Crowd safety management measures and special arrangements for Cheung Chau Jiao Festival's "floating colours" parade
Police announced today (May 2) that the "floating colours" parade in Cheung Chau on May 5 is expected to draw a large number of spectators. Crowd safety management measures and special arrangements will be implemented. Police urge members of the public to plan their trips in advance.
A. Crowd safety management measures
Depending on crowd conditions, crowd safety management measures will be implemented on the following roads:
- Pak She Street;
- San Hing Street;
- Tung Wan Road;
- Praya Street;
- Tai San Praya Road;
- Tai Hing Tai Road;
- Chung Hing Street;
- Tai Tsoi Yuen Road;
- Tai San Back Street;
- Hing Lung Main Street;
- San Hing Back Street;
- Man Shun Lane; and
- Kwok Man Road.
"No staying zones" will be set up outside Cheung Chau Ferry Pier, Cheung Chau Public Pier and Shing Cheong Lane, where members of the public are prohibited from staying.
Members of the public are advised to exercise tolerance and patience, and take heed of instructions of the Police on site. They are also reminded to look after the accompanying children and elderly.
B. Ferry services
To facilitate the dispersal of spectators from the "floating colours" parade, the ferry company will increase the frequency of trips between Central and Cheung Chau. Members of the public are advised to pay attention to the latest arrangements announced by the ferry company before leaving home.
Police anticipate that the peak period for individuals departing from Cheung Chau will occur from 5pm to 6pm. During this time, those queuing at Cheung Chau Ferry Pier are advised to exercise patience and take heed of instructions of the Police on site. Members of the public are advised to avoid the peak time unless necessary.
Source: AI-generated images
New requirements for mandatory fitting and wearing of seat belts and placing of mobile telecommunications devices while driving to be implemented from January 25
The Government today (January 8) reminded members of the public that, starting from January 25, all public transport and commercial vehicles' seated passengers must wear seat belts, and all drivers must not place more than two mobile telecommunications devices (MTDs) in front of them during driving, further enhancing road, passenger and driving safety.
All passenger's seats in public and private buses, rear passenger's seats in private light buses and goods vehicles (GVs), and driver's seats and all passenger's seats of special purpose vehicles (SPVs) must be equipped with seat belts in these vehicles first registered on or after January 25. Drivers and passengers occupying the seats of these vehicles (whether newly registered or not), where seat belts are fitted, are required to wear them. Studies show that wearing seat belts will reduce the risk of death and serious injury of drivers and passengers in head-on collisions by about 40 per cent and 70 per cent respectively.
Offending vehicle owners, drivers or passengers will be liable to a maximum fine of $5,000 and imprisonment for up to three months. All passengers occupying seats shall be responsible for wearing seat belts. Among them, any driver who still drives with a passenger aged under 15 seated in the rear seat of a GV or the passenger's seat of an SPV without wearing a seat belt will be subject to a maximum fine of $2,000.
The Government noted that the transport trades are ready for the new requirements. In franchised buses, all seats in newly procured buses have been equipped with seat belts. Together with existing double-deck buses retrofitted with seat belts on the upper-deck seats by operators under government subsidy, to date, around 3500 buses are now equipped with seat belts, representing about 60 per cent of the entire fleet in Hong Kong.
In addition, from the same day onwards, any driver must not place more than two MTDs (i.e. mobile phones, tablet computers or laptop computers) in front of them during driving. The diagonal length of each screen must not exceed 19 centimetres. The MTDs must not obstruct the driver's view of the road and traffic, as well as any mirror, device or camera-monitor fitted for viewing the roads. Offenders will be liable to a maximum fine of $2,000.
The Government has stepped up publicity and public education since November 2025. The Transport Department (TD) has strengthened collaboration with the Police, the Education Bureau, the Information Services Department, the Road Safety Council and the transport trades including public transport operators to introduce the legal requirements through websites, videos, media, social media, the "e-Bulletin for Parents" and publicity posters on traffic signal controllers across various districts. Franchised bus operators have also strengthened publicity and broadcast inside compartments and at bus stops to alert passengers to the new requirement of wearing seat belts.
Members of the public may refer to the TD's webpage on the new requirements on seat belts (www.td.gov.hk/en/road_safety/sb) and placing MTDs during driving (www.td.gov.hk/en/road_safety/mtd) or the Agent T Facebook page (www.facebook.com/AgentT.hk), or call the hotline 28042600 for details.
New requirements for mandatory fitting and wearing of seat belts and placing of mobile telecommunications devices while driving to be implemented from January 25 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
New requirements for mandatory fitting and wearing of seat belts and placing of mobile telecommunications devices while driving to be implemented from January 25 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
New requirements for mandatory fitting and wearing of seat belts and placing of mobile telecommunications devices while driving to be implemented from January 25 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
New requirements for mandatory fitting and wearing of seat belts and placing of mobile telecommunications devices while driving to be implemented from January 25 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases