MORE than 100 lorry drivers faced police in a tense standoff yesterday afternoon before driving a convoy of lorries to Government House to deliver a petition. The drivers were protesting against the closure of a lorry park in the Western Reclamation Area because of the construction of the Western Harbour Crossing. The truckers had planned a 100-vehicle convoy but police would not allow it, fearing congestion and danger to other traffic. More than four hours of negotiation between protesters and the Transport Department finally resulted in a compromise. Assistant Commissioner for Transport Lee Shu-Wing promised to delay the closure of the lorry park for two weeks from the end of August until mid-September. He also agreed to meet with drivers and Central and Western District Board members on Wednesday to discuss alternatives. In return, the drivers agreed to stage their convoy with only 20 lorries. In Central, the drivers parked and marched to the back gate of Government House, where they delivered their petition to a police guard. A spokesman for the drivers, Tsui Kwok-choy, demanded the Government find a permanent site for the 700 truckers to leave their lorries before the closure of the parking lot. The parking site is now in the hands of the Harbour Crossing contractors, who have already given the drivers a one-month extension for August. Mr Lee said the Government could not keep the land because construction of the tunnel had to start. He said the Transport Department had been looking for alternatives, including sites in Siu Sai Wan and Kong Sin Wan.
