The Transport Department (TD) today (August 30) reminded the public that special traffic and transport arrangements will be implemented in Happy Valley during horse race meetings for 2018-19 from next Wednesday (September 5).
 
     The special traffic and transport arrangements will mainly include:
 
* From about 1.5 hours before the start of the first race, the section of Wong Nai Chung Road southbound between Queen's Road East and the up ramp outside the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) will be closed (except for vehicles heading for the Aberdeen Tunnel). The section of Wong Nai Chung Road southbound between Village Road and the up ramp outside the HKJC will be re-routed to one-way northbound traffic.
 
* From about 35 minutes before the start of the last race, the following road sections will be closed to all vehicular traffic until traffic returns to normal:
– the up ramp on Wong Nai Chung Road leading to the Aberdeen Tunnel outside the HKJC;
– the section of Wong Nai Chung Road southbound between Queen's Road East and the up ramp leading to the Aberdeen Tunnel;
– the section of Wong Nai Chung Road southbound between Village Road and the Public Stands of the HKJC;
– the section of Leighton Road westbound between Wong Nai Chung Road and Canal Road East; and
– the section of Morrison Hill Road southbound between Leighton Road and Queen's Road East.
 
* During the period of road closure, franchised buses and green minibuses will be temporarily diverted until traffic returns to normal.
 
* Some of the bus stops on Leighton Road, Morrison Hill Road and Wong Nai Chung Road and the tram stop on Wong Nai Chung Road outside the Hong Kong Cemetery will be suspended until traffic returns to normal. Public transport operators will put up notices at the affected stops to inform passengers of the temporary arrangements.
 
* The taxi stand on Sung Tak Street will be suspended.
 
* Parking spaces on Wong Nai Chung Road southbound between Sports Road and Blue Pool Road will be suspended.
 
     The TD anticipates that the traffic in the vicinity of the affected areas will be very congested during horse race meetings. Motorists are advised to avoid driving to the affected areas. In cases of traffic congestion, motorists should exercise tolerance and patience, and follow the instructions given by the Police. Members of the public planning to go to the affected areas are advised to use public transport services as far as possible.
 
     The TD and the Police will closely monitor the traffic situation and implement appropriate measures whenever necessary. Members of the public are advised to be alert to the latest traffic news on radio and television.
 
     Details of the special traffic and transport arrangements are now available on the department's website (www.td.gov.hk).

     The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released the latest figures on retail sales today (August 30).

     The value of total retail sales in July 2018, provisionally estimated at $38.9 billion, increased by 7.8% over the same month in 2017. The revised estimate of the value of total retail sales in June 2018 increased by 11.9% over a year earlier. For the first seven months of 2018 taken together, it was provisionally estimated that the value of total retail sales increased by 12.6% over the same period in 2017.

     After netting out the effect of price changes over the same period, the provisional estimate of the volume of total retail sales in July 2018 increased by 5.9% over a year earlier. The revised estimate of the volume of total retail sales in June 2018 increased by 9.8% over a year earlier. For the first seven months of 2018 taken together, the provisional estimate of the total retail sales increased by 11.0% in volume over the same period in 2017.

     Analysed by broad type of retail outlet in descending order of the provisional estimate of the value of sales and comparing July 2018 with July 2017, the value of sales of jewellery, watches and clocks, and valuable gifts increased by 16.8%. This was followed by sales of commodities in supermarkets (+0.7% in value); wearing apparel (+3.4%); medicines and cosmetics (+12.7%); commodities in department stores (+8.6%); electrical goods and other consumer durable goods, not elsewhere classified (+5.7%); food, alcoholic drinks and tobacco (+3.0%); other consumer goods, not elsewhere classified (+10.2%); motor vehicles and parts (+6.7%); fuels (+15.2%); footwear, allied products and other clothing accessories (+5.5%); furniture and fixtures (+3.7%); Chinese drugs and herbs (+0.8%); and optical shops (+2.3%).

