Summertime can be a nightmare for the residents of Hong Kong Island’s picturesque southern coast.
The narrow, twisting roads connecting the Aberdeen Tunnel and the towns of Stanley, Shek O and Repulse Bay slow to a crawl when the sun comes out. And the fear is new developments – including more shops, hotels, homes and a large car park in Stanley – will make the situation worse, while an MTR line opening next year will connect only the Aberdeen area.
Now Southern district councillor and planning expert Paul Zimmerman is urging residents to act, by getting behind his call for restrictions on tour coaches.
“We raised the issue several times in the district council. But unless the people voice out their concern, nothing will change,” said Zimmerman, CEO of Designing Hong Kong.
He has set up an online petition so the public can demand action on the situation, which he says is at its worst from April to June, then just before classes resume in September.
Maxine Yao, 38, has lived in Stanley for 15 years. But she has noticed its environment taking a dramatic turn for the worse. On one occasion, her daughters were some three hours late returning from school in Pok Fu Lam.
“One single bus having an engine problem creates a big problem. It’s ridiculous.”
Yao, a member of the Stanley Residents Concern Group, says the roads are too narrow for the huge number of cars and buses.
The problem is worst at weekends, when scores of drivers park illegally on Stanley Beach Road. She also sees safety risks, pointing to Transport Department figures showing that the number of road accidents in the district grew from 339 in 2010 to 428 last year.
And Yao said the tourist influx had also had an impact on the area’s character.
“Stanley has sufficient attractions for tourists,” she noted. “It’s a very green area, where people can relax. We should protect this, instead of attracting more mainland tourists. This is not Causeway Bay.”
David Schaus, 39, sees a similar picture from the balcony of his Repulse Bay home. Passengers spill out of dozens of buses and cars on Beach Road – while drivers park with engines on.
“I have a two-year-old son. I don’t like the idea of him being in such an environment,” he said.
The online petition suggests introducing a permit system for non-franchised buses on Repulse Bay Road, Island Road, Stanley Gap Road and Tai Tam Road. Preference would go to buses run by schools, residential buildings and employers.
The Transport Department said the problem was not the capacity of the roads, but “prolonged stopping of vehicles” to drop off or pick up passengers. A new loading bay for coaches by Repulse Bay Beach had gone into operation last week, with police asked to act on illegal parking.
The department said a permit system would have to be “carefully examined as it would not only affect tourists … but also bring unnecessary disturbance to various stakeholders”.
Zimmerman sees three options: stop new developments, widen the roads, or perform traffic management. In his opinion, the tour trade brings a “lot of cost to society” but residents “don’t get much benefit”.