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Police will implement special traffic arrangements and crowd management in various parts on Hong Kong Island during Christmas to facilitate the public to celebrate the festive season.
The arrangements from December 23 to December 26 are as follows:
A. Lan Kwai Fong
As a large number of people are expected, those wishing to enter Lan Kwai Fong may have to wait an undetermined time to gain access. Those with restaurant bookings are advised to arrive at their venues early. Once the queuing system is implemented, people wishing to enter the area will be required to join the queue.
Parents are advised not to bring small children into the area. The special pedestrian precinct will be implemented in a section of D'Aguilar Street between Wyndham Street and Wellington Street, Lan Kwai Fong and Wo On Lane between 7 pm on December 23, 25, 26 and 4am on the following day. For December 24, the pedestrian precinct will be implemented between 5 pm and 6 am on the following day.
To cope with the congregation of crowds, further road closures will be introduced in phases from 5 pm on December 24:
Phase I -
Normal traffic flow except the pedestrian precinct.
Phase II -
A section of Wellington Street between Wyndham Street and D'Aguilar Street will be closed.
Phase III -
When the whole of D'Aguilar Street becomes congested with people, special crowd control arrangements will be implemented immediately. The crowds will be directed to queue up along Wellington Street west of D'Aguilar Street to Pottinger Street, Stanley Street and Queen's Road Central, and the whole D'Aguilar Street will be closed.
Phase IV -
Wyndham Street from Glenealy to Queen's Road Central will be closed for crowd dispersal.
B. Chater Road Pedestrian Precinct
Starting 8 pm on December 23 until 23.59 pm on December 26, the Chater Road Pedestrian Precinct will be put in place. The following roads will be closed:
- A section of Chater Road between Pedder Street and Jackson Road; and
- A section of Ice House Street between Des Voeux Road Central and Connaught Road Central.
C. Garden Road
To facilitate the dispersal of people after a religious gathering in St.Joseph's Church on Garden Road sometime between midnight and 1 am on December 25, the outer lane of Garden Road between Kennedy Road and Lady May Path may be coned off for pedestrians.
D. Victoria Park (41th Hong Kong Product Expo)
a. Pedestrianization
The following roads will be pedestrianised from 4 pm to midnight on December 23 and from 12 noon to midnight on December 24, 25 and 26:
- A section of Lockhart Road east of Cannon Street;
- East Point Road; and
- A section of Great George Street between Paterson Street and East Point Road.
b. Road closure/traffic diversions
During the event, the following road closures and traffic diversions may be implemented to increase the crowd flow at the vicinity:
- Sugar Street will be closed;
- A section of Paterson Street between Kingston Street and Great George Street will be closed;
- Westbound of Kingston Street will be closed;
- Traffic from Cleveland Street will not be allowed to turn right into Kingston Street;
- A section of Gloucester Road between the ramp leading from Victoria Park Road Flyover and Causeway Road will be closed, but the northbound traffic from Tai Hang Road Flyover will be maintained;
- Traffic from Victoria Park Road Flyover will be diverted to westbound Gloucester Road service road;
- Great George Street will be closed; and
- Hing Fat Street will intermittently be closed except for franchised buses and green mini buses, depending on the situation of crowd dispersal;
E. Suspension of car parks
- The Hing Fat Street public car park (excluding disable parking spaces) will be suspended except for police vehicles and vehicles bearing special permit issued by the organiser from 7.30 am on December 7, 2006 to 11.59 pm on January 1, 2007; and
- Vehicles access to public car parks at Great George Street and the Park Lane Hotel within the closed roads will be prohibited. Vehicles parked in these car parks and hotel will not be permitted to leave until the closed roads are re-opened.
F. Suspension of on-street parking and green minibus stand
Motorcycle parking spaces and the green minibus stand on Wellington Street between Wyndham Street and D'Aguilar Street and on Stanley Street between D'Aguilar Street and Pottinger Street will be suspended between 5 pm on December 24 and 6 am on December 25. The motorcycle parking spaces on On Lan Street will also be suspended during the same period.
G. Suspension of bus stops
All bus stops on D'Aguilar Street between Queen's Road Central and Wellington Street will be suspended from 5 pm on December 24 to 6 am on December 25.
H. Illegal parking
Any vehicle found illegally parked within the precincts mentioned above may be towed without prior warning or may be subject to multiple ticketing.
Police appeal to members of the public to exercise patience and to follow Police instructions at scene.
Police Report No. 3
Ends/Thursday, December 21, 2006
Issued at HKT 11:55
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