Special traffic arrangements and crowd safety management measures on Hong Kong Island on January 1
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The event consists of two parts, namely, the public meeting in Victoria Park (the park) and the public procession heading for Central.
In addition to the event, the Hong Kong Brands and Products Expo (Expo) is also being held at the park during the New Year holiday. In anticipation of a large number of people visiting the area, Police will implement traffic and crowd safety management measures.
Crowd safety management measures
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A. Arrangement for public meeting in Victoria Park
The procession will gather at the Central Lawn at 2pm and set off for the venue of the meeting in Central at 3pm, and route through South Boulevard and basketball courts of the park, westbound Causeway Road via Gate 15, Leighton Road, Irving Street, Pennington Street, Yee Wo Street, Hennessy Road, Queensway, Des Voeux Road Central. The venue of the meeting in Central include the Chater Road Pedestrian Precinct and the Statue Square.
The event organiser will divide the Central Lawn of the park into four zones to enable participants to enter and set off from the Central Lawn smoothly and orderly. The organiser will adopt a principle of “First come, First go” in order to ensure the procession can set off from the park through Gate 15 orderly.
B. Setting off arrangement and starting time of the procession
According to the condition set out in the Letter of No Objection, the procession will commence at 3pm or when participants for the meeting and those awaiting for the procession have occupied about 85 per cent of the area of the Central Lawn in the park, whichever is earlier.
Gate 14 at Hing Fat Street is one of the main entrances to Expo, Police will carry out tidal flow crowd safety management measures. To minimise the inconvenience caused to Expo visitors, when the procession is passing the basketball courts near Gate 14, participants should follow Police instructions on site and may have to give way to the Expo-goers when necessary.
When the public procession starts, the participants who wish to enter the Central Lawn from Causeway Bay should enter through Gate 6 or 7 and North Boulevard. For entry from Tin Hau, access should be made through North Boulevard, via Gate 14 at Hing Fat Street.
Expo visitors may enter the venue via Gates 6 or 7 in Causeway Bay, or Gate 14 at Hing Fat Street, Tin Hau (Diagram A and B).
C. Arrangements for the procession route
The procession will proceed along the westbound carriageway of the procession route and the eastbound and westbound tram lanes along Yee Wo Street, Hennessy Road and Queensway. For the safety of the participants and members of the public, and considering the right of other road users, the eastbound carriageway will be reserved for emergency vehicles and other road users.
D. Arrangements for the road crossing zones outside Sogo Department Store and at Paterson Street
The road crossings outside Sogo Department Store and at Paterson Street will be closed. According to experience, a number of procession participants jammed in the main procession departing from the park by crossing Yee Wo Street at those two road crossings, thereby causing serious obstruction and delay to the main procession. It also affected the traffic flow at the eastbound carriageway which is reserved for the use by emergency vehicles, posing serious risks to public safety and public order. Police appeal to the participants not to jam in the procession at these two road crossings.
Members of the public who wish to cross these two road crossings may use Percival Street footbridge and Sugar Street footbridge or the subway of MTR Causeway Bay Station. Police will make special arrangements at the road crossing at Paterson Street for people who have special needs, such as the elderly and wheelchair-bound persons, to facilitate them to cross the road.
E. Arrangement for public meeting in Central
Participants who wish to leave upon arrival or during the meeting may leave the venue towards eastbound Chater Road. If the meeting venue is heavily congested with people, participants who are unable to enter the venue shall disperse to the west via the pavements of Des Voeux Road Central (Diagram C).
A number of MTR exits are located within the meeting venue in Central. MTR Exit J1 will be restricted for entry only. Depending on the crowd situations, there may be control measures at other MTR exits. Members of the public shall pay attention to the announcement inside MTR stations and instruction from Police officers.
F. Arrangements for street stations
Those wishing to set up street stations should apply for the relevant licences from the concerned government departments as soon as possible. In addition, when setting up street stations, the organisations should make sure that their street stations will not cause unreasonable obstruction to the procession, nor endanger the safety of the procession or other road users.
Members of public heading for Admiralty, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay and Tin Hau are encouraged to use public transport. They should take heed of instructions of Police and event marshals on site, and the temporary signage displayed in the vicinities. Police will make full effort to facilitate the public.
Police endeavour to facilitate all lawful public order events and will take measures to ensure public safety and public order. Police wish to co-operate closely with the organiser to facilitate a safe and orderly procession.
Police appeal to the event participants to remain calm and be considerate, and express their views in a peaceful manner.
