Protests extensively affect normal operation of public transport
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     The Transport Department (TD) said today (October 2) that due to protests at various locations in Hong Kong, a number of roads in Central, Admiralty, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay, Tsim Sha Tsui and Mong Kok have been blocked with associated traffic diversions. These road blockages have been extensively affecting the normal operation of public transport.

     Speaking at an inter-departmental press conference on protests at various locations on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon, the Assistant Commissioner for Transport, Mr Albert Su, said that with the extension of the protests to various districts in the past few days, the number of bus routes affected have been increasing rapidly from three and eight routes on September 26 and 27 respectively to 245 on September 29. When the road blockage extended to Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui on September 30, a total of 270 bus routes were affected, represented 47% of total bus routes. Over 1.5million passengers were affected directly daily, represented 40% of total ridership.

     Ħ§With a view to reducing the impact to the passengers caused by the bus route suspension and diversion, in particular those bus passengers who need to interchange resulting from route truncation, we are reviewing the road traffic and condition with bus companies and aim at formulating resumption proposal of the truncated routes via alternative routeings in phases. Nevertheless, whether the service resumption proposal could be implemented, it would depend on the traffic condition on the ground,Ħ¨ Mr Su said.
 
     The TD has also maintained close contact with the MTRCL and requested them to strengthen their services of MTR lines in urban areas.

     Ħ§Today is a public holiday, about 40 bus routes operating via Central, Admiralty, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay and Mong Kok are suspended and about 130 bus routes are diverted. The frequencies of other bus routes in operation may also be reduced subject to the traffic situation on the ground. Moreover, about 25 Green minibus (GMB) routes via Central, Admiralty, Wan Chai, Causeway and Mong Kok are diverted, suspended or with service adjusted. In addition, the tram service between Western Market and Victoria Park are suspended. If the blocked roads could not be reopened tomorrow, the number of bus routes affected will be similar to that of September 30, workers and students will again be seriously affected,Ħ¨Mr Su added.
   
     The TD's Emergency Transport Co-ordination Centre Joint Steering Mode has been in operation round the clock since September 28 to work in co-operation with Police, representatives of public transport operators and tunnel operators to closely monitor the traffic situations and handle incidents of transport, and co-ordinate the announcement of information on traffic and public transport services.

     Mr Su urged the public to plan journey well in advance, pay attention to radio/TV announcements on the latest traffic and transport information, use non-road based public transport means as far as possible and to avoid driving to the affected areas. If driving is unavoidable, motorists are advised to plan their routes carefully, use alternate routes and allow more time to cater for unexpected delays.

     Details of the major traffic and transport arrangements currently implemented are as follows:

(A). Road closure

The following major road sections have been temporarily closed:

Hong Kong Island:

(a) Gloucester Road westbound between Tonnochy Road and Harcourt Road; (b) Gloucester Road eastbound between Fleming Road and Harcourt; (c) Harcourt Road both bounds; (d) Connaught Road Central both bounds between Pedder Street & Harcourt Road; (e) Tim Mei Avenue; (f) Legislative Council Road; (g) Lung Wui Road; (h) Tim Wa Road; (i) Performing Arts Avenue; (j) Rodney Street; (k) Queensway; (l) Fenwick Pier Street flyover; (m) Cotton Tree Drive uphill bound; (n) Garden Road downhill bound left turn only to QueenĦĤs Road Central; (o) Yee Wo Street; (p) Great George Street; (q) Hennessy Road both bounds between Yee Wo Street and Marsh Road; (r) Percival Street southbound between Lockhart Road and Russell Street; (s) Chater Road eastbound between Pedder Street and Murray Road; (t) Des Voeux Road Central both bounds between Pedder Street and Queensway; (u) Edinburgh Place both bounds; and (v) Hennessy Road both bounds between Anton Street and QueenĦĤs Road East.

Kowloon:

(a) All lanes of Nathan Road southbound between Prince Edward Road West and Dundas Street (b) All lanes of Nathan Road northbound between Waterloo road and Bute Street; (c) All lanes of Argyle Street westbound between Fa Yuen Street and Portland Street; (d) All lanes of Mongkok Road between Portland Street and Sai Yeung Choi Street South; (e) All lanes of Sai Yeung Choi Street South northbound between Argyle Street and Nelson Street; (f) All lanes of Nelson Street westbound between Sai Yeung Choi Street South and Tung Choi Street; and (g) All lanes of Canton Road Star Ferry bound between Kowloon Park Drive and Haiphong Road.

