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Hong Kong commute choked by protesters

0 Comment(s)Print E-mail CNTV, October 19, 2014
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For nearly three weeks, Hong Kong protesters have blockaded traffic at main thoroughfares. They've also choked the city's mass transit system, with new figures showing around half of Hong Kong's bus services have been affected.

This is what Hong Kong commuters now face every day. As thousands of Occupy Central protesters try to stand their ground. Get off the bus. Your work is done today.

Even after midnight, the journey home for these commuters is just beginning. In a city proud of its mass transit system, these sudden stoppages have become a possibility at anytime and anywhere.

We took a bus trip downtown with driver Leung Kin Yin. Even miles away from where protesters are gathered, traffic flow is slow.

"The roads are simply impassible now. The length of each of our routes has doubled and even tripled. Every day we work overtime and try not to eat or go to the toilet to save time and finish all the routes. Still many passengers call our hotlines and complain about our delays. But what can we do?" said public bus driver Leung Kin Yin.

Occupy protesters are gathered at three major sites: Mong Kok, Causeway Bay, and Central. In each area, they've blockaded roads, cutting off the lifelines that link the city's different districts.

The problem has been made worse because in Hong Kong, many routes are served by mini buses like the one driven by Leung, which have a limit of only 16 passengers. At each stop, long lines of passengers wait for buses that seem never to arrive.

Many of these commuters travel every day between their central offices and suburban apartments. Going to work has now become a long and daily battle.

"Many people are still occupying Causeway Bay, so the traffic has some problems. It may be half an hour or 45 minutes," said a Hong Kong commuter.

Hong Kong's second largest bus company AMS says the protests have not only disrupted their business, but also average life.

"Every person has the right to express their interest. But the first thing is they must comply with the law and order, and the second thing is they should not upset the normal life of normal citizens," said CEO of AMS Public Transport Holdings LTD. Chan Man Chun.

Attempts by Hong Kong police to clear the roads and restore traffic have often been met with heavy resistance from the occupiers. On Friday, the standoff even became violent.

This is a major crossroad of the Mong Kok area. The police have just resumed the traffic, and now it's a bitter but largely peaceful stand off. For the past few days, there has been an endless repetition of the road being blocked, and resumed, and once again blocked by the Occupy Central protesters.

As the blockades continue, no one is sure how long the situation will last, or how many people will be impacted.

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