Press Release

Smoking ban extended to eight bus interchanges at tunnel portal areas

30 March 2016

The Tobacco Control Office (TCO) of the Department of Health (DH) today (March 30) announced that the smoking ban would be extended to include eight bus interchanges at tunnel portal areas tomorrow (March 31) in accordance with the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance (Amendment of Schedule 2) Order 2015. They are:

1. Lion Rock Tunnel Bus Interchange;
2. Cross-Harbour Tunnel Bus Interchange;
3. Eastern Harbour Crossing Bus Interchange;
4. Shing Mun Tunnels Bus Interchange;
5. Tate's Cairn Tunnel Bus Interchange;
6. Western Harbour Crossing Bus Interchange;
7. Tai Lam Tunnel Bus Interchange; and
8. Tsing Sha Highway Bus Interchange.

"The extension is aimed at further protecting the public from the harm of second-hand smoke," a spokesman for the TCO said.

"In the past few years, the TCO received suggestions for imposing smoking bans at bus interchanges. As passengers using these facilities are mainly for interchange into other bus routes, members of the public waiting and queuing for change of bus there are unable to take any effective measures against second-hand smoke. To protect the health of individuals, the Government decided to extend the smoking ban to the above locations," the spokesman said.

No-smoking signs, layout plans and demarcations have been put in place to indicate clearly and visibly the boundaries with regard to the respective physical settings at the above bus interchanges, to remind the public of the smoke-free requirements. Publicity activities have also been launched to promote public awareness and compliance.

The plans showing the boundaries of the no smoking areas are also available in the Land Registry, and have been uploaded to the TCO's website (This link will open in a new windowwww.tco.gov.hk/english/legislation/legislation_bi.html) for public inspection.

Any person who smokes or carries a lighted cigarette, cigar or pipe in designated no smoking areas or in public transport carriers will be liable to a fixed penalty of $1,500. Tobacco Control Inspectors will prosecute smoking offenders without prior warning.

"We appeal to smokers to quit smoking for their own and others' health. They are encouraged to make use of smoking cessation services through the DH's Integrated Smoking Cessation Hotline (1833 183)," the spokesman said.