(B). Traffic diversion

The following traffic arrangements have been implemented:

* Traffic on Island Eastern Corridor westbound is diverted via Hing Fat Street, Causeway Road, Inner Gloucester Road, Percival Street, Leighton Road before accessing Wan Chai area; Traffic heading to Wan Chai North is diverted via Tonnochy Road flyover.
* Cross Harbour Tunnel southbound traffic is diverted via Tonnochy Road flyover before accessing Wan Chai North
* Island Eastern Corridor westbound traffic is diverted via Tonnochy Road flyover before accessing Wan Chai North
* Vehicles travelling through Western Cross Harbour Crossing (Route 4) Hong Kong bound heading for Central North and financial districts are prohibited from entering Pedder Street and diverted to Lung Wo Road, Man Kwong Street and Man Yiu Street.

(C). Public transport services being affected

Cross Harbour routes:

* 8 Cross Harbour routes travelling via Central and Wai Chai (including Routes 101, 103, 104,  109, 111, 113, 115, 182): services are suspended
* Western Harbour Crossing Routes (Central bound): services are truncated at Connaught Road Central near Pedder Street
* Eastern Harbour Crossing Routes (Central bound): services are truncated at  Causeway Bay (Pennington Street) or Wan Chai Ferry
* Cross Harbour Tunnel Routes 102, 112, 118 and 171 are diverted via Boundary Street and Princess Margaret Road and omit Nathan Road on its direction to Hong Kong Island. These services are also diverted via Gascoigne Road and Tong Mi Road and omit Nathan Road on its direction to Kowloon
* Western Harbour Crossing Routes 970, 970X and 971 are diverted via New Reclamation Street and Argyle Street on their Kowloon-bound services.  On journeys to Hong Kong Island, Route 970 and 970X are diverted via Waterloo Road and Princess Margaret Road, while Route 971 is diverted via Shanghai Street and Jordon Road
* Western Harbour Crossing Routes 904 and 905 are truncated at Olympic Station
* Special departures of Western Harbour Crossing Route 968 plying between Yuen Long (West) and Causeway Bay (Tin Hau) via Cross Harbour Tunnel (do not operate via Central and Wan Chai districts) are introduced

Hong Kong Island routes:

* 20 bus routes (including Citybus Routes 1, 3B, 5X, 12, 12A, 12M, 629A, 629S, 780, 788 and New World First Bus Routes 13, 15A, 15B, 15C, 18P, 18X, 23, 26, H1, H2, 590, 720, 722) are suspended
* Bus routes from Eastern District to Central/Western District: services are truncated at Tin Hau or Pennington Street
* Bus routes from Eastern District to Central travelling via Island Eastern Corridor are truncated at Wan Chai North or Canal Road
* Bus routes from Western District to Central/Eastern District: services may be truncated at Wing Wo Street
* Bus routes plying between Southern District and Hong Kong Island North via Aberdeen Tunnel or Wong Nai Chung Road are truncated at Morrison Hill Road
* Bus routes plying between Southern District and Eastern District do not operate via Wan Chai and Causeway Bay
* Bus routes 629 and 629S to Ocean Park are truncated at Tin Hau

Kowloon routes:

