Minutes of the 2nd Meeting of
Traffic and Transport Committee (2014-15)
Central and Western District Council
Date
:
10 April 2014 (Thursday)
Time
:
2:30 pm
Venue
:
Conference Room
14/F., Harbour Building
38 Pier Road, Central, Hong Kong
Present:
Chairlady
Ms CHENG Lai-king*
Vice-Chairman
Mr HUI Chi-fung*
Members
Mr CHAN Chit-kwai, BBS, JP*
Mr CHAN Choi-hi*
Mr CHAN Ho-lim, Joseph*
Mr CHAN Hok-fung*
Mr CHEUNG Kwok-kwan
Mr CHEUNG Yick-hung, Jackie
Mr IP Kwok-him, GBS, JP
Mr KAM Nai-wai, MH*
Dr Malcolm LAM
Mr LEE Chi-hang, Sidney*
Miss LO Yee-hang
Miss SIU Ka-yi*
Mr NG Siu-keung, Thomas, MH, JP
Mr WONG Kin-shing*
Mr YIP Wing-shing, BBS, MH, JP
Co-opted Members
Mr CHAN Tsz-kwan*
Mr CHAN Wing-ho*
Mr LEUNG King-yue, Alex
Mr YEUNG Hoi-wing*
Remarks:
*
( )
(2:32 pm – 4:17 pm)
(2:52 pm – end of the meeting)
(2:55 pm – end of the meeting)
(3:11 pm – end of the meeting)
(2:56 pm – 4:09 pm)
(2:34 pm – end of the meeting)
(2:32 pm – end of the meeting)
(4:43 pm – 5:07 pm)
Members that attended the whole meeting
The time of attendance of the Member
Guests
Item 4(i)
Mr CHIU Cheuk-siu
Mr YU Hing-wai
Senior Engineer 2/Central Wanchai Bypass,
Highways Department
Senior Resident Engineer, AECOM Asia
Company Limited
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Mr LAU Wai-tang
Item 4(ii)
Mr NG Hon-lai, Patrick
Mr CHIU Ho-ming, Curtis
Miss TSUI Shuk-ting, Yvonne
Mr Simon WONG
Mr Brian NG
Mr Kevin LI
Mr Brian CHEUNG
Ms Peggy WONG
Item 5
Ms CHEUNG Suk-ling, Cindy
Mr Simon WONG
Mr Brian NG
Mr Roger MA
Mr Philip WONG
Mr Kevin LI
Mr Brian CHEUNG
Ms Peggy WONG
Item 6
Mr LOK Chun-chung, Francis
Item 7
Mr LO Kai-kwei, Richard
Project Manager, Leighton Contractors (Asia)
Limited
Chief Transport Officer/Bus and Railway
Branch, Transport Department
Senior Transport Officer/Bus and Railway
Branch, Transport Department
Senior Transport Officer/Central and Western,
Transport Department
Planning and Scheduling Manager, Citybus
Limited/New World First Bus Services
Limited
Senior Planning Officer, Citybus Limited/
New World First Bus Services Limited
Public Affairs Manager, Citybus Limited/
New World First Bus Services Limited
Manager (Community Affairs), The Kowloon
Motor Bus Co. (1933) Limited
Assistant Manager (Planning and Development),
The Kowloon Motor Bus Co. (1933) Limited
Senior Transport Officer/Bus Development
(Hong Kong), Transport Department
Planning and Scheduling Manager, Citybus
Limited/New World First Bus Services
Limited
Senior Planning Officer, Citybus Limited/
New World First Bus Services Limited
Manager (Traffic), New World First Bus Services
Limited
Operations Manager (Dept. One), Citybus
Limited
Public Affairs Manager, Citybus Limited/
New World First Bus Services Limited
Manager (Community Affairs), The Kowloon
Motor Bus Co. (1933) Limited
Assistant Manager (Planning and Development),
The Kowloon Motor Bus Co. (1933) Limited
Engineer/Central and Western 1, Transport
Department
Senior District
Department
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Engineer/HNW,
Highways
Item 8
Miss TSUI Shuk-ting, Yvonne
Mr LAU Wing-fu
Item 9
Mr WAI Hon-kwok
Mr CHAN Kwong-ming
Mr Roger MA
Mr Kevin LI
Senior Transport Officer/Central and Western,
Transport Department
Officer-in-Charge, District Traffic Team
(Western District), Hong Kong Police Force
Principal Technical Officer (Traffic)/Southern &
Peak, Transport Department
Officer-in-Charge, District Traffic Team (Central
District), Hong Kong Police Force
Manager (Traffic), New World First Bus Services
Limited
Public Affairs Manager, Citybus Limited/New
World First Bus Services Limited
In Attendance:
Miss CHOW Ho-kiu, Cheryl, JP
Mr CHAN Yun-man, Winston
Ms WONG Ming-wai
Ms YEUNG Lai-ching, Regent
Miss TSUI Shuk-ting, Yvonne
Mr LOK Chun-chung, Francis
Mr LAM Shu-kee, Philip
Mr WAI Hon-kwok
Mr LO Kai-kwei, Richard
Ms YAU Man-shan, Doris
Mr CHAN Kwong-ming
Mr LAU Wing-fu
Secretary
Miss CHUNG Yeuk-hung
District Officer (Central and Western)
Assistant District Officer (Central and Western)
Senior Executive Officer (District Council),
Central and Western District Office
Senior Executive Officer (District Management),
Central and Western District Office
Senior Transport Officer/Central and Western,
Transport Department
Engineer/Central and Western 1,
Transport Department
Engineer/Central and Western 2,
Transport Department
Principal Technical Officer (Traffic)/Southern
and Peak, Transport Department
Senior District Engineer/HNW, Highways
Department
Senior Engineer, Civil Engineering and
Development Department
Officer-in-Charge, District Traffic Team (Central
District), Hong Kong Police Force
Officer-in-Charge District Traffic Team
(Western District), Hong Kong Police Force
Executive Officer (District Council) 2, Central
and Western District Office
Absent with Apologies:
Mr MAN Chi-wah, MH
Mr LEE Ching-hang
Mr WONG Sai-kit
Co-opted member
Co-opted member
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Mr CHAN Chi-ming, Lawrence
Senior Engineer/Central and Western, Transport
Department
Miss LEUNG Cheuk-lam, Shirley Engineer/Central and Western 3, Transport
Department
Mr CHEUNG Chi-wai
District Operations Officer (Central District),
Hong Kong Police Force
Mr LEE Jim-on
District Operations Officer (Western District),
Hong Kong Police Force
Welcome Remarks
The Chairlady welcomed Members and representatives from government
departments to the second meeting of the Traffic and Transport Committee (TTC) (2014-15).
Item 1:
2.
Adoption of the Agenda
As there were no comments from Members, the agenda was adopted.
Confirmation of the Minutes of the 1st TTC Meeting on 13 February 2014
Item 2:
3.
The Committee confirmed the minutes of the 1st meeting of the TTC.
Item 3:
Chairlady’s Report
4.
As regards the selected Minor Works Projects and their schedules (as of mid-March
2014), the Secretariat had distributed the report to Members for their perusal before the
meeting and had forwarded the views of Members to the Transport Department (TD) and the
Highways Department (HyD) for follow-up action.
Standing Item – Central-Wan Chai Bypass and Island Eastern Corridor
Link – Report on the Progress of the Central Interchange Project
(C&W TTC Paper No. 17/2014)
(2:32 pm – 2:37 pm)
Item 4(i):
5.
