All aboard: Guests ride the Wong Tai Sin road safety bus

As part of the Hong Kong Island Regional Traffic Day, 342 Fixed Penalty Tickets (FPT) and 56 summonses were issued against drivers during a two-day operation at blacksites on March 20 and 21. Some 270 FPTs were issued for illegal parking and 72 for other traffic offences, while 194 pedestrians and 114 drivers were cautioned. Road-safety leaflets were also distributed.

January and February saw 476 traffic accidents involving casualties in HKI, of which more than 23 per cent were attributed to pedestrian negligence while almost 60 per cent were attributed to driver negligence.

More than 2,000 people packed the opening carnival of the Wong Tai Sin District Road Safety Campaign in Lok Fu Centre on March 4, featuring the Police Children's Choir. Wong Tai Sin Deputy District Commander Kenneth Davey and Traffic Kowloon East Superintendent Chan Kwing-chun officiated at the ceremony, along with District Council chairman Lam Man-fai and committee chairman Chan On-tai.

Meanwhile a two-week safety campaign for pedestrians and cyclists was held by New Territories North Traffic March 5 to 18, to curb a rising number of accidents.

Along with its population, accident figures in NTN have risen with casualties last year up 15.5 per cent over 1998, with 3,195 cases. With assistance from Tai Po, Border, Yuen Long and Tuen Mun Districts, Regional Traffic officers educated and warned offending pedestrians and cyclists in accident blackspots.

Officers issued warnings to 1,323 pedestrians and 1,238 cyclists, summonsing 266 and 426 respectively. The Region's efforts have already paid dividends with bicycle accidents down 40 per cent in February over the same month last year, after a two-week safety campaign in December. Police and the Airport Authority meanwhile held a joint road safety campaign March 18 to April 1, using the Road Safety Bus and exhibitions to educate the public on traffic conditions around Chek Lap Kok. Airport District Commander Stephen Cheng, Traffic New Territories South Senior Superintendent Dave Ling and the Authority Kalid Razack officiated at the opening ceremony.