* 7 KMB routes 6F, 18, 41, 41A, 45, 212, 287X are suspended
 * KMB routes plying between Tseung Kwan O/ Kowloon East via Argyle Street are truncated at Kowloon City roundabout (including 9, 13D, 16, 93K, 203E)
* KMB routes 1, 1A, 2A, 98C and 296C continue skipping Mong Kok.  KMB route 1 and 1A are diverted via Nathan Road, Waterloo Road and Boundary Street on journeys to Chuk Yuen/Sau Mau Ping Central; while journeys to Tsim Sha Tsui direction are diverted via Prince Edward Road West, Waterloo Road and Nathan Road.  Route 2A is diverted via Boundary Street, Prince Edward Road West and Prince Edward Road East on journeys to Lok Wa, and via Prince Edward Road West and Lai Chi Kok Road on journeys to Mei Foo.  Routes 98C and 296C are diverted via Boundary Street, Prince Edward Road West and Prince Edward Road East on journeys to Tseung Kwan O, and via  Prince Edward Road West, Lai Chi Kok Road, Wong Chuk Street and Cheung Sha Wan Road on journeys to Mei Foo/Sham Shui Po
 * KMB routes 27, 95 plying between Kowloon East and Mong Kok via Prince Edward Road West are diverted via Sai Yee Street and then return to Kowloon East
* KMB routes plying between New Territories West/Sham Shui Po and Mong Kok via Nathan Road are truncated at Cheung Sha Wan Road (Nam Cheong Street) or Mei Foo (including 2, 30X, 32, 33A, 35A, 36B, 37, 42A, 44, 46, 52X, 58X, 59X, 60X, 66X, 67X, 68X, 69X, 234X, 238X, 265B, 63X (Mei Foo only))
 * KMB bus routes plying between Sham Shui Po and Mong Kok (including 6, 6C, 81) are truncated at Tai Po Road or Argyle Street
* KMB bus routes plying between New Territories East and Mong Kok via Nathan Road are diverted via Waterloo Road and skipped Mong Kok (including 87D, 281A, 72X)
* KMB bus route 3C plying between Tze Wan Shan and Mong Kok via Nathan Road is truncated at Kowloon Tong
* KMB bus route 10 plying between Kowloon East and Yau Ma Tei via Argyle Street is truncated at Waterloo Road near Kowloon Hospital
* KMB bus route 87B plying between San Tin Wai and Sham Shui Po via Argyle Street is truncated at Fuk Wa Street
* Routes E21, E21A plying between AsiaWorld-Expo/Tung Chung and Mong Kok via Nathan Road are truncated at Cheung Sha Wan Road (Yen Chow Street)
* Bus routes operating via Canton Road (including 12, 110, 203C, 260X, 268B, 269B, 215X, 281A, 296D and 973) and green minibus routes (including 3, 6A, 77M , 78) are diverted via Kowloon Park Drive. Meanwhile, the terminal point of bus route 271 is changed to Star Ferry Bus Terminus and not operating via Canton Road and Kowloon Park Drive

Airport bus routes:

* Both bounds service of Route A11 is diverted via Cross Harbour Tunnel and skipped Central district
* Both bounds service of Route A12 is diverted via Eastern Harbour Crossing and skipped Central, Western and Wan Chai districts
* A21 (Airport bound) does not operate via Nathan Road between Public Square Street and Lai Chai Kok Road; Urban bound does not operate via Nathan Road between Lai Chi Kok Road and Austin Road

GMB services

Services of some GMB routes operating via Central, Admiralty, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay, Mong Kok and Canton Road may be suspended, route diverted or frequency adjusted.

Hong Kong Tramway

Tram services between Western Market and Victoria Park are suspended

MTR

MTR services resumed normal.

     Starting from the first departure of October 3, 28 bus routes will have the following service updates:

* Cross Harbour Routes  101ĦA115ĦA621 and 641 will terminate at Wan Chai Ferry
* Cross Harbour Routes  601ĦA680ĦA619ĦA690ĦA681 and 307 will terminate at Southorn Playground in Wan Chai
* Western Harbour Routes  960BĦA960X and 968X will be diverted via Cross Harbour Tunnel
* KMB Routes 3C and 9 will be diverted via Waterloo Road and omit Mong Kok
* KMB Routes 13DĦB16 and N293 on journeys to Mong Kok / Tai Kok Tsui will be diverted via Prince Edward Road West, SaiYee Street, Argyle Street eastbound and return to Kowloon East
* KMB Route 32 will resume original routing on journeys to Olympic Station and be diverted via Tai Kok Tsui Road, Tung Chow Street, Nam Cheong Street, Hai Tan Street, Yen Chow Street and Lai Chi Kok Road by omitting Nathan Road before resuming original routing to Shek Wai Kok
* KMB Routes 37, 52X, 265B and 66X will be diverted via Lai Chi Kok Road and Tong Mi Road and omit Nathan Road for both bound journeys
* KMB Route 6C will be diverted via Castle Peak Road, Yen Chow Street, Lai Chi Kok Road, Tong Mi Road, West Kowloon Corridor before resuming original routing on  Gascoigne Road on journeys to Kowloon City Ferry.  On its journeys to Mei Foo, the bus service will be diverted via Gascoigne Road, Kansu Street, Ferry Street and Tong Mi Road omitting Prince Edward and Mong Kok.  
* KMB Route 41A will be diverted via West Kowloon Corridor, Canton Road, Kowloon Park Drive, Salisbury Road omitting Mong Kok and Jordan areas on journeys to Tsim Sha Tsui.  On its journeys to Tsing Yi, the bus service will be diverted via Public Square Street, New Reclamation Street and Cherry Street omitting Nathan Road
* Overnight bus route N368 will be terminated at Tin Hau
* Overnight bus route N216 will be diverted via Waterloo Road
* Overnight bus route N241 will be truncated at Yen Chow Street in Sham Shui Po

Ends/Thursday, October 2, 2014
Issued at HKT 23:55

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