Mr CHIU Cheuk-siu, Senior Engineer/Central Wanchai Bypass 2 of the HyD,
reported on the works progress of the Central-Wan Chai Bypass and Island Eastern Corridor
Link-Central Interchange project. He indicated that the main works carried out in the past
six months included works of the tunnel structure and link roads as well as the widening and
construction of the flyover. The works would continue in the next six months. He pointed
out that the department had re-opened Finance Street in the latter half of February and
cancelled the temporary road connecting Man Kwong Street to Finance Street at the same
time. Currently, drivers could drive along Man Yiu Street northbound and turn left to reach
Finance Street. The traffic conditions in the vicinity were good. In addition, the
department estimated that the original alignment of Man Yiu Street would be resumed and the
eastern section of Man Po Street would be re-open in the fourth quarter of 2014. He said
that the works progress of the bypass was largely smooth. It was anticipated that the Central
Interchange Project would be completed in the third quarter of 2016 and the bypass would be
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open to traffic in 2017.
6.
The Chairlady enquired of the HyD about the charging arrangement of the tunnel of
the bypass. She also urged the department to provide the exterior design proposal for the
tunnel buildings.
7.
Mr CHIU Cheuk-siu said that the public could use the bypass for free. The
department would provide the exterior design proposal for the tunnel buildings for Members’
reference at the next TTC meeting.
8.
The Chairlady thanked the guests for attending the meeting.
Item 4(ii): Public Transportation Re-organisation
Commissioning of the West Island Line
(C&W TTC Paper No. 18/2014)
Plans
to
Tie in with the
Public Transportation Re-organisation Plans
Commissioning of the South Island Line (East)
(C&W TTC Paper No. 19/2014)
(2:37 pm – 3:42 pm)
to
Tie in with the
9.
Mr Patrick NG, Chief Transport Officer/Bus and Railway Branch of the TD, said that
the TD had consulted the TTC on the Re-organisation Plans (PT plans) since July 2013.
After collecting the views of Members and residents, the TD and the public transport
operators concerned had amended the PT plans for several times to ensure that the changes in
public transport services would meet the needs and travel patterns of passengers. He said
that in view of the commissioning of the West Island Line (WIL) in the near future, the TD
intended to finalise the PT plans based on their latest versions to allow sufficient time for the
implementation and publicity before the commissioning of the WIL. The TD pledged to
implement the suggestions in the PT plans in stages after the commissioning of the WIL.
Members could refer to Annex 14 of Paper no. 18/2014 for details.
10.
Mr Curtis CHIU, Senior Transport Officer/Bus and Railway Branch of the TD,
briefed Members on the proposed amendments to the PT plans.
(i)
Re-organisation of Routes 1, 5 and 5X
The department proposed to amalgamate routes 5 and 5S with routes 1 and
5X. The first departure of route 5X from Causeway Bay would be advanced
to 6 am. In addition, the department planned to retain route 5P to operate
three departures from Kennedy Town to Wan Chai North at 7:45 am, 8 am and
8:15 am on Mondays to Fridays. The department also proposed to retain the
extension of route 1 to Mount Davis and the re-routing of route 5X. Three
additional buses would be deployed to route 5X to cope with passenger
demand.
(ii)
Re-organisation of Routes 5B and 5C
The department proposed to amalgamate route 5C with route 5B.
(iii)
Re-organisation of Routes 2, 18, 18P and 18X
The department proposed to retain the amalgamation of route 18 with routes
2, 18P and 18X. To tie in with the arrangement, the Central-bound route 2
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would be diverted via Harbour Road and Fenwick Pier Street. The Sai Wan
Ho-bound route 2 would follow the new alignment of Gloucester Road, Hung
Hing Road, Gloucester Road and Wing Hing Street before resuming its
original routing along King’s Road. In addition, the North Point-bound
route 18P would be diverted via Gloucester Road, Causeway Road and King’s
Road. The service hours of the North Point-bound route 18P would be
extended to 11 pm. The bus company would adjust the service frequency of
route 2 from 15-20 minutes to 15 minutes during off-peak hours.
(iv)
Re-organisation of Routes 3B, 12M and 13
The department proposed to retain the amalgamation of route 3B with routes
12M and 13. Affected passengers in the vicinity of Pok Fu Lam Road near
the Belcher’s and the University of Hong Kong (HKU) could take the Mass
Transit Railway (MTR) or switch to other bus routes such as 4X, 7, 40 and
90B. Affected passengers in the vicinity of Park Road and Robinson Road
could take bus routes 12, 12M or 13 instead. Under the re-organisation
proposal, the Central-bound route 13 would be diverted via the entire section
of Robinson Road eastbound to allow a quicker access to Central. The
destination of route 13 would be changed to the Exchange Square.
(v)
Re-organisation of Route 23B
The department proposed to shelve the adjustment to the service schedule of
route 23B, i.e. maintaining its existing service hour and frequency.
However, the Mid-levels West-bound route 23B would be diverted via
Hennessy Road to enhance its co-ordination with route 23 so that the two
routes could jointly provide bus service to the Mid-levels.
(vi)
Re-organisation of Routes 40 and 40M
The department proposed to amalgamate route 40M with route 40 and deploy
four additional buses to route 40. The route would depart from Wah Fu and
was proposed to divert via Caine Road and Ice House Street for Wan Chai
Ferry Pier. As the Central-bound route 13 was proposed to divert via the
entire eastbound Robinson Road, residents living in the vicinity of Robinson
Road could go to Central by taking route 13. Moreover, the bus company
would provide Octopus Bus-Bus Interchange (BBI) concession for routes 40
and 12M as well as routes 12 and 12M for affected passengers. The service
hours would be extended and the frequency increased from the current three
headways to five for route 40P to satisfy the traffic demand of residents.
(vii)
Re-organisation of Routes 4, 4X and 7
The department proposed to amalgamate route 4 with routes 4X and 7. The
bus company would deploy one additional bus to route 4X while route 7
would be diverted via Wah Fu.
(viii) Re-organisation of Routes 43X, 46X, 70, 70M and M47
The department proposed that the proposal for extending route 70 to Wah
Kwai be remain unchanged and routes 43X, 46X and M47 proposed for
amalgamation be replaced by route 43M. A circular route terminated at Tin
Wan, route 43M would travel via Wah Kwai, Wah Fu, Victoria Road and
Kennedy Town, make U-turns at Shek Tong Tsui near Hill Road and then
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return to Tin Wan. The frequency of route was about every 15 minutes
during peak hours and was about every 15 to 20 minutes during non-peak
hours. Moreover, other than the Octopus BBI concession for routes 43M
and 1, the bus company would also introduce the same for routes 43M and 5B
as well as routes 10 and A10 concurrently.
(ix)
Re-organisation of Route 113
The department proposed to truncate route 113 to travelling between Hong
Kong - Macau Ferry Terminal in Central and Wong Tai Sin. Passengers who
needed to travel to and from Kennedy Town could take route 101 at Des
Voeux Road Central by using the new Octopus BBI concession.
(x)
Re-routing of Route 104
The department proposed to truncate route 104 and relocate the terminus to
Hong Kong - Macau Ferry Terminal in Central. Passengers could also use
the new Octopus BBI concession and take route 101 to travel to and from the
vicinity of the Western District.
(xi)
Re-organisation of Routes 103 and 103P
The department proposed to retain route 103P.
11.
