HONG KONG – Over 60,000 people took part in a stress test at three venues and the supporting facilities of Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Sports Park (KTSP) on Friday night in the largest drill yet, which, officials said, met their expectations.
The participants simulated a crowd flow with a view to ensuring the smooth operation of the sports park, which is going to be the city’s largest sporting and concert facility upon its official commissioning in the first quarter of this year.
It took just 45 minutes to process spectators after the drill, Transport Secretary Mable Chan said while speaking about the exercise on a radio program on Saturday.
Extra MTR train services had been laid on and 10 extra bus routes were arranged to carry 7,300 passengers, which was higher than expected, she added.
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Coordinated by the Hong Kong Police Force, the stress test covered security screening and ticket checks; venue signage and designated seating arrangements; inter-agency coordination in response to emergencies; various crowd management measures; and passenger flow management by public transport operators.
Besides over 60,000 participants, a number of bureaus, departments and organizations including police, the Fire Services Department, the Transport Department, the Civil Aid Service, the Auxiliary Medical Service, the MTR Corporation Limited, and the KTSP Limited took part in the stress test.
“Today, the dispersal is very smooth, I would say, and I really don't see any bottleneck actually, because the situation, I would say, is far better than my expectation,” Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan Kwok-ki told the media after the drill on Friday night.
Pointing out that the anticipated effects and test objectives were achieved with satisfactory results, he said the arrangements for participants entering and leaving the venue and public transportation became more refined and orderly during the stress test.
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All units were able to respond promptly to deal with simulated emergencies, he added.
Asked whether the sports park will open officially on March 1, he said: “Up to now, depending on the results of the tests, I think we cannot confirm the official opening day of the Kai Tak Sports Park. But once when everything is ready, we will make an announcement as soon as possible.”
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The chief secretary said he believes the sports park will become a new landmark in Hong Kong, welcoming audiences from all over the world to enjoy exciting events and activities together with the city’s residents.
During future drills, the "Red Team" concept will continue to be applied to identify vulnerable areas to ensure full preparedness for the official commissioning of the park, added Chan.
