Sham Shui Po pedestrian scheme under consultation

A proposal aiming at improving the pedestrian network in terms of safety, comfort, directness and equity of access was submitted today (February 14) to the Sham Shui Po District Council for consultation.

A spokesman for the Transport Department said that the proposed pedestrian scheme was another attempt made by the Department to give an old neighborhood a new look.

The proposed scheme mainly includes the following:

	the designation of Fuk Wa Street (between Yen Chow St and Nam Cheong St), Apliu Street (between Yen Chow St and Nam Cheong St), Kweilin Street (between Fuk Wing St and Yu Chau St) and Pei Ho Street (between Fuk Wing St and Yu Chau St) as part-time pedestrian zones between noon and 9 pm.
	the introduction of shared surface corridor along Pei Ho Street (between Un Chau St and Fuk Wing St);
	The introduction of traffic calming on Fuk Wing Street (between Yen Chow Street and Nam Cheong St), Yu Chau Street (between Yen Chow Street and Nam Cheong St) and Kweilin Street (between Fuk Wing St and Un Chau St);
	Footpath widening along selected segments of Yen Chow Street and Nam Cheong Street;
	Footway extensions at selected junctions around the area bounded by Pratas Street, Shun Ning Road, Kiu Kiang Street and Fuk Wing Street.
	"The designation of pedestrian zones in other districts proves that they can separate pedestrians from vehicles, whilst the traffic calming and footpath widening create a much nicer environment for pedestrians," said the spokesman.

"We are also proposing to set up some short-term (e.g. half-hour) on-street coach parking bays on Fuk Wing Street and Yu Chau Street to facilitate the promotion of street markets. Coaches taking tourists there may use the parking bays to pick up or drop off tourists coming for the street markets," he added.

The pedestrian scheme will be supplemented by traffic management measures.

The junction of Fuk Wa Street and Yen Chow Street will be closed and a new one be set up at Fuk Wing Street and Yen Chow Street.

Traffic diversion along Yen Chow Street will be required as Fuk Wa Street will be designated a part-time pedestrian zone.

Other traffic measures include the re-organisation of on-street parking spaces and minibus stands, restriction over vehicle stopping activities, and the provision of a new taxi stand on Fuk Wing Street to reduce the conflicts between taxis and other vehicles on the busy Yen Chow Street.

"With the views collected from the members of the Dictrict Council, we shall fine tune our proposal and hope to carry out the measures in phases in 2001," said the spokesman.

The Sham Shui Po pedestrian scheme is one of the four schemes the Transport Department intended to introduce after it finished a study last year. The Study focused on how to improve the pedestrian environment in Central, Wan Chai, Jordan and Sham Shui Po.

End/Wednesday, February 14, 2001