Police start using video at 4 Hong Kong junctions to penalise errant drivers

Traffic police have started using recorded surveillance footage from transport authorities to penalise errant drivers at four intersections on Hong Kong Island under a pilot scheme.

Superintendent of traffic management Nip Hoi-kwan said on Tuesday that officers would follow up on motorists who breached traffic laws in Central and Wan Chai by recording and monitoring footage from surveillance cameras installed by the Transport Department around the city.

“We will focus on driving behaviours that can cause traffic accidents and serious road blockage, such as stopping their vehicles in restricted areas,” he told a radio show.

Under the pilot scheme, the force plans to record at the four spots covering the intersections of Ice House Street, Pedder Street and Bonham East Road with Queen’s Road Central and the junction of Queen’s Road East and Wong Nai Chung Road.

Officers will record during periods of high congestion, such as morning and evening peak hours. The force will identify the number plates, look up the identity of drivers, and issue fixed penalty notices.

Nip said the force has been deploying officers to the four locations to relieve the traffic and handle drivers’ illegal acts, but the impact of such operations was short-lived.