pm on New Year's Eve and 4 am the following day:-

(a) All parking spaces along Hing Fat Street;

(b) All metered parking spaces on Tung Lo Wan Road between King's Road and Wun Sha Street;

The following stand will be suspended from 6 pm on New Year's Eve and 4 pm the following day:-

(a) The taxi stands on Lockhart Road near its junction with Cannon Street; Percival Street outside Elizabeth House and Patterson Street; taxi drop-off point on Percival Street; and

(b) The public light bus (PLB) stand in Percival Street and Sugar Street;

The following stands will also be suspended from 8 pm on New Year's Eve and 4 pm the following day:-

(a) The PLB stands: all PLB stands on Lockhart Road and Jaffe Road between Cannon Street and Percival Street; and

(b) The carpark at Great George Street will be closed at 6 pm and will remain closed as long as road closures are in effect.

Members of the public who have tickets for the Victoria Park Carnival should proceed via East Point Road and George Road to enter Victoria Park.

Times Square Area

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The following traffic arrangements will be implemented at 6 pm on New Year's Eve to facilitate a countdown at Times Square:

(a) A section of Percival Street between Hennessy Road and Leighton Road will be closed;

(b) A section of Russell Street between Percival Street and Canal Road East; a section of Canal Road East between Hennessy Road and Russell Street; a section of Yun Ping Road between Lan Fong Road and Kai Chiu Road; and a section of Lee Garden Road between Hennessy Road and Pak Sha Road will be closed; and

(c) Sharp Street East, Matheson Street, Tang Lung Street, Yiu Wa street, Kai Chiu Road, Pak Sha Road, Jardine's Bazaar will be closed.

The inner lane of westbound carriageway of Hennessy Road between Jardine's Bazaar and Canal Road East; and the eastbound carriageway of Hennessy Road between Percival Street and 50 metres east of Canal Road East, will be closed from 7 pm.

The following arrangements will be implemented from 8 pm on New Year's Eve:-

(a) Percival Street between Hennessy Road and Gloucester Road will be closed;

(b) Lockhart Road between Canal Road West and Cannon Street will be closed;

(d) Cannon Street will be closed;

(e) Vehicles on Gloucester Road will be prohibited from turning into Canal Road East; and

(f) Vehicles travelling north on Canal Road west will be prohibited for turning into Canal Road East.

The following road closures will be implemented from 11 pm on New Year's Eve:-

(a) A section of Canal Road West, north of Sharp Street West;

(b) Sharp Street West between Morrison Hill Road and Canal Road West;

(d) Wanchai Road between Morrison Hill Road and Bowrington Road; and

(e) Bowrington Road.

During the implementation of the special traffic arrangements in the vicinity of Times Square, tram service will be maintained on Hennessy Road unless it is necessary to close Hennessy Road during departure of crowds after midnight.

The following PLB and taxi stands, carpark and metered parking spaces will be suspended from 6 pm on New Year's Eve and will remain suspended as long as the road closures are in effect:

(a) Taxi stand at Russell Street, Kai Chiu Road, Yun Ping Road and Bowrington Road;

(b) PLB stands at Pak Sha Road and Tang Lung Street;

The following parking meters, on-street parking and car parks will be suspended between 3 pm on New Year's Eve and 4 am the following day:-

(a) Metered parking spaces on Yun Ping Road, Lockhart Road east of Marsh Road and Jaffe Road east of Marsh Road;

(b) The car parks at Hennessy Centre, Times Square, Leighton Centre, No 40 Yiu Wa Street; and

Members of the public who wish to go to the Times Square countdown should use Canal Road East or Kai Chiu Road. The junction of Percival Street with Hennessy Road and the junction of Lee Garden Road with Hennessy Road may be closed depending on the crowd situation in the Time Square vicinity.

A Police hotline 2808 4543 manned by officers of Wan Chai Police District will be set up to answer questions and provide assistance to residents who live in the vicinity of Times Square affected by road closure.

Sogo Department Store Area

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A single-direction crowd flow will be implemented to allow pedestrians to cross from the Sogo Department Store to the southern side of Hennessy Road. People are urged to use either the Percival Street footbridge to cross Hennessy Road or the Pennington Street footbridge via Jardine's Bazaar to cross Yee Wo Street. People who come out from Kai Chiu Road MTR exit and wish to go to the Sogo Department Store vicinity or Victoria Park should use the Pennington Street footbridge via Jardine's Bazaar.

Midnight Gun Ceremony

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The cul-de-sac near Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter will be closed at 10 pm and any illegally parked vehicles will be removed promptly. Vehicles will only be allowed to pull up into the slip road entrance to alight passengers.

Police Report No.1

Issued by PPRB

Please refer to the attached maps (1) and (2)

End/1700 hrs, Friday, December 29,2000 (NR)

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