Special traffic and transport arrangements for public procession tomorrow
****************************************************** The Transport Department (TD) today (April 30) reminded the public that special traffic and transport arrangements would be implemented to facilitate several public processions to be held in Wan Chai and Central on Hong Kong Island tomorrow (May 1).
The first public procession will be held from about 11am to noon from Charter Garden to Central Government Offices via Ice House Street and Battery Path. During the procession, the section of Ice House Street between Queen’s Road Central and Des Voeux Road Central will be temporarily closed and bus routes no. 23A and 26 operating in the affected areas will be temporarily diverted. In addition, the bus stops of the relevant routes along the procession route will be suspended.
The second public procession will be held from about 11.30am to noon from Southorn Playground to Central Government Offices via Hennessy Road westbound, Queensway westbound, Queen's Road Central and Battery Path.
The third and fourth public procession will be held from about 1.15pm to 2.30pm from Victoria Park to Keswick Street and back to Victoria Park via Causeway Road westbound, Leighton Road westbound, Keswick Street, Pennington Street and Sugar Street.
To facilitate the holding of the second, third and fourth processions, the Police will implement intermittent closure of the slow lane along the procession route.
The fifth public procession will start at about 3pm from Victoria Park to Central Government Offices via Sugar Street, Yee Wo Street westbound, Hennessy Road westbound, Queensway westbound, Queen's Road Central and Battery Path. From about 2.45 pm onwards, Gloucester Road southbound between Causeway Bay flyover and Causeway Road, Gloucester Road northbound south of Sugar Street, Sugar Street, Yee Wo Street westbound between Pennington Street and Hennessy Road, Jardine's Bazaar, Hennessy Road westbound between Yee Wo Street and Lee Garden Road, Yun Ping Road between Kai Chiu Road and Pak Sha Road, Kai Chiu Road, Lee Garden Road between Kai Chiu Road and Hennessy Road, Tang Lung Street and Canal Road East between Hennessy Road and Russell Street will be temporarily closed. In addition, the slow lane of Hennessy Road westbound west of Lee Garden Road, Queensway westbound and Queen's Road Central east of Ice House Street will be intermittently closed in phases. Forty-one bus routes and one green minibus route operating in the affected areas will be temporarily diverted. The concerned public transport operators will arrange publicity to inform passengers of the temporary arrangements.
The TD anticipates that owing to several public processions to be held on Hong Kong Island, the traffic in Causeway Bay and Central will be heavily congested. Motorists are advised to avoid driving to the affected areas. People who plan to go to the affected areas are advised to use public transport. In case of traffic congestion, motorists should exercise tolerance and patience, and follow the instructions of the Police.
The TD and the Police will closely monitor the traffic situation and will implement appropriate measures whenever necessary. Motorists and the public should be alert to the latest traffic news on radio and television.
Details of the special traffic and transport arrangements are now available at the TD's website (www.td.gov.hk). For further queries, please call the 1823 Call Centre (tel.: 1823).
Ends/Thursday, April 30, 2009
Issued at HKT 17:32
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