Commuters form long lines for a train at the Tai Po Market MTR Station after the typhoon signal No 9 was issued on Oct 8, 2023. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

It was a tough night for Hong Kong residents on Sunday as strong winds and heavy rains brought by Typhoon Koinu battered the city, forcing the suspension of public transport, with sky-high taxi fares and limited bus and subway services, while chaotic queues of commuters tried to get home.

Liu, a student at the University of Hong Kong, had to spend the night at a Mass Transit Railway station as most public transportation modes ground to a halt shortly after the Hong Kong Observatory hoisted the No 9 signal at 7pm. MTR services to and from all stations with open sections had to be suspended, causing Liu to be stranded at Tai Po Market Station on the East Rail Line, along with a huge crowd of commuters.

Hong Kong resident Jessie Chen told China Daily when she arrived at Hong Kong West Kowloon Station from Shenzhen with her two children at about 10pm on Sunday, she was shocked to find there were more than 200 people waiting for taxis

Due to exorbitant taxi fares, Liu had to wait it out at the station until MTR services gradually resumed around midnight after the storm signal was downgraded to No 8. Liu managed to board the last train to Admiralty, but he still missed the last train to Hong Kong University on the Island Line.

With no other options, Liu spent the night at Admiralty Station and had to sleep on the floor from 1:30 am to 5am, along with another HKU student and five women who appeared to be domestic helpers. As soon as MTR services resumed on Monday morning, he took the first train home.

Raymond Chan, a Hong Kong resident who had just returned from a trip to Taipei on Sunday evening, said his flight experienced great turbulence as the plane landed at Hong Kong International Airport on schedule at 7:50 pm.

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With Typhoon Signal No 9 in force, taxis were the only means of public transportation in the city. But, there were few taxis around due to the inclement weather. “Everyone had to drag their heavy luggage along. It was really exhausting,” said Chan.

After waiting for three hours, he eventually found a taxi, but had to pay an extra HK$550 ($70.50) on top of the fares shown on the meter. It cost him almost HK$1,000 to return to his home in Tseung Kwan O, Kowloon.

He suggested that special transportation arrangements be made during extreme weather conditions in the future, like a typhoon, by opening up venues near the airport, like AsiaWorld-Expo, to enable commuters to wait for taxis or stay overnight there.

Hong Kong resident Jessie Chen told China Daily when she arrived at Hong Kong West Kowloon Station from Shenzhen with her two children at about 10pm on Sunday, she was shocked to find there were more than 200 people waiting for taxis. She tried to contact Uber, but no one answered her order.

READ MORE: HK cancels all storm warnings as Koinu moves away

Fearing that the storm signal would be further upgraded to No 10, Chen walked to MTR Austin Station with her children, hoping to take the Tuen Ma Line to return to their home in Hung Hom. But, the trains were not running and she had to pay HK$200 to take a taxi home.

“It was really tiring,” said Candy Tang, a Hong Kong entrepreneur who runs a marketing company. She and her company’s employees were preparing for an important event on Sunday night and were unaware of the extreme weather outside.

It was only after finishing work that they realized it was already Typhoon No. 9. They had to spend the night at a hotel nearby. “We were praying for the storm to pass quickly, but it kept intensifying,” said Tang.

Li Bingcun contributed to the story