Police will implement special traffic arrangements to facilitate the holding of Well Wishing Festival in Lam Tsuen during the Lunar New Year period.

A. Road closure and traffic diversions

     Lam Tsuen Heung Kung Sho Road between Lam Tsuen Pai Lau and Lam Tsuen Rural Committee Office will be closed and pedestrianized between 7am and 7pm daily from February 5 to February 19.

     The slow lane of northbound Tolo Highway near Wun Yiu leading to Tai Po (North) exit will be closed from February 2 to February 10. Vehicles heading for Tai Po (North) exit must use the nearside hard shoulder on the affected section of the road.  

     Depending on the prevailing traffic condition of Lam Kam Road, the affected section of northbound Tolo Highway may be further extended to Lam Kam Road Interchange between February 5 and February 10. All vehicles heading for Tai Po (North) exit and the Lam Tsuen Wishing Tree must use the nearside hard shoulder on the affected section of Tolo Highway. The slip road leading from Tai Po Tai Wo Road to northbound Tolo Highway will also be closed. Vehicles heading for the Lam Tsuen Wishing Tree from Tai Po Tai Wo Road must travel via southbound Tolo Highway, Kwong Fuk Interchange, eastbound Tai Po Road – Yuen Chau Tsai, Tolo Highway slip road, northbound Tolo Highway, the nearside hard shoulder on the affected section of northbound Tolo Highway, and Lam Kam Road Interchange. Vehicles approaching to the Lam Tsuen Wishing Tree from Fanling must travel via the above same route.

     During the road closure period, residents of Lam Tsuen Valley and Hong Lok Yuen heading for Lam Kam Road (Pat Heung bound) are advised to travel via Kwong Fuk Interchange, eastbound Tai Po Road – Yuen Chau Tsai, Tolo Highway slip road, the second lane of northbound Tolo Highway and Lam Kam Road Interchange.

B. Temporary no-stopping zones

     Vehicles are not allowed to pick up or drop off passengers and load or unload goods at the following locations between 7am and 7pm daily from February 5 to February 19:

– The access road to Fong Ma Po Village between Lam Kam Road and Lam Tsuen Rural Committee Office;
– Lam Kam Road between Lam Kam Road Interchange and the access road to Tong Min Tsuen, except for franchised buses and green minibuses;
– The access road to Tin Liu Ha Tsuen from She Shan Road; and
– She Shan Road.

     A temporary vehicle holding area will be set up between Lam Tsuen Public School and Hang Ha Po Tsuen to facilitate visitors alighting or boarding vehicles from February 5 to March 3.

     If the situation permits, public light buses and taxis may be allowed to pick up or drop off passengers on Lam Kam Road near Hang Ha Po Tsuen and Tong Min Tsuen. Plying for hire is strictly prohibited.

     To ensure road safety and smooth traffic flow, Police will continue to take traffic enforcement action during the Lunar New Year period, including issuing fixed penalty tickets and towing away illegally parked vehicles without prior warning. The operation will, in particular, target those causing danger to other road users, or seriously obstructing traffic flow and access of emergency vehicles.

     Actual implementation of the traffic arrangements will be made depending on traffic and crowd conditions in the area. Motorists should exercise tolerance and patience, and follow the instructions of Police on site.

     The Chief Executive in Council has approved the draft Central District (Extension) Outline Zoning Plan (OZP).

     "The approved OZP provides a statutory land use planning framework to guide developments and redevelopments in the Central District (Extension) area," a spokesman for the Town Planning Board said today (February 1).

     The Planning Scheme Area (the Area), covering an area of about 46.70 hectares, is bounded by the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre Extension to the east, the Connaught Road Central/Harcourt Road corridor to the south, Connaught Place and Airport Railway Hong Kong Station to the west and the waterfront to the north.

     About 14.34 hectares of land is zoned "Open Space", which includes the waterfront promenade that extends from Man Yiu Street, existing Memorial Garden, Tamar Park and the open space reserved to the north of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.

     About 5.23 hectares of land is zoned "Comprehensive Development Area" for commercial development which extends from Statue Square and the Hongkong Bank Building towards the waterfront.

     About 0.36 hectares of land is zoned "Commercial" and is currently occupied by Citic Tower at Lung Wui Road.

     About 5.77 hectares of land is zoned "Government, Institution or Community" ("G/IC") for the provision of government, institution and community facilities serving the needs of the local residents and/or a wider district, region or the territory. It is also intended to provide land for uses directly related to or in support of the work of the Government, organisations providing social services to meet community needs, and other institutional establishments. Apart from the Central Government Offices and the Legislative Council Complex at the former Tamar Basin, the existing High Block and Low Block of the City Hall Complex, City Hall Car Park and the City Hall Annex Building are also zoned "G/IC".

