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The Transport Department (TD) today (October 9) said that since major trunk roads on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon remained closed, drivers as advised by the TD had avoided driving to affected areas, leading to a slight decrease in traffic flow. Major alternative routes on Hong Kong Island such as Kennedy Road, Stubbs Road and Tai Hang Road, however, were still congested.
At an inter-departmental press conference today, the Assistant Commissioner for Transport, Mr Albert Su, said that although the overall traffic situation was slightly improved as compared with that of yesterday, members of the public should remain vigilant and should continue not to drive to Hong Kong Island, especially the affected districts and school areas, as far as possible. Members of the public going to work or school should also continue to set off earlier and stay alert to the latest traffic news. After the resumption of classes of all schools in the Wan Chai and Central & Western districts today, transport services could generally cope with the situation.
Mr Su noted that the traffic situation on Connaught Road Central (west bound) had been improved after the TD had relocated some of the bus stops from Connaught Road Central (west bound) to Des Voeux Road Central (west bound). Meanwhile, Police had deployed more manpower to step up traffic control in the affected areas such as Causeway Bay and Wan Chai during the evening peak hours since yesterday, which also helped improve the traffic situation.
Regarding public transport services, a total of 249 bus routes are affected today, representing 40 per cent of the total bus routes. These included 22 suspended bus routes and 227 diverted bus routes. A total of 27 Green minibus (GMB) routes are diverted, suspended or with service adjusted. The tram service between Western Market and Victoria Park remains suspended.
The MTRCL will continue to increase its services to the fullest capacity and the Star Ferry will also increase services to cope with passenger demand.
The TD's Emergency Transport Co-ordination Centre will continue to monitor the road traffic situation and transport services.
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:
[Central] (a) Des Voeux Road Central both bounds between Pedder Street and Queensway; (b) Chater Road eastbound between Pedder Street and Murray Road; (c) Connaught Road Central both bounds between Pedder Street and Harcourt Road; (d) Edinburgh Place both bounds
[Admiralty] (e) Harcourt Road; (f) Cotton Tree Drive; (g) Garden Road northbound slip road to Queensway eastbound; (h) Queensway between Justice Drive and Garden Road; (i) Tim Mei Avenue; (j) Tim Wa Avenue; (k) Legislative Council Road; (l) Lung Wui Road; (m) Performing Arts Avenue; (n) Rodney Street;
[Wan Chai] (o) Fenwick Pier Street flyover; (p) Gloucester Road westbound between O'Brian Road and Arsenal Street; (q) Gloucester Road eastbound between Fenwick Street and Arsenal Street; (r) Hennessy Road both bounds between Yee Wo Street and Percival Street;
[Causeway Bay] (s) Yee Wo Street;
Kowloon:
[Mong Kok] (a) Nathan Road southbound between Mong Kok Road and Dundas Street (b) Nathan Road northbound between Waterloo Road and Mong Kok Road; (c) Sai Yeung Choi Street South northbound between Argyle Street and Nelson Street; (d) Nelson Street westbound between Sai Yeung Choi Street South and Fa Yuen Street; (e) Argyle Street both bounds between Shanghai Street and Fa Yuen Street.
(B) Traffic diversion
The following traffic arrangements have been implemented:
* Traffic on Island Eastern Corridor westbound is diverted via Inner Gloucester Road to 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 is diverted via Tonnchy Road flyover to 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.
* Nathan Road northbound traffic have been diverted onto Waterloo Road.
(C) Public transport services being affected
Bus routes
For details of suspended and diverted bus routes, please refer to "What's New" section of the TD website (www.td.gov.hk).
GMB services
Services of some GMB routes operating via Central, Admiralty, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay and Mong Kok may be suspended, route diverted or frequency adjusted.
Hong Kong Tramway
Tram services between Western Market and Victoria Park are suspended (including Happy Valley Loop).
MTR
MTR have strengthened the services of Kwun Tong Line, Tsuen Wan Line and Island Line.
Ends/Thursday, October 9, 2014
Issued at HKT 20:31
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