The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority: During the winter surge, the Hospital Authority is closely monitoring the service demand of Accident and Emergency Departments and the occupancy rate in publi… read more
Special traffic arrangements will be implemented in Happy Valley today (March 13). The arrangements will come into effect one and a half hours before the start of the first race and will last until the crowds have dispersed after the race meeting.
A. Traffic arrangements before the commencement of the first race
1. Road closure
Southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Queen’s Road East and the up-ramp outside Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) will be closed except for vehicles heading for Aberdeen Tunnel.
2. Traffic diversions
– Southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Village Road and the up-ramp outside HKJC will be re-routed one way northbound;
– Vehicles from eastbound Queen’s Road East heading for Wan Chai and Happy Valley will be diverted to turn left to Morrison Hill Road;
– Traffic along southbound Morrison Hill Road heading for Happy Valley will be diverted via Sports Road and Wong Nai Chung Road;
– Traffic along Queen’s Road East cannot turn right to Wong Nai Chung Road except for vehicles heading to Aberdeen Tunnel;
– Traffic from Cross Harbour Tunnel heading for Queen’s Road East will be diverted via the down-ramp leading from southbound Canal Road flyover to Morrison Hill Road to turn right at the junction of Wong Nai Chung Road and Queen’s Road East; and
– Traffic from Cross Harbour Tunnel heading for Happy Valley or Racecourse will be diverted via the down-ramp leading from southbound Canal Road flyover to Canal Road East, southbound Morrison Hill Road, Sports Road and Wong Nai Chung Road.
B. Traffic arrangements before the conclusion of race meeting
1. Road closure
The following roads will be closed from 35 minutes before the start of the last race:
– The up-ramp on Wong Nai Chung Road outside HKJC leading to Aberdeen Tunnel;
– Southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Queen’s Road East and the up-ramp leading to Aberdeen Tunnel;
– Southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Village Road and the Public Stands of HKJC;
– Westbound Leighton Road between Wong Nai Chung Road and Canal Road East; and
– Southbound Morrison Hill Road between Leighton Road and Queen’s Road East.
In addition, southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between the up-ramp leading to Aberdeen Tunnel and the Public Stands of HKJC will be closed from about 10 minutes before the start of the last race.
2. Traffic diversions
The following traffic arrangements will be implemented from 35 minutes before the start of the last race:
– Eastbound Queen’s Road East at its junction with Morrison Hill Road will be reduced to one-lane traffic heading for northbound Canal Road flyover;
– Vehicles from Cross Harbour Tunnel heading for Wan Chai will be diverted via the down-ramp leading from Canal Road East, U-turn slip road beneath Canal Road flyover, Canal Road West and Hennessy Road;
– Vehicles from Cross Harbour Tunnel heading for Happy Valley will be diverted via the down-ramp leading from Canal Road East, eastbound Leighton Road and Wong Nai Chung Road;
– Traffic on southbound Morrison Hill Road will be diverted to turn left to eastbound Leighton Road;
– Traffic along southbound Morrison Hill Road heading for Happy Valley will be diverted via eastbound Leighton Road and Wong Nai Chung Road; and
– Traffic along westbound Leighton Road will be diverted to Wong Nai Chung Road.
C. Learner drivers prohibition
Learner drivers will be prohibited to turn left from Caroline Hill Road to Leighton Road between one and a half hours before the start of the first race and one hour after the last race. In addition, learner drivers will be prohibited from accessing the following roads within the above period of time:
– Shan Kwong Road between Yik Yam Street and Wong Nai Chung Road;
– Village Road between its upper and lower junctions with Shan Kwong Road;
– Percival Street between Hennessy Road and Leighton Road;
– Canal Road East; and
– The service road leading from Gloucester Road to Canal Road flyover.
D. Suspension of parking spaces
Parking spaces on southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Sports Road and Blue Pool Road will be suspended from 11am to 7pm during day racing, from 4.30pm to 11.59pm during evening racing, and from 5pm to 11.59pm during night racing.
Any vehicles found illegally parked within the precincts of the above affected areas will be towed away without prior notice.
Actual implementation of road closure and traffic diversion will be made by the Police at the time depending on traffic conditions in the areas. Motorists should exercise tolerance and patience, and follow the instructions of Police on site. read more
Attention TV/radio announcers: Please broadcast the following as soon as possible: Here is an item of interest to swimmers. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (March 13) that due to big w… read more
The delegation of the Hong Kong Maritime and Port Board (HKMPB) led by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Mr Frank Chan Fan, continued their visit to Denmark today (March 12, Copenhagen time).
In the morning, Mr Chan and the delegation visited the Copenhagen Business School (CBS) and its business in society platform, CBS Maritime, to learn about the strategy, teaching and research of the school in nurturing maritime talents.
At around noon, Mr Chan attended a seminar-cum-luncheon jointly organised by the HKMPB, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, London (London ETO), and the Denmark-Hong Kong Trade Association in which he delivered a speech to promote Hong Kong’s maritime industry and encourage collaboration between the two places.
In the afternoon, Mr Chan and the delegation met with representatives from Green Ship of the Future to understand its work in promoting the research and development of maritime technology through public-private partnership with a view to achieving the goal of zero emissions in the maritime industry.
The delegation will tomorrow (March 13, Copenhagen time) head to Oslo and begin their visit to Norway. Mr Chan will make a speech, giving an account of the latest developments of the maritime industry in Hong Kong, at a seminar-cum-reception jointly organised by the HKMPB, the HKTDC, London ETO and the Norway-Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce.