Mr Curtis CHIU indicated that the TD and the bus company would progressively
adjust the frequencies of the proposed routes stated in the paper subject to changes in
ridership in about three months’ time upon commissioning of the WIL. As for Green
Minibus (GMB) service, the department would strengthen the service of five feeder routes
connecting the new railway stations and pay attention to the operation of the remaining 14
GMB routes. Adjustment on the frequencies of the routes concerned would be made when
appropriate having regard to the change in ridership. He pointed out that the department
would implement the re-organisation plan in phases according to the timetable of Annex 14 of
the paper.
12.
The Chairlady invited discussion on the paper.
Members were as follows:
The questions and views of
(a)
Mr CHAN Hok-fung opined that it was insufficient to satisfy the demand of
residents of Shek Tong Tsui and Sai Ying Pun should route 5P only provide
service during peak hours in the morning. The department should provide
other whole-day bus services such that residents of Sai Ying Pun could still
travel to and from Central quickly after the service of route 5X was scrapped.
He indicated that the department should enhance the service of route 101X to
whole-day service before truncating routes 104 and 113 to Hong Kong - Macau
Ferry Terminal in Central. Moreover, he pointed out that many residents on
Victoria Road would take route M47 to Central. He considered that route
43M could not satisfy the demand of those passengers and therefore proposed
to extend the service of route 43M to the vicinity of Shun Tak Centre and Sun
Yat Sen Memorial Park in Sheung Wan.
(b)
Mr KAM Nai-wai stressed that even though Members had discussed the paper
on the PT plans, they did not necessarily support it. He requested the
committee to decide when to vote on the plans lest the TD should mistake that
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the plans concerned had been endorsed by Members and work out a timetable
for implementation. He objected to the cancellation of routes 5 and 18 and
the truncation of routes 104 and 113 as he considered such arrangements would
cause great impact to residents in the vicinity of Des Voeux Road West in
Sheung Wan.
(c)
Mr CHAN Chit-kwai said that according to the information of the paper on the
table, route 3B was very important to the residents of Mid-levels west during
the peak hours in the morning and the afternoon. He suggested the
department make route 3B a circular route and implement the PT plans three
months after the commissioning of the West Island Line (WIL). He agreed
with the re-organisation proposal of route 13 but requested the department to
restore the frequency of the route to the existing level. He also suggested the
department strengthen the service of GMB route 45A to provide feeder service
to and from MTR stations for residents. He opined that route 103 should not
travel to the heart of Causeway Bay and requested the department to consider
advancing the first departure of 103P at 8:10 am by ten minutes.
(d)
Mr Sidney LEE opined that the TD and Members should implement the
plans having regard to actual circumstances upon the commissioning of
WIL and objected to the alteration of local transport service in haste.
particular, route cancellation or frequency reduction proposals should
implemented progressively in phases.
(e)
Mr CHAN Choi-hi stated that it was difficult for Members to accept the
timetable proposed by the TD at the current stage. He urged the TD to
conduct a large scale survey on the travel patterns of the residents in the district
six months after the commissioning of the WIL. The department should then
pass the relevant information to Members for reference and promote the PT
plans with the help of smartphone applications. He opposed the cancellation
of route 18 and requested that route 5X should pass through Shek Tong Tsui
and route 104 or 113 be preserved to satisfy the traffic needs of the residents in
that district.
(f)
Miss SIU Ka-yi said that a lot of residents living in the Mid-levels were
opposed to the cancellation of route 3B.
They considered that the
cancellation would render them no transportation means to the Central Market,
Hong Kong - Macau Ferry Terminal and the Landmark. She restated that
there was no need for route 103 to pass through Causeway Bay and called on
the TD to consider truncating the said route. She requested the TD to provide
Members with actual data for reference as it was undesirable for Members to
imagine the changes in ridership after the commissioning of the WIL.
(g)
Miss LO Yee-hang opined that the residents living in the vicinity of Connaught
Road West and Des Voeux Road West might not take the MTR as expected by
the TD. She stressed that residents often failed to get onto the buses because
they were almost full when they reached Des Voeux Road West during peak
hours. She opined that although some of the residents would switch to take
the MTR after the commissioning of the WIL, the problem could not be solved
since the TD would cancel routes 18, 5, 5C and 5S at the same time. She said
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PT
the
In
be
that some residents were opposed to the cancellation of routes 71 and 71P,
thinking that the scrapping of these routes would cause inconvenience to
people working at Wong Chuk Hang area.
(h)
Mr Jackie CHEUNG agreed that the TD should retain routes 13 and 103P.
However, he emphasised that the first departure of route 103P at 8:10 am did
not dovetail with the time the residents went to work and to school. He
suggested the TD advance the first two headways of route 103P for 10 minutes
and ensuring that the buses of routes 103 and 103P would not arrive at the bus
stop at the same time in order to avoid wasting bus resources. He opined that
though the re-routing of route 13 could help compensate the inadequacy of
route 40, he stressed that it could not completely replace route 40M. He
called on the TD to retain route 40M and relocate the terminus of route 13 from
City Hall to Admiralty to facilitate residents living in the Mid-levels to change
to the MTR.
(i)
Mr WONG Kin-shing suggested the TD extend the service hours of route 18P
(eastbound) to 11:00 pm immediately. Furthermore, he expected that some
residents would like to travel by buses to save the time walking to the MTR
station and to the platform. However, after the implementation of the PT
plans, the service of route 18 would no longer be available for the residents
living in Shek Tong Tsui and Sai Ying Poon. As route 18P would not pass
through the road sections concerned, the residents would be obliged to travel
by the MTR or route 10 which took more time if they wanted to go to the
North Point. He opined that the frequency of route 101 were too high and
suggested the bus company redeploy some buses from route 101 to route 104.
(j)
Dr Malcolm LAM opposed to the implementation timetable of PT plans set out
in Annex 14 of the paper. He held that the TD should collect data three
months after the commissioning of the WIL and compare the relevant data with
the PT plans so as to implement the plans according to the actual situation.
The residents’ rights to use bus services should not be deprived due to the
commissioning of the WIL.
(k)
Mr CHEUNG Kwok-kwan enquired the TD about the transportation which
residents in Kennedy Town could take to go to Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park
after the implementation of the PT plans.
(l)
Mr YEUNG Hoi-wing said that route 18X was popular among the public, with
a ridership of 80% during peak hours. However, as the 20-minute headway
was disproportionate to the demand, he suggested the bus company reallocate
the bus resources spared after re-organisation to point-to-point services such as
route 18X. He also suggested changing route 101X into a whole-day service
route.
(m) The Chairlady opposed to replacing route 3B with route 13. She opined that
since route 13 would not pass through Castle Road and Caine Road after the
re-routing, the residents living in the vicinity had to walk to Central or
Robinson Road to take buses. In addition, she opposed to amalgamating
routes 40 and 40M and restated that residents in the Mid-levels were not
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benefited from the WIL. She considered that the bus routes for the Mid-levels
should not be cancelled due to the commissioning of the WIL.
(n)
The Vice-chairman opposed the implementation timetable of the PT plans
submitted by the TD.
13.
