Special traffic and transport arrangements for football matches at Hong Kong Stadium on August 19, 20 and 23
The Transport Department (TD) today (August 15) said that, to facilitate the holding of football matches at the Hong Kong Stadium on the evenings of August 19, 20 and 23, special traffic and transport arrangements will be implemented in the vicinity of So Kon Po and Causeway Bay as follows. Spectators from the Mainland are urged to plan their journeys early, use the MTR, special bus or cross-boundary coach services, and heed the service hours of public transport services and boundary control points.
Road closures
The following road sections will be temporarily closed to vehicular traffic in phases during the event period, until the closed roads are reopened:
Time |
Details |
From about 5.30pm |
The section of Caroline Hill Road between Leighton Road and Cotton Path;
The section of Hysan Avenue westbound carriageway between Yun Ping Road and Hoi Ping Road;
Stadium Path; and
The section of Lee Garden Road between Lan Fong Road and Hysan Avenue (except for Green Minibuses (GMB)).
From about 9.30pm |
Caroline Hill Road;
The section of Eastern Hospital Road between Caroline Hill Road and Cotton Path;
The section of Tung Lo Wan Road northbound between Eastern Hospital Road and Causeway Road;
The section of Tung Lo Wan Road southbound between Eastern Hospital Road and Causeway Road (except for franchised bus and GMB);
The northbound carriageway of Link Road (downhill);
Hoi Ping Road, Sunning Road, Sun Wui Road, Lee Garden Road, Lan Fong Road, Foo Ming Street, Pak Sha Road, Yun Ping Road, Kai Chiu Road, Hysan Avenue, Shelter Street and Cotton Path; and
Leighton Road (when necessary).
The TD anticipates that, during the event period, the traffic in the vicinity of So Kon Po and Causeway Bay will be very congested. Motorists are advised to avoid driving to the affected areas.
Public transport service arrangements
In connection with the above road closure arrangements, the following bus and GMB routes operating in the affected areas will be subject to temporary diversion and associated stop relocation arrangements during the event period:
Time |
Details |
From about 5.30pm |
Citybus (CTB) route Nos. 5B and 8H will operate in the form of a circular route;
Cross-harbour bus (XHT) route No. 936 (Shek Wai Kok bound) will terminate at Moreton Terrace instead of Cotton Path; and
CTB route No. 678 (Sheung Shui bound) will depart at Causeway Road instead of Eastern Hospital Road (except for August 23).
From about 10pm |
GMB route Nos. 14M, 21A, 21M, 26, 28, 28S and 30 will be temporarily diverted and operate as circular routes, terminating at Keswick Street.
The TD has co-ordinated with local and cross-boundary public transport operators to strengthen their services during dispersal:
The MTR will enhance the interval between trains of the Island Line and the East Rail Line (ERL) on respective days as and when necessary;
CTB will provide one special bus route No. 976S from Causeway Bay (Moreton Terrace) Bus Terminus to Lok Ma Chau (San Tin) Public Transport Interchange; and
Cross-boundary coach services at Hennessy Road, Wan Chai and Causeway Bay (outside Times Square) will be strengthened at the closing of the event subject to passenger demand to facilitate travellers' return to the Mainland via the Lok Ma Chau/Huanggang (LMC/HG) Port and the Shenzhen Bay Port.
Special appeal to cross-boundary travellers
Spectators who plan to return to the Mainland on the same day after the football matches should pay special attention that, if they use the Lo Wu Control Point, they should take the MTR Island Line at Causeway Bay Station to Admiralty Station, and interchange the ERL towards Lo Wu Station. The last connecting train towards Lo Wu Station will depart from Causeway Bay Station at 10.44pm and Admiralty Station at 11.01pm. Travellers should plan their journeys ahead and arrive at the station platform in advance.
For travellers who opt for LMC/HG Port (operating 24 hours daily), apart from the above special bus service route No. 976S directly departing from Causeway Bay, they may also take the MTR ERL to Sheung Shui Station and then KMB route No. 276B or N73, and transfer to the LMC-HG cross-boundary shuttle bus (Yellow Bus) for their journey to the Mainland.