Special traffic arrangements
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A. Road closure
From 1.30pm, until the crowd is dispersed
- The U-turn slip road between southbound and northbound Gloucester Road;
- Sugar Street;
- If necessary, Great George Street;
- If necessary, Paterson Street;
- If necessary, Kingston Street;
- If necessary, Southbound Gloucester Road between Victoria Park Road flyover and Causeway Road; and
- If necessary, Cleveland Street.
From 2pm, until the crowd is dispersed
- Jardine's Bazaar;
- Tang Lung Street;
- Canal Road East between Russell Street and Hennessy Road;
- Canal Road West between Sharp Street West and Hennessy Road;
- Wan Chai Road between Canal Road West and Tin Lok Lane; and
- Bowrington Road between Sharp Street West and Hennessy Road.
From 2.45pm, until the crowd is dispersed
- Westbound Causeway Road;
- Moreton Terrace;
- Shelter Street;
- The slip road leading from eastbound Yee Wo Street to westbound Causeway Road;
- Irving Street;
- Pennington Street between Keswick Street and Yee Wo Street;
- Westbound Yee Wo Street;
- Westbound Hennessy Road;
- Lee Garden Road between Kai Chiu Road and Hennessy Road;
- Kai Chiu Road;
- Yun Ping Road between Lan Fong Road and Kai Chiu Road;
- Percival Street between Lockhart Road and Hennessy Road;
- A slip road leading from eastbound Johnston Road to westbound Hennessy Road;
- Luard Road between Johnston Road and Hennessy Road;
- Thomson Road between Johnston Road and Luard Road;
- Fenwick Street between Hennessy Road and Johnston Road;
- Southbound Gloucester Road between Victoria Park Road flyover and Causeway Road;
- Westbound Johnston Road between Ship Street and Hennessy Road; and
- Eastbound Johnston Road between Landale Street and Hennessy Road.
From 4pm, until the crowd is dispersed
- Westbound Queensway between Queen’s Road East and Queen’s Road Central;
- Des Voeux Road Central between Queensway and Pedder Street;
- Bank Street; and
- Ice House Street between Queen’s Road Central and Des Voeux Road Central.
At any time when necessary, until the crowd is dispersed
- Yacht Street;
- Lau Li Street between Ngan Mok Street and Hing Fat Street;
- Electric Road between Lau Sin Street and Tsing Fung Street;
- Lau Sin Street west of King’s Road;
- Hing Fat Street between Causeway Road and Lau Sin Street;
- Northbound Tai Hang Road flyover between Tai Hang Road and westbound Victoria Park Road; and
- Southbound Percival Street between Gloucester Road service road and Lockhart Road.
B. Traffic diversions
From 1.30pm, until the crowd is dispersed
- Traffic along southbound Gloucester Road cannot turn right to northbound Gloucester Road;
- Traffic along eastbound Yee Wo Street cannot turn left to Sugar Street;
- Traffic along northbound Tai Hang Road flyover cannot turn left to westbound Kingston Street;
- Traffic along southbound Victoria Park Road flyover must turn right to westbound Gloucester Road service road;
- Traffic along southbound Victoria Park Road and westbound Gloucester Road service road cannot turn to Cleveland Street;
- Traffic along southbound Paterson Street must turn left to eastbound Kingston Street;
- Traffic along westbound Gloucester Road service road cannot turn left to southbound Paterson Street; and
- Traffic along southbound Cleveland Street cannot turn right to westbound Kingston Street.
From 2pm, until the crowd is dispersed
- Traffic along northbound Pennington Street cannot turn left to Jardine's Bazaar;
- Traffic along westbound Hennessy Road cannot turn left to southbound Canal Road East;
- Traffic along westbound Russell Street must turn left to southbound Canal Road East;
- Traffic along northbound Canal Road West near Sharp Street West will be diverted to the up-ramp leading to northbound Canal Road flyover;
- Traffic along eastbound Sharp Street West will be diverted to the up-ramp leading to northbound Canal Road flyover;
- Traffic along eastbound Sharp Street West cannot turn left to northbound Bowrington Road;
- Traffic along northbound Bowrington Road must turn right to eastbound Sharp Street West;
- Traffic along eastbound Wan Chai Road must turn right to southbound Morrison Hill Road;
- Traffic along the slip road of westbound Victoria Park Road must turn right to westbound Gloucester Road; and
- Traffic along southbound Victoria Park Road flyover must turn right to westbound Gloucester Road.
