15th National Games Road Cycling Event Set for November 8 with Traffic Control Measures in Place

Arrangements for 15th NG road cycling (men's individual) event (with photo/video)

The 15th National Games (NG) road cycling (men's individual) event will be held on November 8. A press conference hosted by the Head of the National Games Coordination Office (Hong Kong) (NGCO), Mr Yeung Tak-keung,was held jointly with representatives of relevant government departments and the Cycling Association of Hong Kong, China today (October 14) to announce details of the event and the relevant arrangements, including temporary traffic control measures, clearance arrangements at the boundary control point (BCP), and emergency response and rescue arrangements.

The road cycling (men's individual) event this year is the only event that spans over Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao in the 15th NG, and a tripartitetest event was held last November. In addition, a pre-event comprehensive drill was conducted on September 30 and the process was generally smooth. The official race covers a total distance of 231.8 kilometres, comprising a 55.8km section in Hong Kong. The race will enter Hong Kong from the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) and go through the Hong Kong Port, North Lantau Highway and Penny's Bay Highway. The athletes will return after passing by Hong Kong Disneyland Resort and head back to Zhuhai via the HZMB and Hengqin.

The race is scheduled to start at 9am on November 8, and is expected to conclude at 2.30pm. The event will feature 25 representative teams from the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao, with a total of 104 athletes competing. It is anticipated that the race convoy will enter the Hong Kong section around 10.20am and spend about one and a half hours in the Hong Kong section.

To facilitate better viewing experience, a public viewing zone will be set up on the footpath of Fantasy Road located outside the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, which can accommodate a few hundreds of spectators. Members of the public may come to cheer up the athletes and enjoy the race there. Implementation of crowd management measures will be made by the Police subject to conditions in the areas. Members of the public are advised to take heed of instructions of the Police and the staff on site. As temporary traffic control measures will be implemented on the race route at the North Lantau Highway, members of the public should take the MTR to the Disneyland Resort station as far as possible to reach the designated viewing zone. The Guangdong competition region has commissioned the China Central Television as the host broadcaster to provide live webcast of the event. All rights-holding broadcasters, including the three local free television broadcasters and Radio Television Hong Kong, will be conferred the live signal.

To facilitate the holding of the race, temporarily control measures will be implemented on the HZMB Hong Kong Port, the HZMB and some roads on that day. Relevant arrangements are set out as below:

(1) Clearance service arrangement

On the event day, temporary control measures will be implemented on the HZMB eastbound from Zhuhai/Macao towards Hong Kong from 9am to 12.30pm, and on the HZMB westbound from Hong Kong towards Zhuhai/Macao from 7.30am to 12.30pm. During the temporary control period, all vehicles are prohibited from using the HZMB. Special arrangements will be implemented on the departure clearance services. Travellers or vehicles wishing to leave Hong Kong for Zhuhai or Macao before the implementation of the temporary control measures are required to arrive at the Departure Hall of Passenger Clearance Building or Outbound Vehicle Clearance Plaza of the HZMB Hong Kong Port before 6.30am on the event day in order to undergo departure and clearance procedures. The Departure Hall of Passenger Clearance Building and Outbound Vehicle Clearance Plaza of the HZMB Hong Kong Port will be closed at 6.30am.

The departure and clearance services at the HZMB Hong Kong Port will resume after 12.30pm on that day. It is expected that traffic will be busy. Travellers and drivers who plan to use the bridge on that day are advised to plan their trips in advance and pay attention to the traffic control arrangements within Zhuhai.

(2) Public transport arrangements

Cross-boundary public transport services travelling on the HZMB between Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macao, including the HZMB shuttle bus (Gold Bus), cross-boundary coach and bus services of SkyPier Terminal Transfer Coach of Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA), will be suspended during the implementation of the temporary control on the HZMB Main Bridge and the HZMB Hong Kong Port on that day. As the roads within Zhuhai are still closed for the race until about 2.30pm, the Gold Bus from Hong Kong to Zhuhai is expected to provide limited service from 12.30pm to 1.30pm while the Gold Bus from Zhuhai to Hong Kong will resume service at 2.30pm. Meanwhile, Gold Bus services to/from Macao will resume at 12.30pm.

In addition, during the temporary control period, local public transport services to and from the HZMB Hong Kong Port will implement temporary services adjustment, including airport bus A routes, shuttle bus B routes and Disneyland R routes. The A routes from the airport will not pass through the Hong Kong Port from 10am to 1pm and the A route from urban and New Territories to the airport will not pass through the Hong Kong Port from the first departure to 11.30am. The shuttle bus services B4 and B5 serving between Airport/Sunny Bay Station and HZMB Hong Kong port will be suspended during certain periods. Routes R8 and R33, serving between Disneyland and the Lantau Link Interchange and Tuen Mun Station will also be suspended for some periods. Meanwhile, to facilitate the smooth implementation of the event, Shun Long Road (both bounds) will be closed (see details under (3) below) and affected bus routes will be temporarily diverted. The bus companies will issue notices to inform affected passengers of the details of the above service adjustment.