Following is the speech by the Secretary for Transport and Housing and Chairman of the Hong Kong Maritime and Port Board (HKMPB), Mr Frank Chan Fan, at a seminar-cum-luncheon in Copenhagen, Denmark, jointly organised by the HKMPB, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, London, and the Denmark-Hong Kong Trade Association today (March 12, Copenhagen time):
Dear Mr Hennsen (Chairman of Denmark-Hong Kong Trade Association, Mr Nickolaj Hennsen), Mr Hemmingsen (Group Vice CEO of Maersk, Mr Claus Hemmingsen), Mr Zhao (Chargé d’affaires of Chinese Embassy in Denmark, Mr Zhao Shiren), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good afternoon. I am most delighted to be here at Copenhagen today, gathering with friends of the maritime industry from Denmark and Hong Kong. I am pleased to take the opportunity to share with you my observations and thoughts on what makes Denmark and Hong Kong trusted partners in maritime co-operation.
Denmark and Hong Kong: Common Background
Maritime is the lifeblood of the global economy that carries around 90 per cent of world trade. In 2017, the total volume of global seaborne trade has reached 10.7 billion tons, a 4 per cent growth as compared to 2016. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development has projected an annual average compound growth of 3.8 per cent up to 2023. This is a rather promising outlook for the maritime sector amidst uncertainties in the global landscape.
In terms of maritime and shipping, Denmark is the sixth largest nation in terms of gross tonnage of the world’s merchant fleet. Danish maritime companies account for about one-fourth of Denmark’s total exports. As for Hong Kong, our shipping industry has been part and parcel of our history since mid-nineteenth century. With our ideal geographical location at the heart of Asia and free-trade economy, the Hong Kong Port grew strenuously and fueled every step of our economic transformation from a small fishing village into Asia’s World City.
Nowadays, the Hong Kong Port is one of the busiest container ports in the world. Notwithstanding the intense competition, our role as the super-connector between East and West is timeless. We provide about 310 container liner services per week connecting to around 450 destinations worldwide. With over 800 shipping-related companies operating in Hong Kong, we are well-positioned to offer a great variety of quality maritime services ranging from ship management, ship broking and chartering to marine insurance, maritime law and arbitration. We are also the leading international ship finance centre in Asia, with seven out of the world’s top 10 book runners having offices in Hong Kong.
Denmark and Hong Kong: Mutual Interest in Chinese Market
While a similar background brings us together, it is our mutual interest that makes us trusted partners. In our case, the mutual interest would be the Mainland Chinese market. The fact that China took up some 14 per cent of the total exports from Danish shipping companies in 2017 speaks for itself. Indeed, such export volume is not only growing, but growing fast by nearly 16 per cent as compared to 2016.
On this, Hong Kong’s unique relationship with the Mainland of China under the “one country, two systems” principle makes us the ideal springboard for Danish companies to do business with the Mainland. On the one hand, Hong Kong is part of China; on the other hand, our economic, legal and social systems are different from those of the Mainland. We are blessed to enjoy both the benefits of free trade and the first-mover advantage in the Mainland’s major national initiatives. For those who are eager to tap into the Chinese market, Hong Kong offers the know-how, has the market access, and is the best platform to start your venture.
Among our various close ties with Mainland China, the most exciting new development is the promulgation of the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area last month. The Greater Bay Area encompasses Hong Kong, Macau and nine other cities in the Pearl River Delta. With a population of 70 million, and a GDP of US$1.5 trillion, the Greater Bay Area is one of the most open and economically vibrant regions in China. The Outline Development Plan gives clear support for Hong Kong’s status as an international maritime centre through the development of high-end maritime services. Hong Kong will actively work together with our maritime partners to seize the opportunities.
Mapping the Future of Hong Kong’s Maritime Sector
Since the arrival of our delegation yesterday, we are enthused to hear about your ambitious plan to stay “Ahead of the Curve” by seeking to strengthen the Danish fleet and maritime employment by 2022. Hong Kong has also devised a clear policy roadmap for reinforcing our role as an international maritime centre. In October last year, we unveiled a package of initiatives to bolster the high value-added maritime services, including drawing up tax measures to boost ship leasing and marine insurance businesses, and injecting funding for nurturing maritime talents.
Take marine insurance as an example, we have a flourishing marine insurance market with a full range of insurance services on offer by global providers. Currently, we are home to almost 90 marine insurers underwriting hull, machinery and cargo risks, of which 35 are foreign insurers. In its 145-year of history, the International Union of Marine Insurance has chosen Hong Kong as its first overseas presence outside Europe. The setting up of the Asia Hub by the Union is a testimony of Hong Kong’s position as a prominent industry player in Asia. The Government is now seeking to offer a profit tax concession of 50 per cent for qualified marine insurance business, resulting in a net tax rate of 8.25 per cent. This will open up further opportunities and bring our marine insurance industry to new heights.
Closing
Ladies and gentlemen, while Denmark and Hong Kong are thousands of miles apart, our common background and mutual interest have brought us together. Indeed, I see promising prospect for us to make a good team in spurring the growth of the shipping industry. A moment later, fellow members of the Hong Kong Maritime and Port Board will share with you the specific strengths and opportunities lying with Hong Kong’s maritime and port industry. On this note, may I wish you all a fruitful exchange today, and I look forward to welcoming you in Hong Kong one day. Thank you.