     On the other hand, the value of sales of books, newspapers, stationery and gifts decreased by 1.4% in July 2018 compared with a year earlier.

     Based on the seasonally adjusted series, the provisional estimate of the value of total retail sales decreased by 1.2% in the three months ending July 2018 compared with the preceding three-month period, while the provisional estimate of the volume of total retail sales decreased by 1.4%.

     These retail sales statistics measure the sales receipts in respect of goods sold by local retail establishments and are primarily intended for gauging the short-term business performance of the local retail sector. They cover consumer spending on goods but not on services (such as those on housing, catering, medical care and health services, transport and communication, financial services, education and entertainment) which account for over 50% of the overall consumer spending. Moreover, they include spending on goods in Hong Kong by visitors but exclude spending outside Hong Kong by Hong Kong residents. Hence they should not be regarded as indicators for measuring overall consumer spending.

     Users interested in the trend of overall consumer spending should refer to the data series of private consumption expenditure (PCE), which is a major component of the Gross Domestic Product published at quarterly intervals. Compiled from a wide range of data sources, PCE covers consumer spending on both goods (including goods purchased from all channels) and services by Hong Kong residents whether locally or abroad. Please refer to the C&SD publication "Gross Domestic Product (Quarterly)" for more details.

Commentary

     A government spokesman indicated that retail sales grew visibly over a year earlier in July, albeit at a decelerated pace, thanks to solid demand from local consumers as well as visitors.

     Looking ahead, favourable labour market conditions and sustained expansion in inbound tourism should continue to support retail sales performance in the near term. However, consumer sentiment may turn less sanguine going forward if the external uncertainties persist or escalate further. The Government will closely monitor the situation.

Further information

     Table 1 presents the revised figures on value index and value of retail sales for all retail outlets and by broad type of retail outlet for June 2018 as well as the provisional figures for July 2018. The provisional figures on the value of retail sales for all retail outlets and by broad type of retail outlet as well as the corresponding year-on-year changes for the first seven months of 2018 taken together are also shown.
  
     Table 2 presents the revised figures on volume index of retail sales for all retail outlets and by broad type of retail outlet for June 2018 as well as the provisional figures for July 2018. The provisional figures on year-on-year changes for the first seven months of 2018 taken together are also shown.

     Table 3 shows the movements of the value and volume of total retail sales in terms of the year-on-year rate of change for a month compared with the same month in the preceding year based on the original series, and in terms of the rate of change for a three-month period compared with the preceding three-month period based on the seasonally adjusted series.

     The classification of retail establishments follows the Hong Kong Standard Industrial Classification (HSIC) Version 2.0, which is used in various economic surveys for classifying economic units into different industry classes.

     More detailed statistics are given in the "Report on Monthly Survey of Retail Sales". Users can download this publication free of charge at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/hkstat/sub/sp320.jsp?productCode=B1080003). Alternatively, the historical series of retail sales statistics can be downloaded in the form of a statistical table at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/hkstat/sub/sp320.jsp?productCode=D5600089).

     Users who have enquiries about the survey results may contact the Distribution Services Statistics Section of the C&SD (Tel: 3903 7400; email: mrs@censtatd.gov.hk)

     The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, will depart for Beijing on Monday morning (September 3) to officiate at the inauguration ceremony of Tsinghua University, Executive Master of Public Administration Programme for the Project of Hong Kong Public Administrative Talents.

     During the visit, Mr Cheung will also meet Mainland Government officials, senior management of Tsinghua University and advisors of the Project.

     Mr Cheung will return to Hong Kong in the evening of the same day. During his absence, the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing, will act as the Acting Chief Secretary for Administration.

     The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) will step up enforcement actions against the unauthorised display of easy-mount frames and other display fittings for business promotion on busy streets from September to October with a view to curbing such illegal activities and improving the district environment.
      
