The torch-bearers - university students, volunteers and government staff - were escorted by police motorcycles, helicopters and vehicles along the 26km relay route. Two thousand police officers, many plain-clothed, guarded the route.

Buses between Central and Wan Chai were held up as police closed major roads including Queensway Road and Hennessy Road as the torch passed. But serious congestion was avoided, as the traffic controls were lifted quickly after torch-bearers passed.

Speaking after the trial, Secretary for Home Affairs Tsang Tak-sing said the process had been quite smooth.

'The traffic was influenced to some extent but it was within our expectations,' he said.

The rehearsal differed from the real thing because on May 2 there would be more spectators and the 120 torch-bearers would be different and of varying ages, he said.

Asked what police would do in the event of demonstrations, Mr Tsang sidestepped the question by saying the Olympics should not be linked to politics.

He said further changes might be made to the relay route and arrangements in light of the trial run.

An Examinations and Assessment Authority spokesman said it had not received any complaints from exam attendees related to traffic yesterday, and all examinations were completed smoothly.

But he said the authority was worried about possible disruption to English exams in Sha Tin on May 2.

The authority urged the government to make allowances to minimise disruption.

Proprietors of some shops and restaurants along the relay route said they saw a significant drop in business during the relay but that did not dent their enthusiasm for the event. Chu Wai-fong, a saleswoman at La Mander, a clothing shop in Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, said the shop had only sold clothes worth hundreds of dollars by 4pm yesterday, far from its average daily turnover of HK$10,000 to HK$20,000.

'The road closure only lasted for 20 minutes, but our business was affected over the whole day,' said Ms Chu. She thought people stayed away from the area to avoid possible traffic chaos.

'But our loss is nothing compared to the Olympic torch relay,' she said. 'I really look forward to seeing the torch passing in front of our shop on May 2.'

On the same street, restaurant manager David Sew Hoi-chuen, of Steak Expert, said his restaurant was empty for afternoon tea time.

'But it was not a problem for us,' he said. 'As Chinese, we definitely support our country in hosting the Olympics.'

In Tsim Sha Tsui, a salesman surnamed Chau, of Sunshine City Electronics Store on Nathan Road, estimated pedestrian traffic increased by 50 per cent during the rehearsal, but his business did not benefit at all.

'There were more people, but we lost business. I think the problem was that they were all watching the torch,' he said.

Well-guarded

Security was tight with vehicles, helicopters and motorcycles escorting torch-bearers

The number of police deployed to guard the route of the trial relay: 2,000