Heavy cost for fixing traffic lights

Twenty traffic accidents relating to defective traffic lights were recorded from June to November last year, causing 41 minor injuries. Among these cases, 14 cases and 22 injuries occurred in Yau Tsim Mong and Sham Shui Po.

In a written reply to the Legislative Council yesterday, the Transport and Housing Bureau said 740 sets of traffic lights were vandalized from June to December and it will cost HK$65 million to fix the damaged roads and lights.

The total number of times the lights were damaged adds up to 1,590, as 365 were vandalized more than once and one was even vandalized up to 17 times.

The vandalism mainly involved destroyed cables and spray-painted surfaces. In some cases, the signal controllers were damaged or burnt.

The bureau said all the lights have been repaired by January 2 and it has cost an additional HK$40 million.

However, no big difference was seen between the number of traffic accidents from June to November and other months, although the number of accidents that involved defective traffic signals was eight in 2018 and four in 2017, according to the Transport Department.

In addition, about 52,800 meters of railings and 21,800 square meters of footpath paving blocks were removed, with 9,900 square meters in the Yau Tsim Mong area. Plastic chains have been put up in place of railings and the pedestrian roads have been paved with cement as temporary measures. The repair work estimated to cost HK$25 million, the bureau said.

It added that in view of the damage, the Transport Department has posted notices on the traffic light poles that are yet to be repaired to remind road users to take extra care and the Highways Department has also set up portable traffic lights at some critical junctions to ease traffic.

angel.kwan@singtaonwescorp.com