The Transport Department (TD) will notify affected operators of cross-boundary and local public transport services, while the Marine Department will liaise with cross-boundary ferry operators, to work out manpower and frequency arrangements. During the temporary control period, travellers should consider the use of land BCPs between Hong Kong and Shenzhen for their travel between Hong Kong and Zhuhai. They should also consider taking cross-boundary ferry services between Hong Kong and Macao.

Booking for the time slot between 6am and noon for Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles will be suspended. Subject to on-site traffic management arrangements on the event day, motorists who have made reservations in the afternoon on that day will only be allowed to enter the Vehicle Clearance Plaza of the Hong Kong Port after the temporary traffic control measures are lifted (estimated to be after around 12.30pm).

Regarding passenger bus services of SkyPier Terminal Transfer Coach of the HKIA, the services between the HKIA and Zhuhai and Macao Port, will be suspended during the temporary control period at the Hong Kong Port of the HZMB. The Airport Authority Hong Kong will maintain close communication with all service operators and continuously monitor the situation to implement timely adjustments as needed.

In addition, the 15th NG road cycling (women's individual) event will be held on November 9. Though the race course will mainly be located in Zhuhai and will not affect the HZMB and clearance services at the port, some of the roads in Zhuhai will be closed due to the event. From 7.30am to 11.30am that day, only limited services for routes departing for Zhuhai will be provided by the Gold Bus. Members of the public are advised to avoid taking the Gold Bus to Zhuhai during the abovementioned periods. Moreover, some of the ferry services between Hong Kong and Zhuhai Jiuzhou Port will also be suspended on November 8 and 9.

(3) Road traffic control measures

Temporary traffic control measures will be implemented on the North Lantau Highway and roads near the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort during the race period of Hong Kong section (exact time will depend on the actual progress of the race).

Temporary traffic control measures will be implemented in the vicinity of the race route on the North Lantau Highway. The travel time to and from the airport via the North Lantau Highway is expected to increase by about 30 minutes. Members of the public and travellers who plan to travel to and from the airport should plan their trips in advance and allow sufficient travelling time. They are advised to use railway services, including the Airport Express, the Tung Chung line and the Disneyland Resort line, and avoid driving to the relevant area. Drivers who need to drive to the airport may consider using the Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Tunnel.

Temporary traffic control measures will be implemented on the race route near the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort during the race. Travelling time to and from the park, hotels and the Inspiration Lake Recreation Centre via Penny's Bay Highway, Sunny Bay Road, Magic Road and Fantasy Road may be increased by about 30 minutes due to the traffic control measures. Members of the public who plan to travel to the vicinity of the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort should consider using railway services as far as possible.

In addition, as this road section connects to the North Lantau Highway, members of the public and travellers who need to travel between the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort and the HKIA may also be affected by the temporary traffic control measures on the North Lantau Highway, and the travelling time required may be increased.

Shun Long Road (both bounds) will be closed starting from 6.30am and expected to reopen at about 2pm on that day after the related road section returns to normal. During the above road closure period, the TD will implement traffic diversion such that the original traffic of Shun Long Road (both bounds) will be diverted via Chek Lap Kok Island. The journey time is expected to increase by about 10 minutes. The bus companies will issue notices to inform passengers of the details of service adjustment.

A spokesperson for the NGCO said as the NG is the country's highest-level event, this event has to meet stringent requirements in terms of the selection of race course and the organisational arrangements to ensure the safety of athletes. Relevant departments will work together to facilitate the special traffic and transportation arrangements to minimise the impact on the public and travellers who usually use the HZMB and other related road sections. Members of the public and travellers who need to travel to and from Zhuhai or Macao are urged to plan their itinerariesin advance, and use other control points and public transport as far as possible.The spokesperson thanked members of the public and travellers for their understanding, as well as the contributions of various organisations and departments to implementing the relevant arrangements.

Arrangements for 15th NG road cycling (men's individual) event (with photo/video) Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Government announces updates on follow-up work on Tai Po fire

The three task forces set up by the Government for the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po - the Task Force on Investigation and Regulation, the Task Force on Emergency Support and Fund-Raising, and the Task Force on Emergency Accommodation Arrangements - are making full efforts to follow up on the support, relief, and investigation work related to the incident. Details are as follows:

Financial and welfare support

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For the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, established by the Government, donations received are about $3 billion as of 1pm today (December 7). In addition to the start-up capital of $300 million from the Government, the fund's total has now reached around $3.3 billion. The fund will be used to assist residents in rebuilding their homes and providing long-term and sustained support.

