TD reminds public of WTO HKMC transport arrangements on December 13

The Transport Department (TD) today reminded members of the public on the special transport and traffic arrangements during the public processions to be held on Tuesday, December 13 from Victoria Park to the Wan Chai Sports Ground/ Wan Chai Public Cargo Working Area via Great George Street, Lockhart Road and Marsh Road relating to the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference (HKMC) of the World Trade Organization.

(A) Road closure

The following roads will be closed from 11am and as necessary:

(1) Northbound Gloucester Road from the U-turn loop underneath Tai Hang Road Flyover to Kingston Street;

(2) Sugar Street;

(3) Great George Street;

(4) Paterson Street between Kingston Street and Great George Street; and

(5) Westbound Kingston Street between Gloucester Road and Paterson Street.

The following roads will be closed from 11.30am and as necessary:

(1) Lockhart Road between Fleming Road and East Point Road;

(2) East Point Road;

(3) Percival Street between Gloucester Road and Hennessy Road except the northbound section between Jaffe Road and Gloucester Road;

(4) The section of Canal Road East between Jaffe Road and Hennessy Road;

(5) The section of Canal Road West between Jaffe Road and Hennessy Road;

(6) Southbound Marsh Road flyover between Hung Hing Road and Lockhart Road; and

(7) The section of southbound Marsh Road between Jaffe Road and Lockhart Road.

The following roads will be closed from 12 noon and as necessary:

(1) The section of Marsh Road between Jaffe Road and Hennessy Road;

(2) Southbound Gloucester Road between Victoria Park Flyover and Causeway Road;

(3) Cleveland Street between Gloucester Road and Kingston Street;

(4) Kingston Street eastbound between Paterson Street and Inner Gloucester Road;

(5) Paterson Street between Kingston Street and Inner Gloucester Road;

(6) Yacht Street;

(7) Lau Li Street between Ngan Mok Street and Hing Fat Street;

(8) Electric Road between Lau Sin Street and Tsing Fung Street;

(9) Lau Sin Street between the cul-de-sac outside Park Tower and Hing Fat Street;

(10) Hing Fat Street between Causeway Road and Lau Sin Street; and

(11) Northbound Tai Hang Road Flyover between the slip road to Tung Lo Wan Road and westbound Victoria Park Road.

The following roads will be closed at anytime and as necessary:

(1) Westbound Causeway Road;

(2) Moreton Terrace;

(3) Shelter Street;

(4) The slip road leading from eastbound Yee Wo Street to Leighton Road;

(5) Irving Street;

(6) Pennington Street between Keswick Street and Yee Wo Street;

(7) Jardine Bazaar;

(8) Tang Lung Street;

(9) Canal Road East between Russell Street and Hennessy Road;

(10) Canal Road West between Sharp Street West and Hennessy Road;

(11) Wan Chai Road between Canal Road West and Morrison Hill Road;

(12) Bowrington Road between Sharp Street West and Hennessy Road;

(13) Lee Garden Road between Kai Chiu Road and Hennessy Road;

(14) Kai Chiu Road;

(15) Yun Ping Road between Lan Fong Road and Kai Chiu Road;

(16) Westbound Yee Wo Street;

(17) Westbound Hennessy Road between Yee Wo Street and Tin Lok Lane; and

(18) Southbound Gloucester Road between Victoria Park Flyover and Causeway Road.

The following roads will be closed from 1 pm and as necessary:

(1) Marsh Road Flyover;

(2) Northbound Marsh Road between Gloucester Road and Hung Hing Road; and

(3) Hung Hing Road between Tonnochy Road and Wan Shing Street.

The following roads will be closed at anytime and as necessary:

(1) Convention Avenue between Tonnochy Road and Fleming Road;

(2) Tonnochy Road between Harbour Road and Convention Avenue; and

(3) Eastbound Harbour Road between Fleming Road and Tonnochy Road.

(B) Traffic diversion

Traffic along the following roads will be diverted from 11am onwards and as necessary:

(1) Traffic along southbound Gloucester Road will be prohibited to turn right onto U-turn loop leading to northbound Gloucester Road;

(2) Traffic along eastbound Yee Wo Street is prohibited to turn left onto Sugar Street;

(3) Traffic along northbound Tai Hang Road Flyover is prohibited to turn left onto westbound Kingston Street;

(4) Traffic along southbound Paterson Street must turn left to eastbound Kingston Street; and

(5) Traffic along southbound Cleveland Street is prohibited to turn right onto westbound Kingston Street.

