Kwun Tong traffic chaos 'shows room for improvement in communication'

Michael Shum

The Kwun Tong traffic chaos on Monday highlighted the need for better communication between government departments and district councils, said Kwun Tong District Councillor Wilson Or Chong-shing.

A roundabout that had channeled traffic for 60 years near the Kwun Tong Ferry Pier was recently converted into an intersection to facilitate further development in the district.

However, this led to severe congestion, with drivers stuck in traffic for over 35 minutes for a journey that usually took just a few minutes.

According to Or, the chaos on the first working day after the conversion was caused by temporary lane closures at the new intersection.

"The intersection between Wai Yip Street and Hoi Yuen Road was narrowed from three lanes to two, and some lanes near the ferry pier were also closed for construction," he said.

He said he had notified the government, and the lanes were reopened, which helped alleviate the congestion.

However, Or said the incident showed the need for better coordination between government departments and the district council, as well as with local building owners.

"I will be contacting the engineering teams to inspect the situation again before the new school year starts next week, to avoid a repeat of this incident," Or said.

He also defended the need to convert the roundabout into an intersection: "The roundabout has been in use since the 1960s, and as more projects take place in the area, the traffic flow will start to saturate, which is why the conversion is needed to better utilize the roads near the ferry pier," he said.

In response, the Civil Engineering and Development Department said the temporary lane closures on Monday were to expand the road width for buses to turn left from Hoi Yuen Road to Wai Yip Street, and this had been completed on Monday night.

The department said it would continue working closely with the Transport Department and the police to monitor the situation when school resumes on September 2. The Transport Department added it would continue to monitor the traffic and adjust traffic lights as needed.

michael.shum@singtaonewscorp.com