Rail giant the MTR Corporation has said the biggest challenge over the coming opening of Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Sports Park will be visitors who have never been to the venue, even though nearly 20 drills have been conducted.
Advertisement
Cheris Lee Yuen-ling, chief of the firm’s operating and metro segment, said on Friday that the corporation had deployed more staff at Kai Tak and Sung Wong Toi stations, the nearest stops, during occasions with greater passenger flows and had created a guide for people on how to get to the park, which opens on March 1.
03:58
How walkable is Hong Kong’s new Kai Tak Sports Park? We put it to the test
How walkable is Hong Kong’s new Kai Tak Sports Park? We put it to the test
In the run-up to the opening, authorities staged almost 20 test runs starting last October, with the final large-scale drill held on February 16. Several trials used civil servants and community members as participants rather than members of the public.
“For the future, we are quite nervous about occasions when there are real events at the park. There can be a group of people who have never been there before,” she said.
“They could be Hong Kong residents who are not familiar with the location. They could be visitors from mainland China or from overseas, where they are not familiar with Hong Kong to begin with. So, how can we be more hospitable? This is very important.”
The HK$30 billion (US$3.8 billion) park is the city’s latest multipurpose venue for sporting competitions and performances. The park is expected to be a key engine for the city’s mega-event economy push, with several major concerts and sports events scheduled for its 50,000-seat main stadium.