A spokesman for the TD said that, as a large number of travellers may use the LMC/HG Port after the football matches, and that concerts will also be held at the Kai Tak Sports Park on the evenings of August 19 and 20, the Port is expected to be very busy. Travellers' patience is appreciated. To ensure the smooth operation of public transport services, dedicated public transport lanes will be arranged at the LMC/HG Port after midnight during the event period when necessary for the smooth operation of the Yellow Bus and cross-boundary coach services as well as effective dispersal of a large number of cross-boundary travellers. Other cross-boundary private cars and their passengers are expected to have a longer clearance time. The TD has steered operators to reserve standby vehicles and manpower to meet passengers' demand.
Members of the public are advised to make use of public transport services as far as possible to avoid traffic congestion and unnecessary delays. During the event, the TD and the Police will closely monitor the traffic situation. The Police may adjust the traffic arrangements subject to the prevailing crowd and traffic conditions in the areas. Members of the public should pay attention to the latest traffic news through radio, television or the "HKeMobility" mobile application.
For details of the special traffic and public transport arrangements, members of the public may visit the TD website (www.td.gov.hk), its mobile application "HKeMobility" or passenger notices issued by the relevant public transport operators.
Seven persons arrested during anti-illegal worker operation
The Immigration Department (ImmD) mounted an anti-illegal worker operation codenamed "Contribute" today (January 15).During the operation, ImmD Task Force officers raided premises under renovation in a newly built public housing estate in Sheung Shui district.A total of six suspected illegal workers and one suspected employer were arrested. Thearrested suspected illegal workers comprise six men, aged 22 to 41. Furthermore, one man, aged 45, suspected of employing the illegal workers, was also arrested. An investigation into the suspected employers is ongoing, and the possibility of further arrests is not ruled out.
Apart from mounting the enforcement operation, ImmD officers and a promotional vehicle have been deployed to distribute "Don't Employ Illegal Workers" leaflets and convey the message in the estate.
An ImmD spokesman said, "Any person who contravenes a condition of stay in force in respect of him or her shall be guilty of an offence. Also, visitors are not allowed to take employment in Hong Kong, whether paid or unpaid, without the permission of the Director of Immigration. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to two years' imprisonment. Aiders and abettors are also liable to prosecution and penalties."
The spokesman stressed that it is a serious offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable. Under the Immigration Ordinance, the maximum penalty for an employer employing a person who is not lawfully employable, i.e. an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land, has been significantly increased from a fine of $350,000 and three years' imprisonment to a fine of $500,000 and 10 years' imprisonment to reflect the gravity of such offences. The director, manager, secretary, partner, etc, of the company concerned may also bear criminal liability. The High Court has laid down sentencing guidelines that the employer of an illegal worker should be given an immediate custodial sentence.
According to the court sentencing, employers must take all practicable steps to determine whether a person is lawfully employable prior to employment. Apart from inspecting a prospective employee's identity card, the employer has the explicit duty to make enquiries regarding the person and ensure that the answers would not cast any reasonable doubt concerning the lawful employability of the person. The court will not accept failure to do so as a defence in proceedings. It is also an offence if an employer fails to inspect the job seeker's valid travel document if the job seeker does not have a Hong Kong permanent identity card. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $150,000 and to imprisonment for one year. In that connection, the spokesman would like to remind all employers not to defy the law by employing illegal workers. The ImmD will continue to take resolute enforcement action to combat such offences.
Under the existing mechanism, the ImmD will, as a standard procedure, conduct an initial screening of vulnerable persons, including illegal workers, illegal immigrants, sex workers and foreign domestic helpers, who are arrested during any operation with a view to ascertaining whether they are trafficking in persons (TIP) and/or forced labour victims. When any TIP and/or forced labour indicator is revealed in the initial screening, the ImmD officers will conduct a full debriefing and identification by using a standardised checklist to ascertain the presence of TIP and/or forced labour elements. Identified TIP and/or forced labour victims will be provided with various forms of support and assistance, including urgent intervention, medical services, counselling, shelter or temporary accommodation and other supporting services. The ImmD calls on TIP and/or forced labour victims to report crimes to the relevant departments immediately.
For reporting illegal employment activities, please call the dedicated hotline 3861 5000, by fax at 2824 1166, email to anti_crime@immd.gov.hk, or submit "Online Reporting of Immigration Offences" form at www.immd.gov.hk.
Seven persons arrested during anti-illegal worker operation Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Seven persons arrested during anti-illegal worker operation Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
