Taxis sail through new HK$36 billion Hong Kong bypass as journey times between busy city districts are cut in half
- Transport minister Frank Chan says full opening of Central-Wan Chai link went smoothly
- Taxi bosses hail difference new road has made in battle against losing customers to MTR rail services
The multibillion-dollar bypass built to ease traffic in the heart of Hong Kong fully opened on Sunday morning, taking drivers just six minutes to get from North Point to the Western District, about half the time it took before it opened.
Transport minister Frank Chan Fan said the full opening of the HK$36 billion Central-Wan Chai Bypass had gone smoothly, but the government would keep an eye on the situation and make improvements if necessary.
“The purpose of the bypass is to ease traffic in Central, to provide an alternative choice for vehicles that do not need to enter Central,” Chan said.
“We hope that when the public goes to work on Monday, they will pay more attention to the traffic news … everyone may need some time to become familiar with the road conditions and the signs.”
Taxi drivers said that since the bypass had partially opened last month business had improved by 10 to 20 per cent, because more commuters were choosing taxis instead of taking the MTR as they expected there to be no congestion.
