Police defend crowd control at PLA parade
Congestion blamed on unexpectedly high numbers leaving on public buses
Police yesterday defended their crowd management at Sunday's PLA military parade amid complaints about the chaotic situation outside the barracks at Sek Kong afterwards.
Speaking on Commercial Radio programme Teacup in a Storm, Chief Inspector Wai Hang-mo, Divisional Commander of Pat Heung Police Division, said the number of people leaving the venue by public transport was larger than expected, which led to the crowded scenes.
The police had expected the 10,000 group-ticket holders, who went to the barracks by special coaches, would leave in the same vehicles.
However, some of them took public buses to get home instead. As a result, there were a few thousand more people gathered at the exits than expected.
Mr Wai said there might have been communication problems between the providers of the special coach services and the group-ticket holders.
'We will consider the experience [gained] from the event and do better next time,' Mr Wai said.
'Indeed, we did quite well [yesterday],' Mr Wai said, adding that it was the first time the Pat Heung Police Division had organised such a huge event.
Around 27,000 people went to the barracks at Sek Kong to view the military parade on Sunday.
However, a woman who attended the event complained on the radio programme that the police had stopped vehicles leaving the area to allow the vehicles of VIP guests to depart first.
'[The police] should let the visitors, not the special guests, leave first,' she said. 'Or at least, let us all leave at the same time.'
Mr Wai denied the police held back visitors' vehicles, saying the VIP guests and public were organised to leave from different exits.
Two special bus services - the 54R and 276R which ran from Sek Kong to KCR West Rail's Kam Sheung Road station and KCR East Rail's Sheung Shui station respectively - were used to transport the crowd.
Another caller said it took more than 90 minutes to get on a bus.
She further complained that the buses had blocked the road and did not move even though they were full.
'The transportation arrangement was bad,' she said. 'The bus company did not give any instructions. Even if there were signs, they were blocked by the people.'
Kowloon Motor Bus spokeswoman Susanne Ho said the buses could not leave because the road was jammed with people.
