XN000022-1997-01-29 — Page 36

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(a)

(b)

(c)

whether, before the event, the departments concerned had assessed the possibility of a large crowd turning up at the site and made any contingency measures, such as arrangements for dispersing the crowd to various districts, extending the service hours and increasing the frequencies of ferries and buses to transport people to and from the site; and whether the Tuen Mun District Office or the Tuen Mun District Board had been consulted on such arrangements;

whether, after the event, the departments concerned have reviewed the arrangements and contingency measures, including any special traffic arrangements, adopted on that day; if so, what the outcome is; and whether the departments concerned will offer a public apology for the inconvenience caused to the people concerned; and

whether the departments concerned had considered beforehand if it was suitable to stage this kind of major activity in the district?

Reply:

Mr President,

The 1996 New Year's Eve Countdown Fireworks Display was organised by the Tuen Mun Yan Oi Tong with the assistance of the Tuen Mun District Office, the Regional Services Department and the Police.

An Inter-departmental Working Group led by District Officer/Tuen Mun was set up in early October 1996 to work out an action checklist and define the respective roles of the Government departments concerned in organising the Display.

The Working Group planned on the basis of a turnout of at least 100,000 people watching the display along the coastline from Siu Lam to Butterfly Bay. Transport Department, on the other hand, had contingency plans to cater for more passengers riding on buses, if this was necessary.

Transport Department together with the Police worked out special traffic and transport arrangements for the event, including road closures, suspension of carparks and pedestrian flow to ensure safety and to facilitate movement of public transport vehicles. The Castle Peak Road section between So Kwun Wat and Sam Shing was closed to all vehicles except buses.