Ferries and buses to be diverted for Games' opening ceremony
Tens of thousands of ferry and bus passengers will have to take alternative transport when Victoria Harbour is sealed off for three hours for the opening ceremony of the East Asian Games on Saturday night.
The government said yesterday that 14 ferry routes - seven for the inner harbour and seven for outlying islands - would be suspended during the ceremony, and over 90 bus routes would be suspended or diverted.
The HK$40 million ceremony will be staged on a floating platform off the waters of the Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui. Police expect more than 300,000 people to line both sides of the harbour to see the festivities and fireworks display.
The Marine Department said a navigation ban on Victoria Harbour would be in place from 7pm to 10.15pm, an hour longer than was usual for fireworks displays on National Day and Lunar New Year. It said the ferry suspensions would affect about 20,800 passengers.
Thirteen large television screens will be set up in Central, Wan Chai, Tsim Sha Tsui and West Kowloon to broadcast the ceremony live.
Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs Carrie Yau Tsang Ka-lai called on the crowd to wear red on the day of the ceremony.
'We are now fully geared up for the preparation,' she said. 'We should wear red clothes and accessories on the day to show our solidarity to support this first-ever regional sports event in Hong Kong.'
The East Asian Games Company said tickets for the opening ceremony, together with 14 sports events, were already sold out. Less than 30 per cent of tickets remained in the box office.
Yau said that although the tickets were going fast there might not be a full house for some preliminary events, including soccer, that start today.