Mr Patrick NG said that he understood Members’ concerns. He reiterated that the
commissioning of the WIL would enhance the capacity of the public transportation service in
the Central and Western (C&W) District and provide more convenient public transportation
service to the residents. The demands and travel patterns of the residents would change after
the commissioning of the new railway. It was expected that quite a number of passengers
using road transport currently would switch to take the MTR. Therefore, the TD needed to
coordinate the transportation services in the district and to implement the PT plans gradually
after the commissioning of the WIL to satisfy the travel needs of the residents and to ensure
the efficient operation of the public transportation network. He stressed that the PT plans
had included as far as possible alternatives other than the railways such as interchange
arrangements. He said that the TD would conduct surveys to collect data of the change in
ridership with the bus companies before and after the commissioning of the WIL. Those
data would serve as the benchmark for implementing the PT plans and adjusting the
frequency of bus service. He noted Members’ comments on the implementation timetable of
the PT plans and said that the TD would review the time and order of implementing each
proposal with the bus companies. He emphasised that all the changes mentioned in the PT
plans, including the new feeder services, would be carried out after the commissioning of the
WIL.
14.
The Chairman requested the TD to reply to Member’s appeals in relation to routes
101X, 113 and 104 etc. He also worried that TD’s plan of launching new services such as
route 43M at the same day of the commissioning of the WIL would cause confusion. Thus,
he suggested the TD organise a trial run for route 43M before the commissioning of the WIL.
15.
Mr Patrick NG said that the TD had considered various factors when formulating the
PT plans, including the operation status of public transportation service, impacts on road
transportation after the commissioning of WIL, and the aspirations of members of local
community on existing transportation service. He stressed that if there were any changes in
the PT plans in the future, the TD would inform the relevant DC in a timely manner.
16.
Mr Simon WONG, Planning and Scheduling Manager of the Citybus Limited/New
World First Bus Services Limited, said that the bus companies noted Members’ comments on
various routes and would negotiate with the TD after the meeting. In response to Mr WONG
Kin-shing’s suggestion on extending the service hours of route 18P, he replied that that would
involve additional bus captains, and the bus companies could not spare extra manpower
before the implementation of the PT plans.
17.
Mr Jackie CHEUNG added that the commissioning of the WIL had no bearing on the
traffic of the Mid-levels. Therefore, he opposed to the TD’s re-organisation of routes 3B,
12M, 40 and 40M four to eight weeks after the commissioning of the WIL. He opined that
the TD should re-organise the transportation service for the Mid-levels at least half a year
after the commissioning of the WIL.
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18.
The Chairman reiterated that the TTC did not accept the implementation timetable of
the PT plans submitted by the TD. He then invited the TD to report the amended PT plans
for the commissioning of South Island Line (East).
19.
Mr Patrick NG said that the TD had consulted the TTC in July 2013 on the PT plans
for the commissioning of the South Island Line (East). Followed up action and negotiation
was carried out with relevant public transportation operators, with some of the suggestions of
the proposals adjusted.
20.
Mr Curtis CHIU briefly introduced the suggestions of the amended PT Plans (C&W
TTC Paper No. 19/2014):
(i)
Re-organisation of Routes 973 and 973P
The department would shelve the suggestion of diverting route 973 via
Aberdeen Tunnel and Cross Harbour Tunnel so that it would still pass through
Western District and the Western Harbour Crossing. The TD would also
adjust the service frequency after the morning peak hours to 30 minutes for
route 973. Besides, the TD would maintain the amalgamation of route 973P
with route 973, and would provide three trips of route 973 via Sham Wan
during the morning peak hours.
(ii)
Re-organisation of Routes 48, 71 and 75
The department proposed cancelling route 71 and 71P, and changing the
service hours of route 75 so that it could provide service during the morning
peak hours. Apart from strengthening the service of route 72A, the TD
would also provide Octopus BBI concession for interchanging to routes 37A
and 37B to facilitate passengers travelling to and from Wong Chuk Hang and
Central.
(iii)
Re-organisation of Routes 90B, 98, 91, 94 and 94X
The department proposed to retain routes 94 and 90B for whole day service,
travelling to and from the C&W District via Pok Fu Lam Road.
(iv)
Re-organisation of Routes 93 and 93A
The department proposed to amalgamate route 93A with route 93, and two
headways of route 93 departing from Ap Lei Chau Eatate would be diverted
via Lei Tung Estate.
(v)
Re-organisation of Routes 90, 90C, 97, 590 and 590A
The department proposed to amalgamate routes 590A and 90C with route 590,
passengers could take route 590 at Ap Lei Chau to Central. On the other
hand, the department would retain the service of route 90 as a circular route
between Wan Chai and Ap Lei Chau. Moreover, it would arrange route 97 to
depart from Lei Tung Estate during the morning peak hours from Monday to
Friday.
(vi)
Re-organisation of Routes 66, 6, 6X, 73 and 260
The department proposed to retain route 66.
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21.
Mr Curtis CHIU said that as the service area of route 629 overlapped with that of the
new railway, the department would cancel the route concerned. Other than taking MTR,
members of the public and tourists could also go to Ocean Park by taking routes 6X and 260.
Moreover, as residents of Kennedy Town could go to Wong Chuk Hang by taking bus route
971 or GMB routes 58 and 59, the department proposed to cancel route 47P, which provided
supplementary service during peak hours in the morning. He pointed out that the department
would closely monitor the change in ridership of the three franchised bus routes serving the
C&W District upon the commissioning of the new railway and make service frequency
adjustment progressively when appropriate.
22.
The Chairman invited discussion on the paper. Miss LO Yee-hang enquired the TD
whether the amended proposal of route 71 would be implemented in parallel with the
commissioning of the WIL.
23.
Mr Curtis CHIU said that all public transport service re-organisation plans to be tied
in with the commissioning of the SIL (East) would be implemented progressively upon the
commissioning of the railway.
24.
The Chairman thanked guests for attending the meeting.
Item 5:
Bus Route Development Plan 2014-15 of the Central & Western District
(C&W TTC Paper No. 16/2014)
(3:42 – 4:09 pm)
25.
Ms Cindy CHEUNG, Senior Transport Officer/Bus Development (Hong Kong) 2 of
the TD, said that the TD would develop the bus network according to the long term public
transport development strategy, including the principle of developing “a railway-based
network complemented by bus services”. It would also rationalise bus service having regard
to changes in passenger demand and the commissioning of new transport infrastructures, e.g.
cancellation of bus routes with low ridership, headway reduction and route truncation to
achieve inter-modal coordination as well as reduction of vicious competition and overlapping
of service. She said that other than the guidelines set out in paragraphs 8 to 17 of the
reference paper, the department would also consider the following factors when working out
route development plans to improve and reduce bus service:
(i)
The existing and planned public transport service in the district;
(ii)
Development in the district;
(iii)
Completion of basic transport infrastructures;
(iv)
Benefits to passengers;
(v)
Impact on road congestion and the environment;
(vi)
Impact on operators;
(vii)
Whether the proposal concerned was cost-effective; and
(viii) Views of the public and Members.
26.
The Chairman proposed to go through the service improvement items one by one and
discuss the views and questions raised by Members on an individual basis:
- 12 -
Routes 5 and 5X
27.
Ms Cindy CHEUNG said that with the unsatisfactory traffic conditions of Yacht
Street and the growing congestion on Ngan Mok Street and Lau Li Street, the reliability of
bus service would be affected. To enhance service reliability, the department therefore
proposed to divert the Western District-bound trips of routes 5 and 5X to King’s Road direct
via Wing Hing Street upon reaching Electric Road to avoid jammed road sections. The
department would also provide additional bus stops on westbound King’s Road near Tsing
Fung Street to facilitate passengers.
28.
Members had no comments on the rationalisation proposal of the above routes.
Route 15
29.
Ms Cindy CHEUNG said that the department proposed to divert the Peak-bound
route 15B via the bus-only lanes of Yee Wo Street, Hennessy Road and Canal Road instead of
the busier Leighton Road.
