Hongkongers call for more diagonal pedestrian crossings after positive trials
Residents and district councillors want Tseung Kwan O, an area notorious for jaywalking, to be new trial location for diagonal crossings
Some Hong Kong residents and district councillors have urged transport authorities to speed up the implementation of diagonal pedestrian crossings in places notorious for jaywalking.
The calls on Thursday came a day after the Transport Department released positive trial results from two current sites, Sha Tin and Tsim Sha Tsui, where diagonal crossings were introduced last year. Both saw faster crossing times and underlined the benefits such a system could bring to other intersections, including those in Tseung Kwan O, where severe jaywalking is common.
The department said it had assessed the viability of introducing more crossings, with evaluations expected to be completed by the second half of this year.
Hong Kong’s first diagonal crossing was introduced in Sha Tin in the first half of 2024. Located at the junction of Sha Kok Street and Yat Tai Street, it seamlessly connects three public housing estates – Jat Min Chuen, Sha Kok Estate and Pok Hong Estate – and provides direct access to the Sha Tin Wai MTR station, which is on the Tuen Ma line.
Chan Kam-kwan, 48, a chef who lives in Pok Hong Estate, said he liked the convenience of being able to cross diagonally legally, although he still noticed some dangerous situations.