The traffic jam stops at Kwun Tong? Transport and Housing Bureau: The average speed of rework time on main roads in Kowloon hit a 10-year low

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Written by: Zhong Yan

2021-01-06 14:51

Last update date: 2021-01-06 14:53

Traffic jams during rework and off-work hours have plagued Hong Kong. The traffic jam in Kowloon East has been difficult to solve for a long time. The reality of traffic jams is like the second song created by netizens, "Where is the only stuffy industry".

The Secretary for Transport and Housing, Chen Fan, today responded in writing to the DAB Legislative Council Member Chen Heng-pin. He published a written question about traffic congestion and disclosed the speed data of the main roads in Hong Kong, Kowloon and the New Territories during the morning and afternoon peak hours.

According to the information from the Transport and Housing Bureau, the driving speeds of the main roads in Kowloon in the morning and afternoon peak hours in 2019 were 20.6 kilometers per hour and 24.4 kilometers per hour. The average speed of main roads during working hours set the record for the slowest speed in the past 10 years. .

As for the traffic jam on Hong Kong Island, the “severely-hit area”, the main road congestion seems to have improved after the Central-Wan Chai Bypass opened to traffic in 2019. The main road speed rose slightly to 21.5 kilometers per hour and 18.9 kilometers during peak hours in the morning and afternoon.

Key points of speed data during morning peak hours:

● During working hours in 2019, traffic congestion on main roads in Kowloon has worsened, and the average speed has hit a 10-year low, slower than that on Hong Kong Island

● After the Central-Wan Chai Bypass was opened to traffic, the congestion situation on Hong Kong Island improved slightly

● Congestion in the New Territories is stable, and the average speed is similar to the past 3 years

● The overall traffic congestion on the main roads in each district is stable, and the average speed is similar to the past 3 years

Key points of speed data during peak afternoon hours:

● During work hours, the traffic congestion problem in Kowloon area worsened in 2019, and the average speed of main roads dropped by nearly 10% year-on-year

● Traffic congestion on the main roads on Hong Kong Island has slightly improved

● Traffic in the New Territories has improved since 2018, but the average speed of main roads has not returned to the level 10 years ago

● The overall average speed of main roads in each district in 2019 is the same as in 2018, and has improved over the past 10 years

The speed of car travel per hour in Hong Kong Island during off-hours continues to be the slowest area in Hong Kong.

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When asked how to solve the traffic congestion problem in Hong Kong, Chen Fan responded to the legislator’s written question and pointed out that the Transport Department is conducting a “congestion levy” study and will comprehensively review the toll levels of all government toll tunnels, and is also actively promoting Parking charges.

The Transport and Housing Bureau also stated that it will moderately increase the supply of parking spaces to reduce the traffic flow caused by vehicles circling around the road looking for parking spaces.

Traffic congestion in Kwun Tong is serious, and the traffic speed on the main roads in Kowloon has dropped to the slowest in 10 years.

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Chen Fan replied that because Hong Kong has a small land and a large population and limited road space, it is difficult to solve the traffic congestion problem by continuously building roads alone.

The government has been adopting a multi-pronged strategy for many years to deal with road traffic congestion by improving the transportation infrastructure, expanding and improving the public transportation system, and managing the use of roads.

In 2019, the Central-Wan Chai Bypass and Heung Yuen Wai Highway were opened to traffic. Chen Fan said that in 2019, the roads, tunnels and flyovers that the Highways Department is responsible for will increase by 4 kilometers, which means that the total length of roads in Hong Kong is 2,127 kilometers.

According to the bureau, the government is planning the Fanling Bypass, Shatin Trunk Road T4 and Route 11, and hopes to meet long-term traffic needs.

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Traffic jam Kwun Tong Transport and Housing Bureau