30.
Members had no comments on the rationalisation proposal of the above route.
Routes H1 and H2
31.
Ms Cindy CHEUNG said that both H1 and H2 were tourist routes at present and they
served the areas from Star Ferry Pier in Central to the HKU and the areas from Star Ferry Pier
in Central to Causeway Bay respectively. However, as passengers had to change to the
routes concerned at Star Ferry Pier, it was inconvenient for tourists unfamiliar with the traffic
in Hong Kong. Moreover, as the service area of the routes concerned only covered Hong
Kong Island at present, the ridership had been extremely low. As a result, the department
proposed to amalgamate the two routes into one circular route (route H1) and revise the routes
to cover popular tourist spots on both sides of the Victoria Harbour, including Star Ferry Pier,
Lan Kwai Fong, Hollywood Road, Peak Tram Terminus, Golden Bauhinia Square, Temple
Street, Canton Road Jade Market, Canton Road Shopping Area, Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower,
Avenue of Stars, Causeway Bay Shopping Area, Times Square, dining and bar area as well as
the Statue Square. The fare of a single journey of the route concerned would be increased to
$33 having regard to its extension to Kowloon while the price of one-day ticket would be
raised to $200, which conformed to the maximum chargeable fare level of cross-harbour
tourist routes under the scale of fares.
32.
Mr CHAN Choi-hi opined that places such as the HKU and Dr Sun Yat-sen
Historical Trail had tourism potential and urged the department to consider diverting route H1
to these tourist spots. He asked whether the department would consult the views of
organisations such as the Hong Kong Tourism Board before re-routing and whether the
elderly could continue to enjoy fare concessions when they took route H1.
33.
The Chairman asked whether the department would provide interchanging
information on the buses of route H1 to facilitate tourists to take public transport to tourist
spots not included in the tourist route such as the HKU.
34.
Ms Cindy CHEUNG replied that after evaluating factors such as passenger volume
and journey time, the TD and the bus company had reservation on the suggestion of having
- 13 -
the relevant routes passing through Caine Road and the vicinity of the HKU. They would
consider the suggestion made by the Chairlady to provide information about interchanging on
the buses to help travellers go to various tourist attractions. She said that after the
amalgamation of routes H1 and H2, the elderly could still take the tourist route at the cost of
$2.
35.
Mr Kevin LI, Public Affairs Manager of Citybus Limited/New World First Bus
Services Limited, said that the bus company had communicated with the relevant proposal to
and would keep contact with the HKTB.
Route 101
36.
Ms Cindy CHEUNG said that in response to public request, the TD suggested
deploying two buses from route 101 to establish an additional cross harbour bus route 101X
to Hong Kong Island during the peak hours in the morning and the afternoon. In the light of
the relevant changes, the frequency of route 101 would be slightly adjusted. However, it was
believed that its service could still satisfy passengers’ needs.
37.
Mr CHAN Hok-fung supported the TD to strengthen the bus services from Kowloon
East to the Western District. He believed that the TD should increase the express bus
services from the Western District to Hung Hom Cross Harbour Tunnel, so as to tie in with the
commissioning of the WIL of the MTR. In the long run, he suggested the TD transform
route 101X into a whole-day service route and adding bus stops in Central in order to fulfil
the demand of passengers.
38.
Mr WONG Kin-shing said that although the bus fare of route 101X was higher than
that of route 101, the ridership of route 101X from Kennedy Town was still higher than that of
route 101, indicating that route 101X was highly popular among the public. He suggested
the TD add extra trips to route 101X or considering extending the peak hours so as to satisfy
public demand.
39.
Ms Cindy CHEUNG replied that the TD noted Members’ opinions. The
department and the bus company would closely monitor the changes in ridership of the
relevant routes and improve bus services in accordance with the guidelines.
Routes 641 and 621
40.
Ms Cindy CHEUNG said that since the service area of route 621 only covered
Laguna City and the ridership during the afternoon peak hours had been low, the TD
suggested cancelling the service of route 621 during the afternoon peak hours. On the other
hand, since the traffic at the Island Eastern Corridor and the Eastern Harbour Crossing was on
the increase, the journey time of route 641 was largely prolonged, seriously affecting the
stability of trip frequency. Therefore, the TD suggested diverting the said route to via the
Cross Harbour Tunnel and the East Kowloon Way to avoid the road sections with busy traffic.
With the terminus relocated to Enterprise Square in Kowloon Bay, the department suggested
that the route should pass through Kai Ching Estate, Richland Gardens and Kai Yip Estate
while skipping Ngau Tau Kok and Kwun Tong. The route number would be changed to 141.
In addition, the terminus of the Kowloon-bound route 141 during the afternoon peak hours
would be relocated to Laguna City, so as to tie in with the proposed cancelling of bus service
of route 621 during the peak hours in the afternoon.
- 14 -
41.
Members had no comment on the route re-organisation proposal mentioned above.
Route 680P
42.
Ms Cindy CHEUNG said that the TD suggested extending route 680P to Wu Kai Sha
Station.
43.
Members had no comment on the route re-organisation proposal mentioned above.
Routes 914, 914P and 914X
44.
Ms Cindy CHEUNG said that as route 914 had to pass through busy roads, its
frequency stability was affected. Moreover, the route was far away from the heart of
Causeway Bay, dimming the public’s enthusiasm of taking it. Therefore, the TD suggested
diverting both bounds service of route 914 to pass through Yee Wo Street instead of Leighton
Road and adjusting the service frequency of Kowloon-bound buses to around 15-21 minutes
during the morning peak hours. Furthermore, to tie in with the commercial development in
Island East, the TD also suggested extending routes 914P and 914X from Tin Hau to Sai Wan
Ho and diverting the Island-bound route 914X to pass through Sham Mong Road and Chui
Yu Road.
45.
Members had no comment on the route re-organisation proposal mentioned above.
Route 948
46.
Ms Cindy CHEUNG said that route 948 had to pass through busy roads, affecting its
frequency stability. Moreover, the route was far away from the heart of Causeway Bay,
dimming the public’s enthusiasm of taking it. Therefore, the TD suggested diverting Tsing
Yi-bound buses to pass through Irving Street, Pennington Street, Yee Wo Street and
Hennessy Road while Tin Hau-bound buses via Hennessy Road and Yee Wo Street without
passing through Percival Street.
47.
Members had no comment on the route re-organisation proposal mentioned above.
Route 962B
48.
Ms Cindy CHEUNG said that the TD would allocate bus resources in accordance
with the planning guidelines on bus service improvements to add special trips departing from
Tsing Lung Tau.
49.
Members had no comment on the route re-organisation proposal mentioned above.
Route 720P
50.
Ms Cindy CHEUNG said that in order to reduce resources wastage caused by service
overlap of routes 720 and 720P, the TD suggested advancing the time of the last departure of
route 720P from Taikoo Shing and Central to 9:05 am and around 9:27 am respectively.
51.
Members had no comment on the route re-organisation proposal mentioned above.
- 15 -
Routes 968 and 968X
52.
Ms Cindy CHEUNG said that the TD proposed to relocate the terminus of route
968X from Yuen Long to Yuen Long West Bus Terminus. When the ridership of route 968
reached the level prescribed in the planning guidelines on bus service improvements, the TD
would increase its service frequency to cope with passenger demand.
53.
Members had no comment on the route re-organisation proposal mentioned above.
Route 982X
54.
