TNAG-1723-FCO40-2436-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 34

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HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 13 January 1988

Sessional Papers 1987-88:

No. 34 Emergency Relief Fund Annual Report by the Trustee for

the year ending on 31 March 1987

No. 35 Social Work Training Fund Twenty Sixth Annual Report

by the Trustee for the year ending on 31 March 1987

No. 36-Urban Council Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for

the year ending 31 March 1989

Oral answers to questions

Traffic diversions

1. MRS. NG asked (in Cantonese): Will the Government inform this Council what arrangements are made to inform the public in cases where traffic diversions are required?

SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT: Sir, traffic diversions are required for road works or to improve traffic management. In planning any traffic diversions, one main objective is to minimise inconvenience to the pedestrians, drivers and public transport users. Before implementation, every effort is made to inform the public of the new traffic arrangements. But the method and extent of the publicity will vary depending upon the scale of the diversion, the timing of the project, and the number of road users likely to be affected.

For a major scheme involving area-wide traffic and public transport diversions such as a major road construction project or road closures for special events, a press conference will be held and plans distributed to the media giving full details of the traffic arrangements. In most cases, the relevant district boards or their traffic and transport committees will be consulted or briefed.

For minor diversion schemes, the Transport Department will issue a press release and a spokesman made available to answer media or public enquiries.

Furthermore, traffic measures involving the temporary closure of a road to traffic for a period exceeding 72 hours are required under the Road Traffic (Traffic Control) Regulations to be published in the Gazette, or in one issue of at least one English and one Chinese newspaper.

In emergencies requiring traffic diversions immediately or at very short notice, it may not be possible to give sufficient advance notice. In those cases, every effort is made to publicise the emergency arrangements through the media. I am happy to say that in all cases full coverage is given by the media so that any inconvenience to the public is reduced to the minimum.

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