From 2.45pm, until the crowd is dispersed
- Traffic from westbound King's Road must turn left to southbound Tung Lo Wan Road, or turn right to northbound Hing Fat Street;
- Eastbound Tung Lo Wan Road between Eastern Hospital Road and Moreton Terrace will be re-routed one-way westbound;
- Traffic along westbound Tung Lo Wan Road cannot turn right to Moreton Terrace;
- Traffic along westbound Tung Lo Wan Road east of Moreton Terrace can enter westbound Tung Lo Wan Road between Eastern Hospital Road and Moreton Terrance;
- Traffic along southbound Tung Lo Wan Road cannot turn left to westbound Tung Lo Wan Road between Eastern Hospital Road and Moreton Terrance;
- Traffic along eastbound Yee Wo Street cannot turn right to southbound Tung Lo Wan Road or westbound Leighton Road;
- Traffic along northbound Tung Lo Wan Road cannot enter Irving Street and must turn left to westbound Leighton Road;
- Traffic along northbound Pennington Street must turn right to Keswick Street;
- Traffic along northbound Yun Ping Road must turn left to westbound Lan Fong Road;
- Traffic along westbound Leighton Road must turn left to Wong Nai Chung Road, except for franchised buses;
- Traffic along southbound Percival Street must turn left or right to eastbound or westbound Lockhart Road;
- Traffic along eastbound Lockhart Road cannot turn right to southbound Percival Street;
- Traffic along northbound Tin Lok Lane cannot turn left to westbound Hennessy Road;
- Traffic along southbound Stewart Road cannot turn right to westbound Hennessy Road;
- Traffic along eastbound Johnston Road cannot turn left to westbound Hennessy Road;
- Traffic along southbound Fleming Road cannot turn right to westbound Hennessy Road;
- Traffic along northbound Fleming Road cannot turn left to westbound Hennessy Road;
- Traffic along southbound Fenwick Street must turn left to eastbound Hennessy Road;
- Traffic along eastbound Hennessy Road cannot turn right to southbound Fenwick Street;
- Traffic along northbound Tai Wong Street East must turn right to eastbound Johnston Road;
- Traffic along westbound Johnston Road cannot turn right to Thomson Road;
- Traffic along eastbound Johnston Road cannot turn left to Thomson Road;
- Traffic along eastbound Johnston Road cannot turn left to northbound Luard Road;
- Traffic along westbound Johnston Road cannot turn right to northbound Luard Road;
- Traffic along westbound Johnston Road must turn left to southbound Ship Street;
- Traffic along northbound Lun Fat Street must turn right to eastbound Johnston Road; and
- Traffic along northbound Landale Street must turn right to eastbound Johnston Road.
From 4pm, until the crowd is dispersed
- Traffic along westbound Queen’s Road East must enter southbound Justice Drive;
- Traffic along northbound Garden Road cannot enter westbound Des Voeux Road Central;
- Traffic along eastbound Des Voeux Road Central must turn left to northbound Pedder Street;
- Traffic along westbound Queen’s Road Central cannot turn right to northbound Ice House Street; and
- Traffic along northbound Ice House Street must turn left to westbound Queen’s Road Central.
At any time when necessary till the crowd is dispersed
- Traffic along northbound Tai Hang Road flyover must go straight to northbound Victoria Park Road flyover leading to westbound Gloucester Road;
- Traffic along westbound Gloucester Road service road cannot turn left to southbound Percival Street;
- Traffic along eastbound Causeway Road cannot turn left to northbound Hing Fat Street; and
- Traffic along westbound King's Road cannot turn right to northbound Hing Fat Street.
C. Suspension of on-street parking spaces
All metered and non-metered on-street parking spaces along Tung Lo Wan Road will be suspended from 12.30pm to 8pm.
D. Suspension of car parks
Parking spaces of Victoria Park Public Car Park on Hing Fat Street will be suspended from 11am to 7pm, except for the disabled parking spaces.
Vehicles will not be permitted to leave car parks at the affected area during the road closure period.
Any vehicle found illegally parked within the precincts mentioned above may be towed away without prior warning or subject to multiple ticketing.
Actual implementation of the traffic arrangements will be made depending on traffic and crowd conditions in the areas. Members of the public are advised to exercise tolerance and patience and take heed of instructions of the Police on site.
Ends/Thursday, December 29, 2016
Issued at HKT 19:12
Issued at HKT 19:12
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