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The Transport Department today (June 28) announced a series of special traffic and transport arrangements, which would be implemented on Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and New Territories, to facilitate the holding of various activities on Saturday and Sunday (June 30 and July 1).
Speaking at a press conference jointly held by the Transport Department and the Police, the department's Principal Transport Officer Albert Su said that a wide range of special traffic and transport arrangements would be implemented. He reminded people to take note of the pyrotechnics displays in Tsuen Wan on June 30, and the celebration parade, public procession and fireworks display on July 1.
To facilitate the holding of pyrotechnics displays in the evening of June 30, bus termini at Tusen Wan West West Rail Station, Tsuen Wan Transport Complex and Nina Tower will be suspended from 7.45pm until the end of the pyrotechnics displays and after the dispersal of crowds.
At the same time, all bus services will be suspended on the closed roads, and 30 bus routes and 18 Green Minibus (GMB) between Tsuen Wan West and Tsuen Wan Ferry Pier will be re-routed. People need to go to Sha Tsui Road (east of Tai Ho Road) or Castle Peak Road to take buses and minibuses.
Meanwhile, GMB No 301 and 301M and four sailings between Ma Wan and Tsuen Wan will also be suspended.
"Road closures, traffic diversions and changes in the public transport services related to the pyrotechnics displays in Tsuen Wan are very extensive. We expect heavy traffic congestion in the vicinity of Tsuen Wan town centre and the ferry pier starting from the evening of June 30," Mr Su said.
He appealed to motorists to avoid driving to Tsuen Wan town centre and the ferry pier. He added that people should consider using the train to go to affected areas. West Rail services will also be enhanced that night to facilitate crowd dispersal. Services of the MTR Tsuen Wan Line will be enhanced depending on the passengers' need. All bus and minibus passengers should take note of the changes in pick-up areas and routes.
Before the pyrotechnics displays, vehicles will not be allowed to enter the public car park at the Tsuen Wan Transport Complex and the private car parks at the closed area. Parking meters in the affected areas will also be suspended.
On the special traffic and transport arrangement on July 1, Mr Su pointed out that the road closures, traffic diversions and changes in public transport services in various areas were also extensive. "In a nutshell, the traffic and public transport services on Hong Kong Island will have big changes on July 1, depending largely on the weather, ad-hoc traffic matters and some other unpredictable situations," he said.
The Transport Department expected that it was highly likely that serious traffic congestions and long queues would occur in major tunnels and Hong Kong Island area, especially on Canal Road Flyover, Leighton Road, Wong Ngai Chung Road, Gloucester Road and Hennessy Road and at the Hong Kong exit of Cross Harbour Tunnel and Aberdeen Tunnel (Wan Chai exit). If this happens, more time will be needed to ease the queue.
"Therefore, we need public support and understanding, and hope they can appreciate the inconvenience caused by the road closures and traffic diversions," Mr Su said.
In general, New World First Bus (NWFB) No 15B and 309 will have their services suspended on July 1. From 10am to 8pm, bus services of NWFB No. 19, 23A, 25 and Citybus No. 92 will also be suspended.
Meanwhile, from 10am onwards, 88 bus routes and 28 GMB routes travelling via Causeway Bay, Wanchai, Central and Aberdeen Tunnel will be re-routed in phases.
Parade – When the parade starts at 11am on July 1, some bus routes travelling on Leighton Road westbound and Hennessy Road westbound will be diverted to Tsing Fung Street or Tung Lo Wan Road, Gloucester Road and Fenwick Road for Wan Chai and Central.
Some bus routes travelling on Yee Wo Street westbound and Hennessy Road westbound will be diverted to Canal Road Flyover and Canal Road for Wan Chai/Central or Aberdeen Tunnel upon reaching Canal Road bus-only lane.
Bus routes from Southern District via Aberdeen Tunnel and Tin Lok Lane will be diverted to Canal Road Flyover and Gloucester Road for Wanchai, Central and Kowloon.
Public procession – From 1.30pm onwards, all bus routes travelling on Causeway Road westbound, Yee Wo Road westbound, Hennessy Road westbound and Admiralty Road westbound will be diverted to Gloucester Road for Wan Chai, Central and Kowloon.
Bus routes travelling on Queen's Road East will also be diverted to Hennessy Road eastbound and Gloucester Road.
Fireworks display – From 6.30pm onwards, the destination for all Huanggang-bound cross-boundary bus routes at Wan Chai North Bus Terminus will be relocated to Hennessy Road or Johnston Road. Bus routes travelling along Gloucester Road to Eastern District or to Kowloon will not be allowed to enter Wan Chai North.
From 7pm, all bus routes at Central Ferry Pier will temporarily be relocated to Exchange Square bus terminus, Hong Kong Station public transport interchange and Connaught Road Central as destination.
Due to road closures, most of the bus routes travelling on Yee Wo Street and Hennessy Road will not be allowed to pick up/set down passengers on the original bus stops. Passengers should use temporary bus stops further away from the centre of Causeway Bay and Wan Chai. Meanwhile, tram stations at Causeway Road and Yee Wo Street will be suspended.
Tram services between Happy Valley and other areas will be suspended from 2.30pm onwards, while other tram services may be adjusted or suspended depending on the traffic situation.
Meanwhile, red minibuses and taxis travelling on Causeway Bay, Wan Chai and Hong Kong Island north will be affected.
MTR services on Island Line, Kwun Tong Line, Tsuen Wan Lin and Tseung Kwan O Line will be strengthened to every three minutes between 6.30am and 10.30pm. Services on Tung Chung Line between Hong Kong and Tsing Yi will be enhanced to every five minutes to facilitate the public for watching fireworks display.
Besides the changes in public transport services, all roadside parking meters in Wan Chai north, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay, racecourse and Hong Kong Stadium will be suspended. Vehicles will not be allowed to enter private car parks on the closed roads until the roads are re-opened.
Learner drivers will be prohibited from using Lee Garden Hill road and the vicinity of Hong Kong Stadium.
On Kowloon side, in order to facilitate the holding of fireworks display, 40 bus routes, seven GMB routes running in Tsim Sha Tsui and Jordan Road, and ferry services across the harbour will be adjusted or suspended. People should avoid driving to Tsim Sha Tsui and Jordan Road, and should take a train for watching the display.
"Motorists should avoid driving to Island North, Central, Wan Chai and Causeway Bay on July 1. They should plan their routes in advance and take heed of instruction of the Police in case of temporary road closures and traffic diversions, and to drive carefully all the time."
He also appealed to people going to Hong Kong Island to avoid using road based public transport. Bus and other public transport commuters should pay attention to the arrangements of route diversions and suspension/relocation of stops.
Mr Su also noted that due to road closures and traffic diversions, travelling time and frequencies of the affected public transport services would become unstable. He reminded the public to plan their journey early.
From June 30 to July 1, the department's Emergency Transport Co-ordination Centre will be operating on a Joint Steering Mode with the representatives from the Police and relevant organisations to monitor the traffic situation in various districts.
As traffic situation will likely change in a short period of time, the Police will take out ad-hoc traffic management measures at short notice, including road closures, traffic diversions, halting, alteration and suspension of public transport services. Therefore, all motorists and public transport passengers should watch out for latest traffic news.
For details relating to road closures, traffic diversions and changes in public transport services, people can call Transport Department hotlines 2804 2600 or 1834567 for relevant information.
Ends/Thursday, June 28, 2007
Issued at HKT 18:32
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