Hong Kong traffic was mostly smooth on Tuesday morning as the new school year began, with the Transport Department stepping up monitoring across various districts.
The Emergency Transport Co-ordination Centre was escalated to Joint Steering Mode, its highest operational tier, from 6.30am to oversee public transport and traffic flow.
Acting Secretary for Transport and Logistics Liu Chun-san was briefed on co-ordination and monitoring efforts with police and major operators during a visit to the centre, accompanied by Commissioner for Transport Winnie Tse Wing-yee. Response plans for adverse weather were also reviewed.
Liu said train, franchised bus and ferry services operated normally during the morning rush, while special routes serving school areas resumed and cross-boundary students arrived in an orderly manner.
Traffic on major trunk roads, tunnels, bridges and in school zones was busy but manageable, with public transport services fully meeting passenger demand, he added.
Tse noted that about 100 department staff members were deployed to monitor real-time conditions at major public transport interchanges, stations, school areas, land boundary control points and tunnels across the territory, reporting back to the centre for instant service adjustments.
The department advised students to familiarise themselves early with transport routes and schedules to determine the most suitable commute.