Traffic along the following roads will be diverted from 11.30am onwards and as necessary:

(1) Traffic along eastbound Hennessy Road will be prohibited to turn left onto northbound Canal Road West;

(2) Traffic along eastbound Lockhart Road must turn left onto northbound Luard Road;

(3) Traffic along northbound Tonnochy Road will be prohibited to turn right onto eastbound Lockhart Road;

(4) Traffic along Jaffe Road will be prohibited to turn right onto southbound Tonnochy Road;

(5) Traffic along westbound Hung Hing Road will be prohibited to turn left onto southbound Marsh Road Flyover;

(6) Traffic along southbound Marsh Road must turn left onto eastbound Jaffe Road;

(7) Traffic along northbound Marsh Road will be prohibited to turn right onto eastbound Lockhart Road;

(8) Traffic along southbound Canal Road East must turn left onto eastbound Jaffe Road;

(9) Traffic along Jaffe Road will be prohibited to turn right onto southbound Percival Street; and

(10) Traffic along westbound Gloucester Road Service Road will be prohibited to turn left onto southbound Percival Street.

Traffic along the following roads will be diverted from 12 noon onwards and as necessary:

(1) Traffic along westbound Gloucester Road Service Road will be prohibited to turn left into southbound Cleveland Street;

(2) Traffic along westbound Gloucester Road Service Road will be prohibited to turn left into southbound Paterson Street;

(3) Traffic along slip road leading from westbound Victoria Park Road to Gloucester Road Service Road, must turn right before the junction with Cleveland Street; and

(4) Traffic along southbound Victoria Park Flyover must turn right to Gloucester Road Service Road.

Traffic along the following roads will be diverted at anytime as necessary:

(1) Traffic from westbound King's Road must turn left into Tung Lo Wan Road southbound, or turn right into northbound Hing Fat Street;

(2) Traffic along westbound Tung Lo Wan Road is prohibited to turn right into Moreton Terrace;

(3) A section of eastbound Tung Lo Wan Road from outside St. Paul Hospital's to Moreton Terrace will be re-routed one-way westbound. Vehicular traffic will only be allowed under Police direction at scene;

(4) Traffic along the abovementioned Tung Lo Wan Road must turn left, either heading for Ka Ning Path or Eastern Hospital Road except franchised buses;

(5) Traffic (except bus, Green minibus and vehicle over 7 metres in length) along the slip road leading from northbound Tai Hang Road to the abovementioned Tung Lo Wan Road, must turn left into this section of Tung Lo Wan Road, which is re-routed to one-way westbound;

(6) Traffic eastbound along Yee Wo Street is prohibited to turn right into southbound Tung Lo Wan Road or westbound Leighton Road;

(7) Traffic along westbound Leighton Road must turn left into Wong Nai Chung Road except franchised bus;

(8) Traffic along northbound Fleming Road must turn left onto westbound Lockhart Road;

(9) Traffic along eastbound Hennessy Road will be prohibited to turn left onto northbound Marsh Road; and

(10) Traffic along northbound Tin Lok Lane must turn left onto westbound Hennessy Road or turn right onto eastbound Hennessy Road.

Traffic along the following roads will be diverted from 1 pm onwards and as necessary:

(1) Traffic along northbound Wan Shing Street will be prohibited to turn left onto westbound Hung Hing Road;

(2) Traffic from eastbound Hung Hing Road will be prohibited to turn right onto Marsh Road Flyover; and

(3) Traffic from eastbound Gloucester Road will be prohibited to turn left onto northbound Marsh Road.

Traffic along the following roads will be diverted at anytime and as necessary:

(1) Traffic along Tonnochy Road Flyover must turn left onto westbound Harbour Road;

(2) Traffic along northbound Tonnochy Road must turn left onto westbound Harbour Road;

(3) Traffic along Harbour Road between Fleming Road and Tonnochy Road will be reverted to one way westbound; and

(4) Traffic along northbound Fleming Road must turn left onto westbound Harbour Road except to Renaissance Harbour View Hotel.

(C) Suspension of bus stops

All bus stops along the closed roads are to be suspended until the resumption of services.

(D) Suspension of public light bus and taxi stands

     All public light bus stands and taxi stands (including the pick-up/drop-off points) along the closed roads are to be suspended from two hours before the commencement of the procession until the crowd is dispersed.

(E) Suspension of car parks

     Due to road closures, vehicles will not be allowed to enter or exit the following public / private car parks from two hours before the procession until the crowd is dispersed.

(1) 'Park Lane' Car Park at 310 Gloucester Road (entrance at Great George Street),
(2) In Square Car Park at 311 Gloucester Road (entrance at Great George Street),
(3) Hang Lung Centre Car Park at 2 Paterson Street (entrance at Great George Street).

Additional road closures may also be implemented by the Police.
 
