>Press Releases Home > Publications and press releases > Press Releases Marine traffic measures for National Day fireworks display The Marine Department, Marine Police and Fire Services Department will jointly implement a series of marine traffic arrangements in Victoria Harbour to ensure safety during the National Day Fireworks Display on October 1. Announcing details of the arrangements at a press conference today (Wednesday), Marine Officer/Operations (1), Harbour Patrol Section of the Marine Department, Mr Mak Shui-wing, said the fireworks display would take place in Victoria Harbour off Wan Chai around 9.45 pm on October 1 and the fireworks would be discharged from four barges at anchor with two barges moored together. Mr Mak said: "A closed area, encompassing the fireworks display barges, will be established between 3.30 pm and 11.30 pm, during which the area will be closed to all marine traffic, except craft directly involved in the fireworks display, Government launches and other vessels approved by the Director of Marine." From 8.45 pm to 11 pm, central Victoria Harbour would be designated a restricted area, Mr Mak added. The eastern limit will be a straight line joining the Hung Hom railway station cargo pier and the eastern extremity of the Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter breakwater. The western limit will be a straight line joining the southwest extremity of Ocean Terminal and Central Government Pier. He said, "During the effective period of restriction, no vessel other than excepted vessels will be allowed to enter or remain within the restricted area. The excepted vessels are Government launches, vessels directly involved in the fireworks display, and vessels which have obtained special permission from the Director of Marine." When the restricted area is lifted at about 11 pm, the closed area will be still in force until 11.30 pm. Mr Mak advised coxswains of spectator vessels that waters to the west of the restricted area would not be a good viewing location due to heavy traffic conditions. He advised spectator vessels from the west to proceed to the east before the closure of Victoria Harbour. To ensure safe navigation and orderly disembarkation of passengers after the fireworks display, two sterile areas, one at Kowloon Public Pier and the other at Queen's Pier, will be established from about 11 pm to midnight. These two sterile areas will include the water areas fronting the respective piers and to a distance of about 90 metres offshore. They will be physically marked by the deployment of Marine Department and Marine Police launches to line up offshore. Mr Mak pointed out that vessels intending to use the piers were required to wait at the designated gathering areas prior to berthing and, under the direction of Marine Department and Marine Police launches, vessels would only be permitted to enter the sterile areas from the east and depart from the west. Regarding safety measures of vessels during the National Day Fireworks Display 1997, Mr Mak advised coxswains of spectator vessels: All vessels navigating in Victoria Harbour between Green Island and Lei Yue Mun should proceed at a safe speed which should not generally exceed five knots; Every vessel should at all times maintain a proper look-out, and take measures including switching off cabin lights to avoid obscuring the view of the look-out; Searchlights should not be used on or from any vessel as the direction of such bright lights on other vessels will interfere with their keeping of a proper look-out and their safe operation, and Vessels should not hurry to leave the viewing areas immediately after the display. Mr Mak also advised masters, owners and operators of all vessels to take heed of the following measures before proceeding on a voyage: All persons on board are aware of the location of all life saving appliances and that they know how to put on a lifejacket properly. A practical demonstration is recommended; All children aboard wear lifejackets at all times; A passenger list is prepared for the ready use of emergency services. This list should include the names of all passengers and crew on board, and should be kept by the master, and The carrying capacity shown on the licence of a vessel is not exceeded. Mr Mak stressed that masters, owners and operators of small vessels, in particular small vessels with no decking or those of less than five metres in length, should not proceed into or remain in the central harbour area during the event. "In areas of high traffic density such small vessels are vulnerable to the wash from larger vessels and are not easily detected by larger vessels with higher freeboard," he explained. Wednesday, September 24, 1997
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