Around 70 percent of the city’s schools will start their new 2023/24 academic year on Friday September 1, while the others will start later, i.e., from September 4, according to a joint statement by the Transport Bureau (DSAT), the Public Security Police (PSP) and the Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) last night.
According to the statement, officials from the three public entities and representatives from the city’s two public bus operators held a meeting “a few days ago” where they discussed traffic measures aiming to ensure the smooth commencement of the upcoming new school year and the safety of schoolchildren.
The statement said that DSAT officials have required the two bus companies to roll out special measures to minimise the adverse impact of roadworks on their public bus services.
The Transport Bureau has also urged the public bus operators to tell their drivers to avoid sudden braking and sudden starts, which may cause passengers to get injured, the statement said.
According to the statement, the representatives from the two public bus operators pledged during the meeting that their companies will adopt the latest technologies aiming to improve their employees’ driving habits.
23 roadworks to continue after the start of school
Moreover, the statement said that a total of 121 roadworks are being carried out across the city during this year’s summer holiday period, 98 of which are scheduled to be completed before the new school year starts on Friday next week, while the remaining 23 roadworks will continue for a while afterwards.
The Transport Bureau has also completed repainting zebra crossings and other pedestrian crossings in the vicinity of various schools during the summer holiday, the statement said.
Shortly before the start of the upcoming new school year, the statement said, the Public Security Police will temporarily convert some of the street parking spaces near various schools into pick-up and drop-off areas, and the temporary measure will be implemented for a while after the start of school. The statement said that the temporary measure aims to make it more convenient for parents to pick up and drop their kids off at school.