(F) Public Transport Arrangements
 
(i)    Suspension of Public Light Bus Stands before and during the processions
 
Depending on the scale of processions, the following public light bus stands may be suspended:

(a)    HK GMB Routes 4C and 5 on Lockhart Road;
(b)    HK GMB Route 4A in Cannon Street;
(c)    HK GMB Routes 10, 11 and 31 on Jaffe Road; and
(d)    Red minibus stand on Lockhart Road near Canal Road West.
 
(ii)      The following bus and GMB routes along the procession route may be diverted.
 
Bus Routes:
NWFB 2, 19
XHT 102, 106, 307, 117, 170, 108
 
   
GMB Routes:
HK GMB 4A, 4B, 4C, 5, 36A, 10, 11, 31, 39M
 
     Details of the service adjustment will be posted by the concerned bus companies and GMB operators at the affected stops.  Depending on the routeing of the public procession, additional special traffic and transport arrangements may be introduced.
 
     The spokesman said from 6 pm today (December 12), a closed area had been set up in Wan Chai North as earlier announced. Traffic has been normal in the vicinity since the set up of the closed area.

     The major special traffic and transport arrangements implemented in Wan Chai North are as follows:

-     two ferry services: Wan Chai - Tsim Sha Tsui and Wan Chai- Hung Hom were suspended from shortly before 2 pm;

-     29 bus routes used to run via Wan Chai north had been diverted to Gloucester Road or Hennessy Road. Tunnel bus route no. 117 had started running directly to the Cross Harbour Tunnel instead of via Wan Chai north;

-     15 bus routes had been diverted from Wan Chai north to the bus stop at Hennessy Road near Stewart Road/ Fleming Road;

-     the terminus of the cross-boundary coach service between Wan Chai and Huanggang had been relocated to Central (Macau Ferry) Bus Terminus;

-     taxi stands on Expo Drive East and inside Wan Chai Ferry Pier Concourse, as well as cross harbour taxi stand on Harbour Road had been suspended;

-     about 300 parking spaces on Expo Drive East, Lung King Street, Hung Hing Road, Hing Fat Street Victoria Car Park, Tung Lo Wan Road, Jaffe Road, Luard Road, Stewart Road and Lockhart Road had been suspended;

-     pedestrian zones on Lockhart Road (east of Cannon Street), East Point Road, Great George Street, Pak Sha Road and Lee Garden Road had been been temporarily rescinded until December 18.

     The spokesman hoped the public would understand that traffic on Hong Kong Island might be more congested during the HKMC and urged people to plan the journey well in advance, use public transports as far as possible and try to avoid driving to the relevant districts, especially roads in Island north.

     TD's Emergency Transport Co-ordination Centre Joint Steering Mode has been in operation since December 10  to closely monitor the traffic situations and handle incidents of transport, and co-ordinate the announcement of information on traffic and public transport services .

     The department has produced a leaflet, with detailed information of various special traffic and transport arrangements, which will be issued to the public through the department's Licensing Offices, public transport organisations, tunnel companies and Home Affairs Department.

     TD has also set up a special hotline: 1834567, available between now and December 19, for enquiries on the most updated information on special traffic and transport arrangements during the HKMC period. People can also make use of the hotline to obtain the information by fax or contact hotline servicing staff. The information will also be uploaded onto the department website www.td.gov.hk for easy reference. During the period, TD's general hotline: 28042600 will continue to provide service for general enquiries as usual.

     The department will make regular updating of information for the media for immediate announcement to the public.

     The spokesman also appealed to motorists to use Eastern Harbour Crossing or Western Harbour Crossing as far as possible to alleviate the traffic at Cross Harbour Tunnel. The two tunnels will offer toll concession from December 13 to December 18.

     In addition, as public procession will be held on December 13 and 18, TD and the Police will implement special traffic and transport measures in Causeway Bay, Wan Chai, Queensway and Central. People can obtain detailed information from TD hotline and website. They are advised to take note of the latest radio/TV announcements and advice by the Police officers on site during the time.

     The tolls of Eastern Harbour Crossing (EHC) and Western Harbour Crossing (WHC) will be adjusted downward from 0000 hours on December 13 until  December 18, 2005. Details are as follows:-


Vehicle Type EHC WHC
Private Cars $20 $30
Taxis $20 $30
Light Goods Vehicles $30 $45*
Medium Goods Vehicles $40 $65*
Heavy Goods Vehicles $60 $90*
               *Each additional axle in excess of 2 is required to pay $30 per axle.
               *Only applicable to users paid by cash and autotoll.

Ends/Monday, December 12, 2005
Issued at HKT 19:48