The Government earlier announced that the Support Fund will provide a living allowance to each affected household. As of today, 1 273 cases have been processed. The living allowance is increased from $50,000 to $100,000 and will be disbursed in phases. In addition, the Support Fund will provide families of each deceased victim with a token of solidarity of $200,000, as well as $50,000 to cover funeral costs. As of today, a total of 90 cases have been processed.

In addition, the Government has so far disbursed an emergency subsidy of $10,000 to 1 931 households.

Social workers from the Social Welfare Department (SWD) have been in contact with more than 1 970 affected households, and more than 4 900 residents have been registered for the "one social worker per household" follow-up service. The SWD will maintain liaison with the affected households to provide all necessary assistance while fully supporting the relief work of the Government. Those not yet in touch with the SWD are advised to leave their contact information by calling 182 183 as soon as possible.

Accommodation support

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As of this morning, a total of 1 408 residents have been accommodated, through the co-ordination of the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau, in youth hostels, camps, or hotel rooms. Another 2 702 residents have moved into transitional housing units provided by the Housing Bureau or units from the Hong Kong Housing Society. Moreover, the Tai Po District Office continues to operate a temporary shelter at Tai Po Community Centre, which remains open to residents in need. The other temporary shelter at Tung Cheong Street Community Hall will remain in operation until the existing users have relocated to arranged emergency accommodations.

Relief supplies and donations

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The supplies donation online platform, established by the Government and the information technology sector, continues to operate, facilitating the registration of supplies donations from organisations and the public. The Government has so far received about 1 600 registrations, of which approximately 30 per cent were submitted by organisations, whereas the others were contributed by the public. The various registered donation items include food and beverages, clothing, daily necessities, bedding, and electrical appliances. The Government is actively assessing residents' actual needs through the relevant policy bureau, government departments, and service organisations for the matching of donated supplies in order to distribute appropriate items to places in need in phases. So far, over 4 800 pieces of donation items covering various categories have been distributed to different places. The matching and distribution of supplies will continue.

Handling of reported missing persons

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The Police have completed searches inside all seven buildings. Officers from the Disaster Victim Identification Unit (DVIU) continued to search the area around the buildings and near the collapsed scaffolding today, which had been confirmed as safe. No human remains were found, and the number of the deceased remains at 159. The Police are contacting the families of the missing persons and those who have preliminarily identified the deceased through photographs to arrange for them to undergo DNA oral swab sampling in batches starting tomorrow (December 8) for scientific identification of the deceased.

Investigations

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The Fire Services Department officers assisted the DVIU in removing accumulated water from the elevator shafts of Wang Kin House, Wang Tai House, Wang Cheong House and Wang Shing House to facilitate the search operations.

Regulation and inspection work

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The emergency maintenance contractors co-ordinated by the Housing Department have largely completed the clearance of miscellaneous items at the surroundings of the buildings at Wang Fuk Court today. With the protective nets removed from the four Home Ownership Scheme courts, namely Yee Kok Court in Sham Shui Po, On Kay Court in Kwun Tong, Sui Wo Court in Sha Tin and Ching Lai Court in Sham Shui Po, as well as Fung Wah Estate in Chai Wan under the Tenants Purchase Scheme, the Independent Checking Unit (ICU) of the Housing Bureau has requested registered inspectors to arrange for contractors to check on the conditions of the scaffoldings and remove waste and miscellaneous items to ensure safety on-site. The ICU will continue to conduct inspections and monitor the situations.

Regarding the order to remove scaffold nets issued by the Buildings Department (BD), as of 6pm today, 224 private buildings have had their scaffold nets removed from the external walls. Four cases undergoing removal work have requested an extension of time, and the BD has accepted their applications. It is expected that the work will be finished within this week. The removal work of scaffold nets from the remaining two private buildings has been affected by ongoing contractual disputes between the contractors and the incorporated owners (the disputes existed prior to the Tai Po fire). The BD has arranged for government contractors to carry out the work and will recover the costs later. In addition, the Architectural Services Department has completed the removal of scaffold nets at the government buildings under its purview before the deadline.

The BD strives to announce a new set of arrangements within this week requiring the scaffold nets used at construction sites to be sampled on-site and certified as compliant with the relevant standards prior to installation so that the relevant external wall work can resume as soon as possible.

The 5 000 training places of Multi-skilled/Skill Enhancement courses reserved by the Construction Industry Council for workers affected by the suspension of repair work on external walls (trades including plumbing, window framing, painting and decoration, plastering, and bamboo scaffolding) will be open for application tomorrow. The courses are tuition-free. Depending on the specific trade courses and training hours, workers who complete the training and obtain qualifications can receive a maximum subsidy ranging from $14,000 to $19,000.

The Labour Department (LD) continues to inspect fire protection facilities and the fire emergency preparedness of building maintenance work sites with large-scale scaffolding to ensure the occupational safety of workers. As of 4pm today, the LD has inspected 332 construction sites, issued a total of 170 written warnings and 95 improvement notices, and taken out 25 prosecutions.

Source: AI-found images