The Transport Department (TD) today (September 28) said that, in collaboration with the Police, the TD is conducting testing of an automatic traffic enforcement system at two road sections in Queen's Road Central in Central and Hoi Yuen Road in Kwun Tong.
 
     To maintain smooth flow of traffic, a series of traffic management measures have been implemented currently along the section of Queen's Road Central between Ice House Street and Pedder Street. These include no-stopping restriction (NSR) at any time and NSR by time periods or vehicle types, box junctions and yellow striped light crossing. Illegal parking of vehicles at the above road section has created traffic bottlenecks and triggered traffic congestion. Similarly, vehicles illegally parked along the NSR at any time zone at Hoi Yuen Road near the roundabout at Kwun Tong Road have created congestion at Hoi Yuen Road, and even affected the traffic at the roundabout, Kwun Tong Road and Hip Wo Street.
 
     Despite police officers' continued patrolling and enforcement efforts at the scene to clear the traffic, the above traffic offences and congestion recur soon after the police officers leave the scene. Making use of developments in artificial intelligence and sensing technologies, the Government would like to use these technologies to carry out automatic traffic enforcement, strengthen the deterrent effect to illegal drivers, and reduce road congestion. The automatic traffic enforcement system aims at identifying and recording common roadside traffic offences such as illegal stopping at road sections with NSR, which have given rise to traffic congestion.
 
     The system comprises CCTV cameras and associated equipment to be installed at suitable lamp posts at the road sections concerned for surveillance of traffic. The system utilises video analytics, artificial intelligence and vehicle licence plate identification technologies for real-time analysis of vehicle movements and recording of roadside traffic offences and the licence numbers of offending vehicles. During the testing period, the videos and data collected will be used for training and testing of the system, and for optimising the system's settings and evaluation of its effectiveness.
 
     The system is being installed at the following three locations with NSR:
 

• Queen's Road Central near Pedder Street (installation completed);
• Queen's Road Central near Ice House Street (installation completed); and
• Hoi Yuen Road near its roundabout to Kwun Tong Road (to be completed by October).

 
     The system will strictly comply with the requirements in the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance. The CCTV cameras will be adjusted to cover the road sections concerned. The system has no facial recognition function and will only identify licence plate numbers. If no offences are identified, the video records concerned will be immediately deleted from the on-site equipment. Only video records capturing offences will be output. All data collected will be encrypted.
 
     Further details of the testing are available on the TD's website (www.td.gov.hk). Banners and notices will be put up at appropriate locations of the above road sections during the testing to remind drivers that the automatic traffic enforcement system is under testing. The testing is expected to be completed within six months with a view to ensuring the system installed at the roadside can technically fulfil the need for enforcement. Upon completion of the testing, the TD will review the effectiveness of the system in a timely manner and discuss with the Police on the way forward for automatic traffic enforcement. 
 
     The TD reminds motorists that they are obliged to obey traffic regulations and must not stop, pick up/set down passengers or load/unload goods along road sections with NSR.

Ends/Wednesday, September 28, 2022
Issued at HKT 16:11

NNNN