ENG-2011 — Page 309

Transport 265

Parking

On-street parking is provided where there is a demand and where traffic conditions permit. At year-end, Hong Kong had about 18 000 parking spaces with electronic parking meters in operation. These parking spaces are managed and operated by a private operator under government contract.

The Government owns 14 multi-storey car parks plus a 'Park-and-Ride Public Car Park' in Sheung Shui, bringing the number of government car parking spaces to about 7 900, run by two private operators under government contract.

In addition to government car parks, off-street public parking is provided by the Airport Authority at the Hong Kong International Airport, the Housing Department and The Link REIT in some public housing estates, and by the private sector in multi- storey commercial/residential buildings and open-air public car parks.

Park-and-ride facilities are operated by MTRCL at Choi Hung Station on the Kwun Tong Line, at Hong Kong, Kowloon and Tsing Yi stations on the Airport Express, Hung Hom Station on the East Rail Line, Kam Sheung Road Station on the West Rail Line, and at some commercial car parks located near Olympic Station on the Tung Chung Line and Hang Hau Station on the Tseung Kwan O Line. In all, there are 203 000 off-street public parking spaces (excluding those in government car parks).

Road Safety

There were 15 339 traffic accidents, of which 2 090 were serious and 127 were fatal. This compares with 14 943 accidents in 2010, of which 2 052 were serious. and 114 were fatal. Traffic accidents involving death and injury increased by 2.7 per cent in 2011, compared with 2010.

In-depth investigations were carried out at 100 traffic accident blackspots to identify common accident causes. Enhancement measures were recommended for 90 of these locations. Comprehensive route studies were conducted on two selected roads to reduce traffic accidents along the routes in a more holistic manner, and to review their safety performance.

The 'Road Traffic (Amendment) Ordinance 2011' was passed by the Legislative Council on December 14, 2011 to introduce stricter controls and to provide corresponding enforcement powers for the police to combat drug-driving more effectively. It is an offence if anyone drives with a concentration of any of the following six specified illicit drugs: heroin, ketamine ('k'), methamphetamine ('ice'), cannabis ('grass'), cocaine and MDMA ('ecstasy') present in his blood or urine, whether his driving ability is impaired or not.

The ordinance also prohibits drivers from driving under the influence of any drug to such an extent as to render him or her incapable of having proper control of the motor vehicle. The ordinance empowers the police to require drivers suspected of drug-driving to undergo preliminary drug tests.