     An FEHD spokesman said today (August 30), "The unauthorised display of commercial publicity materials such as bills and posters with the use of easy-mount frames, and other display fittings on streets and pavements with high pedestrian flow, have kept causing street obstruction and environmental hygiene problems. To tackle the situation, the FEHD mounted special enforcement operations last year. In view of the fruitful results, the department will again step up enforcement actions against such illegal activities at targeted blackspots in various districts from September to October this year so as to sustain the efforts to combat the problem and improve the district environment.
      
     "During the operations, FEHD officers will issue fixed penalty notices on the spot to offenders caught red-handed for illegal display activities, and the promotion materials will be removed. The beneficiaries of the commercial publicity materials will also be prosecuted should there be sufficient evidence."
      
     He said that under Section 104A(1) of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap. 132), any person displaying or affixing a bill or poster on Government land without permission commits an offence, and is liable to a maximum penalty of a fine of $10,000 and a daily fine of $300 upon conviction. FEHD officers can also remove the commercial publicity materials and the display fittings and recover the removal costs from the persons concerned pursuant to the relevant legislation.
      
     The FEHD has already stepped up public education by issuing warning letters to vendors and street promoters in the vicinity of the targeted blackspots in various districts and related commercial organisations to remind them to refrain from displaying commercial publicity materials illegally, or they may face prosecution. The above enforcement operations will be launched next week.
      
     The spokesman said that the FEHD will evaluate the effectiveness after this round of enforcement actions for formulation of the objectives and strategies of future operations.

     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (August 30) announced its approval of the 23rd batch of applications for the trials of green innovative transport technologies under the Pilot Green Transport Fund.

     The 11 newly approved applications are for the trials of 16 electric light goods vehicles (van type) involving a total subsidy of about $3.3 million. The applications were from:

Chan Foon Kee
Chun Tat Motor Limited
Cinpek Engineering Limited
Ferrari Logistics (Asia) Limited
Hong Kong Telecommunications (HKT) Limited
Hong Kong Wastewater Treatment Plant Management Company Limited
Kam Po Engineering Company Limited
New Creat Auto Engineering Co Limited
Pan Kee Engineering Co Limited
Rise Deal Limited
Wing Ming (Car Rental) Company Limited

     The latest approval brings the total number of trials being pursued under the Fund to 135 for testing three electric taxis, three electric light buses, 21 single-deck electric buses, 72 electric light goods vehicles (van type), one electric medium goods vehicle (tractor), 48 hybrid light goods vehicles (non-van type), 28 hybrid medium goods vehicles, 11 hybrid public light buses, two single-deck hybrid buses, one solar air-conditioning system for a bus, four electric inverter air-conditioning systems for buses, three diesel-electric propulsion systems for ferries and one seawater scrubber for a ferry, amounting to a total subsidy of about $138 million.

     At present, 97 approvals under the Fund are already on trial. Sixty-seven of them have completed the trials, involving three electric taxis, eight single-deck electric buses, 42 electric light goods vehicles (van type), 25 hybrid light goods vehicles (non-van type), 14 hybrid medium goods vehicles, five hybrid public light buses, one solar air-conditioning system for a bus, one electric inverter air-conditioning system for a bus, one diesel-electric propulsion system for a ferry and one seawater scrubber for a ferry have completed their trials. The EPD will continue to upload the interim and final reports once completed to the Fund's website for public information.

     The Government put in place the $300 million Fund in March 2011 to subsidise the testing of green innovative transport technologies. The Fund is open for applications from public transport operators, charitable and non-profit-making organisations providing services to clients, and goods vehicle operators. The technologies for trial include alternative-fueled vehicles, conversion of in-use conventional vehicles to alternative-fueled vehicles, and after-treatment emission reduction devices or fuel saving devices related to transport activities. Transport operators may apply for the Fund to try out different green innovative products subject to a maximum subsidy of $9 million for each application and $12 million in total.

     For more information on the Fund and the approved applications, please visit the EPD's website (www.epd.gov.hk) or call the enquiry hotline on 2824 0022.