Smart device gives elderly and disabled more time to cross Hong Kong’s busy streets
Gadget activated by designated Octopus cards on trial in North Point
With a single tap of a card, elderly pedestrians and those with disabilities can now get a few extra seconds to make their way across Hong Kong’s busy roads.
The Transport Department on Thursday rolled out a new smart device at a pedestrian crossing in North Point on Hong Kong Island under a trial scheme.
The device is attached to a traffic pole. When someone taps it with an Octopus card for the elderly or a personalised Octopus card registered with the “Persons with Disabilities Status”, the blinking green light will flash for 16 seconds, up from the usual 12 at the North Point location.
A new countdown display next to the green man also shows how much time is left for pedestrians at the crossing.
“Hong Kong’s ageing population is increasing. We introduced this smart device as part of a policy address initiative in 2016 to look at how technology can help the elderly cross roads safely,” the department’s chief engineer, Wong Chi-hung, said.
