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The Hong Kong 2009 East Asian Games (EAG) Torch Relay will be held tomorrow (August 29) to celebrate the 100-day countdown to the Games.
The torch relay will start at Kowloon Park Piazza at 3pm, passing through Austin Road, Nathan Road, Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade, Avenue of Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui, across Victoria Harbour to Expo Drive East, Harbour Road, Expo Drive to end at the Golden Bauhinia Square in Wan Chai.
The public may watch the torch relay and cheer on the torchbearers along the route. The suggested viewing locations and time are as follow:
3pm ¡V On Nathan Road between cross sections of Austin Road, Kimberly road, Granville Road, Middle Road and Salisbury Road;
3.20pm ¡V On Salisbury Road, in areas in front of Sheraton Hotel, and areas between Shangri-la Hotel and Nikko Hotel;
3.30pm ¡V Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade to Avenue of Stars near New World Centre, and at Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazzas to Kowloon Public Pier;
4pm ¡V On Harbour Road between Expo Drive East, and Expo Drive;
4.10pm ¡V Golden Bauhinia Square.
People who want to watch the torch relay on-site should allow for sufficient time to go to the locations as the area may be quite congested nearer the time.
People can also watch the live broadcast of the torch rely on television. The launching ceremony of the Torch Relay at the Kowloon Park Piazza starting from 2.45pm and the first eight legs of the relay will be broadcast live on television. The television live broadcast will start again at 4pm to cover the relay and closing ceremony at the Golden Bauhinia Square. The "Countdown to the Hong Kong 2009 EAG Show" to be held at 7.30pm will also be broadcast live on television. The launching ceremony and the first eight legs of the relay, the closing ceremony and the countdown show will be broadcast live on the Government homepage (http://webcast.info.gov.hk) as well, while footage of the entire torch relay will be uploaded to the Government homepage that night for people to review. People can also browse the dedicated homepage on torch relay on the website of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (http://www.lcas.gov.hk) and the homepage of the East Asian Games (Hong Kong) Ltd (http://www.2009eastasiangames.hk).
To facilitate the EAG Torch Relay, the Transport Department will, in phases, implement special traffic arrangements and adjust public transport services in areas covered by the route from 2.15pm tomorrow.
Major roads such as Nathan Road, Salisbury Road, Austin Road, Harbour Road and Convention Avenue in Tsim Sha Tsui and Wan Chai North will be closed during the holding of the torch relay. The Transport Department anticipated that traffic conditions in Tsim Sha Tsui and Wan Chai in the afternoon may become heavier and more congested than a normal Saturday.
The Transport Department called on drivers to avoid driving to affected or congested areas. If driving is unavoidable, they should plan the driving route carefully, use alternative routes and allow more travelling time. Meanwhile, public transport services including bus service, green minibus service, residents' service and cross boundary coach service will also be affected. The adjustments include temporary route truncation, diversion, service frequency reduction, service suspension or relocation of bus stops. Passengers using public transport services are advised to take note of changes.
Details on road closure, traffic diversion and changes to public transport services are available on the department¡¦s website (www.td.gov.hk) and the department hotline 1834567. For enquiries, please call the 1823 Call Centre.
Police will implement special traffic arrangements along the routes in West Kowloon and on Hong Kong Island to facilitate the torch relay. Pedestrians are reminded to stay on the pavements on both sides of the roads while watching the torch relay to avoid any obstruction to the conduct of the event. For the sake of public order and safety, people should not stay on pedestrian footbridges which may lead to unnecessary obstruction. The footbridges will be temporarily closed by the police officers on site when necessary. People are also advised to follow the instructions of police officers on-site to ensure the safety of themselves and other road users.
The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) forecasts that tomorrow will be sunny and very hot with a maximum temperature of about 33 ¢XC. People are reminded of the risk of heatstroke. When engaged in outdoor activities, please drink plenty of water. If not feeling well, rest in the shade or cooler place as soon as possible.
Ends/Friday, August 28, 2009
Issued at HKT 16:59
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