Slow start for Po Pin Chau hiking trail registration scheme

The new registration scheme for Po Pin Chau hiking trail is seeing a slow start.

"As of 6 PM yesterday, we observed that for September 5 and 6, the average booking rate is only about 10%. That means out of the 2,000 quota spots, roughly 200 people have signed up," said Esther To, Assistant Director (Country Parks), Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.

"The weather is probably still quite hot, so visitor numbers naturally aren't as high. We expect numbers to start climbing around the Mid-Autumn Festival or the October Golden Week," said To.

"Currently, most registrations are concentrated in the morning time slots, specifically 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM and 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM."

"Country parks have never had an admission fee system, so in rolling out this trial reservation system, we want to take a step-by-step approach. We want people to get used to online reservations first. If real-name registration becomes required in the future, it will be easier for them. As for charging fees, I believe that is something we will need to review later, which may even involve the possibility of legislative amendments," said To.