Ms Cindy CHEUNG said that in view of the intake to Shui Chuen O Estate, the TD
proposed to operate two special trips from Shui Chuen O to Hennessy Road in Wan Chai
during morning peak hours to cope with passenger demand.
55.
Members had no comment on the route re-organisation proposal mentioned above.
Routes 307, 307A and 307B
56.
Ms Cindy CHEUNG said that the TD proposed to extend route 307 to Tai Wo Station
after 10 am from Mondays to Saturdays and for the whole day on Sundays and public
holidays. It also proposed to operate two trips of route 307C from Tai Wo Station to Central,
Sheung Wan, Admiralty and Wan Chai via Tai Po Centre, Tsing Sha Highway and Western
Harbour Crossing during morning peak hours from Mondays to Fridays (except public
holidays). In addition, the TD proposed to divert routes 307A and 307B via Tsing Sha
Highway, West Kowloon Highway and Western Harbour Crossing which were of smoother
traffic flow on journeys towards Sheung Wan, Central and Admiralty. The Convention Plaza
Office Tower in Wan Chai would be the terminus of these routes.
57.
Miss SIU Ka-yi asked the TD whether the service frequency of route 307 would be
affected by the relocation of its terminus to Tai Wo Station.
58.
Mr Simon WONG, Planning and Scheduling Manager, Citybus Limited/New World
First Bus Services Limited, responded that the change would not affect the service frequency
of route 307.
59.
Mr CHAN Choi-hi took the view that the bus companies could utilise part of the bus
resources released after the commissioning of the WIL to operate express bus routes to New
Territories West via the Western Harbour Crossing. He also urged the TD to review the
rationale of “a railway-based network complemented by bus services”.
60.
The Chairlady thanked the guests for attending the meeting.
Item 6:
Provision of Additional Goods Vehicle Bay in Sheung Wan
(C&W TTC Paper No. 20/2014)
(4:09 pm – 4:19 pm)
61.
The Chairlady invited discussion on the paper.
were as follows:
- 16 -
Questions and views of Members
(a)
Mr CHAN Choi-hi requested the TD to provide the definite location for the
provision of overnight parking spaces for goods vehicle as mentioned in the
written reply. Besides, he worried that the location of parking spaces
proposed by the TD was too close to the soccer pitch that the air quality in the
vicinity might be affected. He suggested the TD designate parking spaces on
the roads near the bus stacking area next to the Sheung Wan Fire Station.
(b)
Mr CHAN Hok-fung cited the written reply of the TD that there would be a
shortage of about 70 goods vehicle parking spaces in the C&W District in
2016. He was of the view that the figure did not take into account the
cancellation of the temporary lorry park west of the Sun Yat Sen Memorial
Park. He estimated that there would be a shortage of about 170 goods
vehicle parking spaces in the C&W District in 2016 after the cancellation of
the said lorry park and requested the TD to present a compensation plan for
Members’ reference as soon as possible.
(c)
Miss SIU Ka-yi enquired of the TD about the number of goods vehicle
parking spaces that could be provided at the Western Fire Services Street near
the Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park soccer pitch. She urged the TD to identify
suitable locations for the provision of goods vehicle parking spaces in the
district as soon as possible or else the problem of illegal parking might arise
in the future.
(d)
Mr CHAN Chit-kwai cited the example of Hau Wo Street to point out that
many goods vehicles parking spaces in Sai Wan would be cancelled due to
local development. He urged the TD to develop a long-term plan
expeditiously in order to provide large-scale car parks to meet the demand in
the district.
(e)
Mr YIP Wing-shing agreed to provide goods vehicle parking spaces at the
location proposed by the TD. However, he took the view that the location
was too small to accommodate enough parking spaces to meet the demand in
the district. He pointed out that the problem of insufficient parking spaces
for private cars and goods vehicles was serious in the Western District and
urged the TD to face up to the problem as soon as possible.
62.
Mr Francis LOK, Engineer/Central and Western 1 of the TD, indicated that the
proposed location for the provision of overnight parking spaces was opposite to the Sun Yat
Sen Memorial Park soccer pitch at Western Fire Services Street. As goods vehicles could
only be parked at that location from 8 pm to 8 am, it was believed that the impact on the
soccer pitch users should be limited. He added that the TD would strive to identify suitable
locations for the provision of additional parking spaces.
63.
The Chairlady invited second round of discussion on the Paper.
views of Members were as follows:
(a)
Questions and
Mr CHAN Hok-fung reflected that the on-street goods vehicle parking spaces
opposite to the Western District Public Cargo Working Area were often
occupied by concrete mixers. He requested the TD to follow up on the issue.
- 17 -
(b)
Mr CHAN Choi-hi enquired of the TD about the number of goods vehicles
parking spaces that could be provided at the proposed location. He pointed
out that although Members had requested the TD to provide in the paper the
shortfall of parking space in the district by year, the TD only provided the
estimated figure for 2016 in its written reply and did not assess the feasibility
of his suggestion of providing parking spaces at the bus stacking area near the
fire station.
64.
Mr Francis LOK said that the TD would conduct a site visit to the roads near the
Western District Public Cargo Working Area to follow up on the problem. He responded
that the location near the Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park soccer pitch was 60 metres in length and
could accommodate around 6 goods vehicles. As the traffic near the site proposed by Mr
CHAN Choi-hi was quite busy, the TD would not propose to widen it for the provision of
goods vehicle parking spaces. He pointed out that the shortfall of goods vehicle parking
space in the district for 2016 was cited from the Study on Loading/Unloading and Parking
Space of Goods Vehicles on Hong Kong Island. Detailed figures could be obtained from the
divisions responsible for the study.
65.
The Chairlady thanked the guests for attending the meeting.
chaired the discussion on the remaining agenda items.
The Vice-chairman
Item 7:
Concern over the Problem of Damages to Some Uneven Roads in the District
despite Repairs for Several Times
(C&W TTC Paper No. 22/2014)
(4:19 pm – 4:40 pm)
66.
The Vice-chairman invited discussion on the paper. The questions and views of
Members were as follows:
(a)
Mr CHAN Hok-fung said that many members of the public complained to him
that the roads in the district were uneven. They also reflected that the roads
temporarily repaired by the HyD earlier were damaged again after the black
rainstorm warning signal was lowered. He reckoned that as the durability of
asphalt was low, it was inappropriate for the HyD to use it for urgent road
maintenance because the repaired roads would be fragmented or deformed
again once they were used by heavy vehicles. In addition, he pointed out that
the quality of some repairing works was poor. The HyD simply laid asphalt
onto the fissures so that the road surface cracked again soon after maintenance.
He requested the HyD to implement urgent road closures when necessary for
thorough repair of the damaged road sections in the district to ensure the safety
of pedestrians and drivers.
(b)
Mr WONG Kin-shing said that the previous term of DC successfully sought for
the closure of the road sections outside the post office at Pok Fu Lam Road for
road maintenance. To date, the surface conditions of that road section was
still satisfactory while a road section at Third Street was still dilapidated after
several times of maintenance. He agreed with the suggestion made by Mr
CHAN Hok-fung, urging the HyD to consider using more durable materials for
road resurfacing works and implementing road closure for thorough repair of
- 18 -
the damaged road sections.
(c)
Mr YEUNG Hoi-wing said that Members had repeatedly complained about the
poor surface conditions of the junction of Water Street and Queen’s Road West.
