Hong Kong motorists ‘face traffic disaster’ with closure of car park in main business district

Traffic jams in the prime business district on Hong Kong Island are likely to get worse after May 1 when the five-storey public car park in Murray Road, Central, closes to make way for offices.

Without an additional supply to make up for the loss of the 388 parking spaces, one critic warned of a “disaster” for road conditions in the area.

“After midnight on April 30, any vehicles found parked at the car park will be towed away and parking and towing fees will be charged as appropriate,” a Transport Department spokesman said on Thursday.

The Murray Road site was put out to tender last month by the government and is expected to yield a gross floor area of 40,000 square metres of Grade A office space and add HK$15 billion to government coffers.

Concerns were raised over the impact on road conditions, already packed in Central, as the car park provided 388 spaces for private cars and 55 for motorcycles, with an average usage rate of 80 per cent in peak hours last year.

But the government said that based on a consultancy study there would still be enough spaces in other car parks within a 15-minute walk. These include Harcourt Garden, Star Ferry, City Hall, Cheung Kong Center and Citibank Plaza.

However, in a reply to the Legislative Council earlier the Development Bureau admitted: “For motor cycle parking spaces, there will be a partial shortfall during peak hours.”