     About 8.42 hectares of land is zoned "Other Specified Uses" for specified purposes, which includes military uses, waterfront-related commercial and leisure uses, piers and associated facilities and elevated walkway.

     The Area also provides land to accommodate essential strategic infrastructure. On the approved OZP, about 11.32 hectares of land is shown as "Road" to provide land for the above-ground road network.

     The approved Central District (Extension) OZP No. S/H24/9 is now available for public inspection during office hours at the Secretariat of the Board, the Planning Enquiry Counters of the Planning Department in North Point and Sha Tin, the Hong Kong District Planning Office, the Central and Western District Office and the Wan Chai Home Affairs Enquiry Centre.

     Copies of the approved plan are available for sale at the Map Publications Centres in North Point and Yau Ma Tei. The electronic version of the plan can be viewed at the Board's website (www.info.gov.hk/tpb).

The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:

     No open or closed meetings of the Legislative Council (LegCo) Committees will be held in the LegCo Complex during the week from February 4 to February 8.

     The Policy Innovation and Co-ordination Office (PICO) announced today (February 1) the results of the fourth round applications to the Public Policy Research (PPR) Funding Scheme in 2018-19.
 
     The PPR Funding Scheme aims to promote public policy research and provide evidence-based research to facilitate public policy discussion. Applications are accepted throughout the year. For the fourth round exercise in 2018-19, PICO received 21 applications. On the advice of an assessment panel, PICO has decided to support six projects with total funding of about $3.2 million.
 
     Applications to the PPR Funding Scheme are assessed by an assessment panel, chaired by and comprising experienced academics, who will take into account comments of reviewers who are academics and experts outside the panel in considering the applications. Each application is considered on its merits and relevance to public policy development in Hong Kong. A declaration of interests system is in place to ensure that the assessments are fair and impartial.
 
     Details of the funded projects have been uploaded to PICO's website (www.pico.gov.hk/en/PRFS).

     The Transport Department (TD) today (February 1) reminded the public that special traffic and transport arrangements will be implemented on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon to facilitate the Lunar New Year Fireworks Display on the second day of the Lunar New Year (February 6). 
      
     The arrangements will mainly include:
 
(A) Traffic arrangements
—————————
 
     Road closures and traffic diversions will be implemented in phases on Hong Kong Island from about 1pm at Tramway Lane outside Garden Road Peak Tram Lower Terminus, Wan Chai District, Central District, the Peak and the section of Island Eastern Corridor westbound between Victoria Park Road and Man Hong Street. Road closures and traffic diversions will be implemented in phases in the vicinity of Tsim Sha Tsui and Jordan in Kowloon from about 6pm until the crowd is dispersed and road closures are lifted.
 
(B) Public transport services arrangements
———————————————-

1. Bus and green minibus (GMB) services

     In connection with the road closure, some bus and GMB stops will be suspended or relocated. Bus and GMB routes operating in the affected areas will also be temporarily diverted, while the service of some routes may be strengthened subject to passenger demand.

2. MTR services

     From 8pm to 11pm, the services of Island Line and Tsuen Wan Line will be strengthened with a three-minute headway and the services of Kwun Tong Line will be strengthened with an about four-minute headway; from 8.30pm to 11.30pm, the services of Tseung Kwan O Line will be strengthened with a four-minute headway.
 
3. Tramways service
 
     Normal holiday service will be operated and the frequency of the tram service will be strengthened to meet passenger demand if necessary.
 
4. Central-Mid-Levels Escalator and Walkway System

     The service of Central-Mid-Levels Escalator and Walkway System will be extended to 2am on February 7.
      
5. Cross-boundary coach services

     The terminus of the cross-boundary coach services between Wan Chai and Huanggang at the Wan Chai North Temporary Public Transport Interchange will be suspended from about 6.30pm until the road closure is lifted. A temporary terminus will be provided at Hennessy Road eastbound underneath O'Brien Road footbridge.
 
6. Ferry services

     Ferry companies will temporarily adjust the services to facilitate the holding of the celebration event.

     Due to extensive road closure, the TD anticipates that the traffic in the vicinity of the affected areas will be significantly congested. Motorists are advised to be patient in case of traffic congestion and follow police instructions.

     In addition, other ad-hoc traffic and public transport measures, including additional road closures, traffic diversions, alteration and suspension of public transport services may be implemented by the Police depending on actual traffic and crowd conditions in the areas.

     Members of the public who plan to go to the affected areas are advised to use public transport services as far as possible, particularly the railway services, and avoid driving to the affected or congested areas unless necessary. They should plan their journey early and use alternative routes to avoid delays. Public transport commuters are advised to pay attention to the arrangements of route diversions, suspension and relocation of stops. Moreover, members of the public are advised to stay alert to the latest traffic news on radio and television.

     Details of the special traffic and transport arrangements are available at TD’s website (www.td.gov.hk). For further queries, please call 1823.