He doubted the written response of the HyD which claimed that in the past
three years no road had been repeatedly repaired by the department within half
a year. He pointed out that approximately 80% of the locations mentioned in
the paper had shown no improvement at all. He urged the HyD to consider
using more durable materials for road resurfacing works and implementing
road closure for thorough repair of the damaged road sections.
(d)
Miss SIU Ka-yi said that she always heard that elderly persons fell and got
injured at the road section near Tung Wah Hospital. She took the junction of
Hollywood Road and Possession Street as examples, pointing out that although
the HyD would immediately repair the relevant road sections after receiving
referrals from the 1823 hotline, the maintenance works were done in a slapdash
manner. Members had to follow up the issues for several times before the
maintenance works could be completed. She understood that the HyD
worried that the noise would affect the residents in the vicinity if the works
were to be done at night. However, she was of the view that the HyD had to
balance the needs of various parties and repair the road sections mentioned in
the paper seriously.
(e)
Mr Joseph CHAN said that road sections such as Peak Road, Old Peak Road
and Magazine Gap Road shared the same problem and appreciated the HyD for
its prompt action upon receipt of damage reports. He pointed out that the
surface of the steep roads at the Peak area would suffer serious damage when
scoured by heavy rains. He urged the HyD to use more durable materials for
road maintenance. Moreover, he was sceptical about the quality of some
resurfacing works conducted immediately after excavation works and prodded
the department to ensure that the road conditions of the resurfaced sections
after excavation works done by government departments or public/private
organisations were satisfied with the requirements imposed by the HyD.
(f)
The Vice-chairman said that the excavation works at Central and Sheung Wan
District were too frequent, leaving the road surface in a woeful condition for a
long period of time. He requested the HyD to strengthen the coordination of
excavation works in the district and ensure the conditions of the resurfaced
roads after excavation works could satisfy with the requirements imposed by
the HyD. He understood that the traffic at Central and Sheung Wan was very
busy and the residents in the district might not allow the HyD to conduct
maintenance works at night. However, he hoped that the HyD could strike
proper balance between them and thoroughly repair the road sections with poor
surface conditions.
67.
Mr Richard LO, Senior District Engineer/HNW of the HyD said that the HyD had
been attaching great importance to the maintenance of carriageways. The department would
also conduct regular inspection in accordance with the class and traffic volume of the roads.
He said that safety inspection would be conducted once a week for trunk roads and once in
one to three months for other roads. Detailed inspections would be conducted for various
- 19 -
roads on a half-yearly basis. Inspection officers would classify the damages of the roads into
two categories. The first one referred to damages which might pose immediate danger to
road users to which the HyD would immediately arrange urgent maintenance works to ensure
the safety of road users. The second one referred to damages without immediate danger.
The HyD would plan the relevant maintenance or resurfacing works in accordance with the
traffic conditions, impacts to road users and the complexity of the maintenance procedures
involved. He said that as the maintenance works of some road sections would affect the
traffic, the maintenance contractors would first conduct basic repairs to ensure the safety of
road users. After the relevant departments endorsed the temporary traffic diversion
measures, further maintenance works would be carried out. He said that the HyD had
conducted maintenance works for the nine locations mentioned in the paper and the same for
the other eight locations would be completed in a short period of time. For the remaining
four locations, the Water Supplies Department and Towngas Company had been informed for
follow up action. He understood Members’ concerns over the temporary road maintenance
materials and would relay the relevant opinions to his colleagues for reference. As for the
excavation and resurfacing done by public utilities, he stressed that regular meetings with
public utilities had been conducted and the department would also review the surface
conditions of the repaired roads in accordance with established guidelines. If the conditions
of the roads repaired by public utilities were found to be poor, the relevant organisations
would be requested to make improvements.
68.
The Vice-chairman commenced the second round of discussion. Mr Thomas NG
pointed out that last year he called 1823 to report a depressed gutter cover at Wing Lok Street
near Morrison Street. Although the HyD quickly resurfaced it, the gutter cover was found
depressed again after a week. In view of this, he reckoned that the HyD’s handling method
was inappropriate.
69.
Mr Richard LO said that the HyD attached equal importance to all reports of road
damage. As regards the damaged gutter covers, if it was the manhole that was depressing
and needed to be restored to its original state, the HyD would generally levelled it off with
repair materials for non-emergency cases so as to protect the safety of road users. Repair
works would be conducted upon agreement of relevant departments on the temporary traffic
diversion measures.
70.
The Vice-chairman thanked the guests for attending the meeting.
Item 8:
Are Road Tunnels Operating without Security Measures to Prevent Cyclists,
Pedestrians and Even Animals Like Cats and Dogs from Improper Entry?
(C&W TTC Paper No. 23/2014)
(4:40 pm – 4:49 pm)
71.
The Vice-chairman invited discussion on the paper. Mr CHAN Hok-fung pointed
out that unauthorised entry into road tunnels by unidentified person was rife. In early 2014,
a stray dog entered the Western Harbour Crossing Kowloon side and went to areas in the
vicinity of the Western District through tunnel tubes, suggesting there were loopholes in
tunnel management. He worried that if a traffic accident occurred in the tunnel, traffic in
various districts would be seriously affected. He asked the TD who would be held to
account if a pedestrian or cyclist was knocked down by a vehicle inside tunnel tubes. Would
it be the injured, the drivers or the tunnel companies?
- 20 -
72.
Miss Yvonne TSUI, Senior Transport Officer/Central and Western of the TD,
indicated that six government tunnels, including Aberdeen Tunnel, Lion Rock Tunnel, Shing
Mun Tunnel, Tseung Kwan O Tunnel, Kai Tak Tunnel and Cross-Harbour Tunnel, were
operated and managed by two operators under contracts for management, operation and
maintenance. Furthermore, operators would take enforcement actions by virtue of the “Road
Tunnels (Government) Ordinance” (Cap 368A). The operation and law enforcement of
Eastern Harbour Crossing, Western Harbour Crossing, Tate’s Cairn Tunnel, Tai Lam Tunnel
and Discovery Bay Tunnel were taken up by various tunnel companies in accordance with the
relevant legislations. She said that signs indicating no entry for pedestrians and cyclists
were erected at the entrances of six government tunnels. Furthermore, the traffic within the
tunnels was closely monitored by a CCTV system with guard duty 24 hours a day. She
pointed out that the TD would review from time to time whether there were adequate signs
and remind the tunnel companies to prevent pedestrians or cyclists from entering the
restricted areas of the tunnels.
73.
The Chairlady commenced the second round of discussion. Mr IP Kwok-him said
that the Police and the TD had no records of the number of prosecutions on unauthorised
entry into restricted areas of the road tunnels by pedestrians or cyclists. However, media
reports suggested that there were frequent occurrence of such cases. He did not understand
why the Police and the tunnel companies had not taken any prosecution action against the
situation.
74.
Miss Yvonne TSUI indicated that after consolidating the relevant information, the
managing companies of the six government tunnels would refer the cases to the TD
Prosecution Unit for prosecution. The remaining tunnels would take prosecution actions by
themselves. Information showed that there were three and four cases of unauthorised entry
into road tunnels of Lion Rock Tunnel and Cross-Harbour Tunnel respectively in 2013. The
offences concerned had been followed up or prosecuted in accordance with the procedures.
The other four government tunnels (i.e. Aberdeen Tunnel, Kai Tak Tunnel, Shing Mun Tunnel
and Tseung Kwan O Tunnel) had no records of similar cases in 2013. She said that a written
reply would be provided after the meeting on who would be held to account in case of
accidents arising from unauthorised entry into restricted areas of road tunnels by individuals.
