10th June 2023 – (Hong Kong) New Praya, a scenic location along the Kennedy Town shoreline in Hong Kong, has become a popular destination for tourists seeking to capture the stunning sunset views. However, the influx of visitors has caused significant traffic disruptions and created a potential safety hazard in the area.
In response to the issue, the police have been patrolling the road to prevent the crowd from obstructing traffic. While this may be an immediate solution, it is not a long-term one, and the use of police force every day in the area may be a waste of public resources. It is also not feasible to have them stationed there 24/7. As of 7 pm today, there were still many tourists and locals standing at the side of the road again to take photos, disrupting traffic. Many motorists were honking to warn the tourists not to obstruct traffic.
The surge of visitors to New Praya has caused congestion and safety concerns on the narrow street, which was not designed for large crowds. The lack of proper pedestrian facilities and traffic management exacerbates the issue. The local authorities need to come up with a short-term solution to alleviate the problem and ensure public safety.
Bernadette Linn, Secretary for Development, has suggested that plans are underway to review the “Protection of Harbour Ordinance” and add a pedestrian walkway near the popular photo spot by the new seafront in Kennedy Town. This is expected to make taking photos at the location safer in the future. However, more immediate measures are needed to address the current situation.