Cross-boundary transport beefed up to handle Golden Week rush

Cross-boundary public transport services have been beefed up in anticipation of a surge in the number of visitors during the National Day Golden Week, which starts tomorrow (October 1), the Transport Department said.

Coach, shuttle bus and rail services will all be increased, a department spokesman said.

Details are as follows:

KCRC East Rail

Lo Wu service frequency will increase to a maximum of 14 trains per hour in each direction during Golden Week, increasing handling capacity to 52,500 pasengers per hour. Currently, KCRC operates 10-11 trains to Lo Wu per hour, carrying 37,500 to 41,250 passengers.

Lok Ma Chau (LMC) - Huanggang Shuttle Buses (Yellow Buses)

Starting September 30, two additional buses will be added to the service fleet, increasing passenger capacity by about 14%, from 1,860 to 2,112 per hour in each direction. Additional buses can be deployed to raise the peak capacity by a further 12% per hour in each direction if necessary.

When the passenger queue at the San Tin Public Transport Interchange (PTI) exceeds a certain limit, the department will issue radio announcements advising prospective passengers to use other transport modes to cross the boundary. If necessary, all feeder buses and green minibuses going to San Tin PTI will be stopped to avoid overcrowding.

Cross-boundary Coach Service

A total of 22 and 52 ad hoc quotas for cross-boundary coach service at Man Kam To (MKT) and Sha Tau Kok (STK) have been issued for three months. An additional 250, 40 and 60 ad hoc quotas will be issued for cross-boundary coach services in LMC, MKT and STK respectively during Golden Week.

Coach operators will deploy uniformed staff at the LMC checkpoint to assist passengers and reduce the stacking time of coaches at the control point.

The Transport Department spokesman advised passengers who intend to use Yellow Buses during the National Day holiday to travel during less busy periods, such as late morning or early afternoon.

"Passengers should keep calm and remain patient when queuing up at LMC (San Tin) PTI," he said. "The Transport Department will activate its Emergency Transport Co-ordination Centre to closely monitor the boundary traffic and liaise with relevant departments."

End/Tuesday, September 30, 2003