LCQ17: Improving situation of road signs being blocked
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Question:
It has been reported that road signs in Hong Kong are blocked by the foliage of roadside trees from time to time, rendering important traffic signs not clearly visible and posing potential risks to road safety. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the number of cases of complaints or reports received by the authorities in each of the past three years regarding road signs being blocked by trees, and whether any of these cases involved traffic accidents caused by road signs being blocked due to delays in tree pruning; if so, of the number of such cases;
(2) whether there are regular tree inspection systems currently in place at the territory-wide and district levels to specifically examine whether traffic signs and traffic lights are blocked by trees or driving sightline is affected; if so, of the respective inspection frequencies, and responsible departments, for various types of trees located along the sides of roads (including trunk roads, expressways and local roads) (set out in a table); if not, whether consideration will be given to establishing a systematic tiered inspection mechanism;
(3) of the current interdepartmental vetting and approval as well as co-ordination processes involved in the work of pruning trees that block road signs (including the time generally required from application submission to completion of pruning, whether there are processing time limits or service indicators in place, and the respective achievement rates); whether the authorities will review and streamline the relevant procedures; if so, of the details and timetable; if not, the reasons for that;
(4) whether it will proactively carry out territory-wide inspections and preventive tree pruning before the wet season (e.g. the spring rainy season from late February to April) or typhoon season every year, with an annual schedule devised to reduce ad hoc applications and duplicated vetting; if so, of the details and timetable; if not, the reasons for that;
(5) whether it will co-ordinate road closures to carry out road maintenance, road marking repaints and tree pruning work in one go during long holidays or periods of lower traffic flow in order to enhance efficiency and minimise the impact on the public; if so, of the details and timetable; if not, the reasons for that; and
(6) whether it will study the introduction of smart monitoring solutions, such as employing video analytics technology to regularly check the visibility of traffic signs along major roads, thereby enabling early identification of instances of them being blocked by trees and addressing such instances in a timely manner; if so, of the details and timetable; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
Government trees alongside public roads are maintained by different government departments in accordance with the Development Bureau Technical Circular (Works) No. 6/2015, depending on the category of land on which the trees are located. The relevant departments shall conduct regular inspections and arrange timely trimming of trees under their jurisdiction in order to prevent excessive growth of branches and leaves extending into carriageways, thus creating potential traffic safety risks like obstructing traffic signs or affecting drivers' sightlines.
In consultation with the Development Bureau (DEVB), the Highways Department (HyD) and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), my reply to the various parts of the question raised by Dr the Hon Chan Han-pan is as follows:
(1) The HyD is responsible for maintaining trees located within roadside registered slopes/retaining walls under its jurisdiction and within the expressway boundaries, while the LCSD is responsible for managing trees along public roads outside expressway areas under its jurisdiction. Over the past three years (i.e. 2023, 2024 and 2025), the number of complaints or report cases received by the HyD and the LCSD regarding traffic signs being obstructed by roadside trees under their jurisdictions are tabulated below:
| Year | Cases (No.) | |
| HyD | LCSD | |
| 2023 | 49 | 52 |
| 2024 | 38 | 62 |
| 2025 | 45 | 47 |
Both HyD and LCSD have carried out trimming work in a timely manner upon receiving the above cases. None of these cases involved traffic accidents caused by delayed trimming.
In addition, if the HyD discovers during regular road maintenance inspections or receives reports stating that there are overgrown roadside posing imminent danger to road users (e.g. branches and leaves extending into the carriageway seriously obstructing traffic signs), it will immediately arrange urgent trimming to ensure the safety of road users even if the trees concerned are not under its maintenance. Over the past three years, the HyD received two cases each year concerning traffic signs being seriously obstructed by roadside trees under the jurisdictions of other departments or private lot owners requiring immediate arrangement of urgent trimming.
(2) The HyD engages contractors through term contracts to conduct regular inspections of roadside trees under its jurisdiction at specified frequencies (generally once every three to six months), and to trim trees obstructing traffic signs, traffic lights, and street lights as soon as possible according to the inspection findings. The HyD also requests its contractors to identify slopes/planting areas that require more frequent tree trimming, and arrange at least three trimming operations at these locations between April and October each year. Meanwhile, the LCSD also conducts regular inspections of trees under its jurisdiction, including checking for protruding branches to the carriageway that obstruct vehicle passage, impair drivers' visibility, affect traffic signs, or pose potential risks to vehicles.
(3) The HyD requires its contractors to complete the necessary tree trimming and associated maintenance works within 14 days after tree inspections according to the inspection findings. Generally, the contractors will carry out necessary trimming work while conducting inspections. If the tree trimming work involves temporary occupation of carriageway, the contractors will apply for the relevant departments' approval of the required temporary traffic arrangements in advance. The HyD has all along been closely monitoring the progress of contractors' work to ensure the efficiency of tree trimming work. On the other hand, the LCSD will also undertake advance planning for tree maintenance work, and conduct pruning operations on roads after obtaining road closure applications approval under temporary traffic arrangements from the relevant departments.
If it is necessary to implement temporary traffic arrangements immediately in order to conduct urgent trimming work, the departments will contact the Hong Kong Police Force for co-ordinating the arrangement, so as to eliminate the hazards posed to the public as soon as possible. Although the existing arrangement already enables timely completion of tree trimming work, the departments will continue to review whether there is scope to further streamline the processes.
(4) Both HyD and LCSD conduct tree risk assessments before the onset of the wet season every year in areas with high pedestrian and vehicular flow according to the Guidelines for Tree Risk Assessment and Management Arrangement issued by the Tree Management Office of the DEVB, and take appropriate mitigation measures according to the results of the tree assessment, including crown pruning and removal of dead branches.
(5) Where circumstances permit, the HyD will endeavour to arrange its contractors to carry out road maintenance works and tree trimming work concurrently when implementing temporary traffic arrangements, so as to enhance work efficiency and minimise impact on the public. In addition, the HyD has been actively adopting alternative tree trimming methods in recent years, such as engaging tree climbers to complete tree trimming work without occupying the carriageway, thereby minimising the need for temporary traffic arrangements. In addition, the LCSD makes every effort to plan tree maintenance work in advance, including scheduling roadside tree pruning during periods of lower traffic flow such as holidays and nighttime, in order to enhance efficiency and minimise inconvenience to the public.
(6) The HyD is actively expanding the analytical ability of its Road Defect Detection System, which applies artificial intelligence technology, from currently identifying pavement cracks and faded road markings to detecting obstructions to traffic signs, so as to facilitate timely follow-up actions on necessary trimming of trees under its jurisdiction. The upgraded system is expected to be officially put into operation by the end of 2026.
Ends/Wednesday, March 18, 2026
Issued at HKT 11:10
Issued at HKT 11:10
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