75.
The Vice-chairman thanked the guests for attending the meeting and invited the
Chairlady to take the chair in the ensuing meeting.
Item 9:
Request for Conducting a Comprehensive Review of the Temporary Traffic
Management in the Peak Area during Festivals
(C&W TTC Paper No. 21/2014)
(4:49 pm – 5:06 pm)
76.
The Chairlady invited discussion on the paper.
Members were as follows:
(a)
The questions and views of
Mr Joseph CHAN said that as the Peak was a tourist hotspot in Hong Kong, its
visitor flow would increase the traffic load in the district during festivals.
According to a report released earlier by the Government, the number of
visitors to Hong Kong would continue to increase in the future. However, as
- 21 -
there was no breakthrough in the improvement of supporting transport facilities
in the Peak area, he suggested the bus companies enhance their services to
clear passengers. In addition, he advised the TD to flexibly handle the traffic
signals at Peak Road near Mount Kellett Road and inform drivers in advance
the utilisation rate of the car park in the Peak when they were at the junction of
Peak Road and Magazine Gap Road. Once the car park was full or almost full,
the TD should inform the public and visitors about the situation through
existing channels and ask them to go to the Peak later, so as to avoid paralysing
the traffic in the Peak area and affect the daily lives of residents in that district.
(b)
Mr Alex LEUNG said that as he would from time to time drive route 15 to
provide additional trips to the Peak, he knew that though the bus company had
enhanced service during festivals, there were too many passengers such that
buses were all full in Admiralty. He suggested the Hong Kong Police Force
(HKPF) adopt a flexible approach to handle the traffic bottleneck in Mount
Kellett Road, Guildford Road and Queen’s Road East etc. For example, to
extend vehicular green time of traffic lights at Mount Kellett Road downhill
bound to speed up the return of the buses. He also advised the TD and the bus
companies to divert passengers going to the Peak, making good use of the bus
resources of route 15B to carry more passengers to the Peak.
77.
Mr WAI Hon-kwok, Principal Technical Officer (Traffic)/Southern & Peak of the TD,
said that the department had noted Members’ comments and the traffic light signals at the
junction of Peak Road and Magazine Gap Road were adjusted accordingly.
78.
Mr CHAN Kwong-ming, Officer-in-Charge, District Traffic Team (Central District)
of the HKPF, said that the HKPF would implement special traffic arrangement during
festivals, limiting the entry of vehicles of non-residents into Peak Road near the Peak Galleria.
The Police Public Relations Branch (PPRB) would also inform the public and tourists through
television and radio broadcast that the traffic in the Peak was overloaded and vehicles were
not allowed to enter there. He pointed out that when the car park in the Peak was full or
almost full, the HKPF would erect signs in Peak Road and Magazine Gap Road to inform the
drivers and disseminate the relevant information to the public through media. He also said
that the HKPF would study with the TD on the feasibility of extending the vehicular green
time of traffic lights at Mount Kellett Road downhill bound.
79.
The Chairlady commenced the second round of discussion.
views of Members were as follows:
80.
The questions and
(a)
Mr Joseph CHAN suggested the HKPF inform drivers of the traffic conditions
of the Peak in Garden Road and Stubbs Road, and place corresponding signs to
facilitate timely exit of vehicles via Macdonnell Road or other roads.
(b)
Mr Alex LEUNG said that currently there were electronic road signs at the
entrance of each tunnel displaying its traffic conditions He suggested the TD
and the HKPF add similar road signs at Stubbs Road roundabout and Cotton
Tree Drive so that drivers could know in advance the traffic conditions of the
Peak and change their destinations.
Mr WAI Hon-kwok said that the road signs mentioned by Mr Alex LEUNG were
- 22 -
used mainly on trunk roads; the TD would study the feasibility of adding the road signs on the
roads suggested by Members.
81.
Mr Roger MA, Manager (Traffic) of the New World First Bus Services Limited, said
that the bus company would strengthen service to the Peak during peak tourist season and
arrange special trips to pick up passengers at the en-route stops.
82.
Mr Joseph CHAN stressed that the roads in the Peak areas were local ones, but their
traffic and pedestrian flows were similar to those of the trunk roads, he hoped that the TD
could take that into consideration when exploring the feasibility of adding electronic road
signs.
83.
Mr WAI Hon-kwok said that the TD had an established mechanism for the release of
emergency traffic information; messages would be disseminated to the public through
relevant channels.
84.
The Chairlady asked Members to vote on the motion. After voting, the Committee
unanimously adopted the motion proposed by Mr Joseph CHAN and seconded by Mr Alex
LEUNG.
Motion:
The C&WDC requested the departments and bus companies
concerned to conduct a comprehensive review of the
temporary traffic management in the Peak area during
festivals, and prepare a comprehensive traffic planning
framework for the Peak area in order to improve the traffic
in the district.
(24 Members voted for the proposal: Ms CHENG Lai-king, Mr HUI Chi-fung, Mr YIP
Wing-shing, Mr CHAN Hok-fung, Mr IP Kwok-him, Mr KAM Nai-wai, Mr MAN Chi-wah
(authorised Mr Sidney LEE to vote on his behalf), Mr CHAN Chit-kwai, Mr Sidney LEE, Mr
CHAN Choi-hi, Mr Joseph CHAN, Dr Malcolm LAM, Miss SIU Ka-yi, Miss LO Yee-hang
(authorised Mr CHAN Hok-fung to vote on her behalf), Mr Jackie CHEUNG, Mr CHEUNG
Kwok-kwan (authorised Mr CHAN Hok-fung to vote on his behalf), Mr WONG Kin-shing,
Mr Thomas NG, Mr CHAN Tsz-kwan, Mr CHAN Wing-ho, Mr LEE Ching-hang (authorised
Miss SIU Ka-yi to vote on his behalf), Mr Alex LEUNG, Mr WONG Sai-kit (authorised Mr
CHAN Hok-fung to vote on his behalf) and Mr YEUNG Hoi-wing.)
(No Member voted against the proposal.)
(No Member abstained from voting.)
85.
The Chairlady thanked the guests for attending the meeting.
Item 10:
Written question – Comments by the Elderly on Traffic and Transportation
Issues
(C&W TTC Paper No. 1/2014)
(5:06 pm)
86.
The Chairlady said that departments had given written replies to the written
questions for this meeting. Members could refer to the papers concerned.
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Item 11:
Action Checklists on Matters Arising from the Last Meeting
(C&W TTC Paper No. 24/2014)
(5:07 pm)
87.
Mr CHAN Chit-kwai indicated that the current blue road sign located on Bonham
Road leading to Pok Fu Lam Road was incorrect; it should not let vehicles turn left to Pok Fu
Lam Road. He urged the TD to remove the road sign concerned and correct the road
markings in the vicinity.
88.
Mr Jackie CHEUNG urged the TTC to write a letter to the HyD to follow-up on the
proposal of installing elevator at Mosque Junction.
Item 12:
(5:10 pm)
89.
Any other business
There was no other business.
Item 13:
(5:10 pm)
Date of the next meeting
90.
The Chairlady announced that the next TTC meeting would be held on 19 June 2014.
The paper submission deadline for government departments would be 28 May 2014, while the
deadline for Members would be 4 June 2014.
91.
The meeting was adjourned at 5:11 pm.
The minutes were confirmed on 19 June 2014
Chairlady: Ms CHENG Lai-king
Secretary: Miss CHUNG Yeuk-hung
Secretariat of the Central and Western District Council
May 2014
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