In anticipation of large crowds for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day celebrations, the Transport Department has reminded the public of the special traffic arrangements during the holiday period.
Road closures begin at 2 pm
In central, road closures will begin at 2 pm on Wednesday, affecting associated bus stops, public light bus stands, taxi stands, and parking spaces.
Depending on real-time conditions, police may expand the closure area in phases. Affected bus and green minibus routes may experience temporary diversions, service suspensions, or adjustments to their stops.
The Transport Department advises the public to stay informed about any temporary traffic measures, which may also be implemented in Tsim Sha Tsui on short notice for public safety.
With a significant number of citizens expected to celebrate across the city, the department encourages everyone to utilize public transport services and plan their routes in advance to avoid congestion.
Enhanced MTR service during festive season
To facilitate travel during the festive period, the MTR announced enhanced service across its network from December 19 to January 4.
On Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, most railway lines (except the Airport Express and Disneyland Resort Line) will operate overnight, whereas the Disneyland Resort Line will extend service until 2 am on New Year's Eve.
The East Rail Line will see increased frequencies for morning and evening trains on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays, while the Island Line will also boost services during peak evening hours.
To cater visitors leaving the theme park, the Disneyland Resort Line will also increase its train frequency in the evenings.
For passengers catching early flights, the Airport Express train will offer early services from December 22 to 24.
Additionally, late-night services will be extended on December 24, 28, and 31, as well as January 1, with the final train departing later from AsiaWorld-Expo Station.
In response to the increase in cross-boundary trips, the High-Speed Rail service will add 13 round trips between Hong Kong West Kowloon Station and Futian Station during weekends, Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve, and select public holidays.
Cross-border services
In coordination with arrangements for the Lo Wu Boundary Control Point on New Year’s Eve, MTR will extend cross-boundary services to and from Lo Wu Station on the East Rail Line, subject to approval by national port authorities.
Specific schedules will be announced later, while services to Lok Ma Chau Station will run as usual.
Separately, Tuen Ma Line services will increase after midnight to accommodate attendees of the countdown concert at Kai Tak Sports Park.
Cross-boundary travelers are advised to pay close attention to service hours on the East Rail Line and plan their journeys in advance.
Extended Bus Services
On Christmas Day (Dec 25), several special bus routes–including KMB N43, N64P, N71, N243, and N272– will operate in the early hours, whereas 12 routes in Kowloon and the New Territories will extend their service hours.
Additionally, several minibus routes will also have extended hours.
Meanwhile, Citybus's airport express line A28X will enhance service during Christmas and New Year, assisting residents of Tseung Kwan O and Lohas Park in reaching the airport for early flights.
Cross-border buses will also increase frequency, providing service as often as every five minutes.
Cross-border shuttle services
During the Christmas long weekend, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge shuttle bus (Gold Bus) and the Lok Ma Chau-Huanggang shuttle bus (Yellow Bus) will boost peak-hour frequencies to approximately one and two minutes, respectively.
The frequency of local franchised bus B routes connecting various land-based boundary control points will also see an increase, with operators ensuring sufficient vehicles and manpower to meet demand.
The train services of the East Rail Line between Admiralty and Lo Wu or Lok Ma Chau at different times during the above period will be enhanced to provide convenience for the travelers.
Meanwhile, motorists are advised to stay alert for potential special traffic arrangements at the Lok Ma Chau Control Point and Shenzhen Bay Port, which may lead to longer wait times for private vehicles crossing the border.
To facilitate travel during the holiday season, travelers are encouraged to monitor real-time traffic conditions via the HKeMobility app or website for updates on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.
The TD reminded the public that the real-time situations of the vehicle clearance plaza of the Zhuhai Port can be assessed through the WeChat official accounts "hzmbzhport" or "zhuhaifabu."
The public and visitors may also visit the one-stop information platform on immigration clearance, "Easy Boundary" for the latest information on various land-based boundary control points more conveniently.
For the latest traffic updates, residents are advised to check radio and television broadcasts, as well as the Transport Department's website and HKeMobility during the long weekend.
