Road signs in Hong Kong

Road signs in Hong Kong are standardised by the Transport Department.^[1] Due to being a former British territory, the road signage in Hong Kong is similar to road signs in the United Kingdom, with the addition of Traditional Chinese characters.

Design and language

Latest road signs with Transport typeface (2015)

Road signs in Hong Kong closely follow those used in the United Kingdom, and complies with the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals, a legacy of the city's previous British overseas territory status. Signs normally use the Transport Medium typeface on dark backgrounds or Transport Heavy on light backgrounds, which is identical to the use in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and most of the current and previous British Overseas Territories.

Road signs placed in the 2000s to 2010s commonly use Arial Narrow or Helvetica, with or without a modified letter 'L'; street signs sometimes also use Helvetica. The newest signs built after 2016 have increasingly resumed the use of Transport; some signs on recently completed expressways use Transport Heavy on dark backgrounds.

Writing system on the traffic signs comprises British English and traditional Chinese characters, two official languages of Hong Kong, in an order of English above Traditional Chinese characters.

Warnings

Signs warning of hazardous conditions or dangerous situations (e.g. "Intersection" or "Steep incline ahead" bear a black-on-white symbol inside a red-bordered triangle (point uppermost).^[2]

Stop or give way ahead (with distance to line ahead given below)
Distance to 'Give way' line
Distance to 'Stop' line
Bend to left ahead (right if symbol reversed)
Double bend ahead first to right (symbol may be reversed)
Dual carriageway ends ahead
Roundabout ahead
Road narrows on right ahead (left if symbol reversed)
Road narrows on both sides ahead
Reduce speed now
Sharp deviation of route to left (may be used with amber border, right if symbol reversed)
Traffic lights ahead
Steep hill upwards ahead
Steep hill downwards ahead
Use low gear
Use low gear for distance shown
Keep in low gear
Single file traffic ahead
Cyclists to keep left
Cyclists to walk on steep road
Traffic Accident blackspot ahead
Pedestrian Accident blackspot ahead
Cross roads ahead
Staggered junction ahead (symbol may be reversed)
Side road to right ahead (left if symbol reversed)
T-junction ahead (symbol may be reversed)
Traffic merging from left (right if symbol reversed)
Merging into main traffic on right (left if symbol reversed)
Overhead electric cable ahead
Disabled persons ahead
Visually impaired persons ahead
Level crossing with barrier ahead
Quay-side or river bank ahead
Restricted headroom ahead
Pedestrian crossing ahead
Children ahead
Risk of falling or fallen rocks ahead (symbol may be reversed)
Horses ahead
Cattle ahead
Fog or mist ahead
Bus lane ahead (Franchised buses)
Bus lane ahead (Franchised buses)
Bus lane (Franchised buses) on major road ahead
Warning to pedestrians crossing road with bus lane
Light rail vehicles or trams ahead
Light rail vehicle lane or tram lane ahead
Light rail vehicle lane or tram lane on major road ahead
Pedestrian on or crossing road ahead
Cycleway ahead (cyclists on or crossing road ahead)
Cyclists ahead
Low-flying aircraft or noise ahead
Uneven road surface ahead
Road hump ahead
Two-way traffic across a one-way road ahead
Two-way traffic ahead
Red light/speed camera ahead
Red light camera control zone
Plate used to state the safe height
School ahead
Playground ahead
Distance as shown to hazard
Distance as shown to hazard
Pedestrians Ahead

Regulatory

With the exception of the special shapes used for "Stop" and "Give Way" signs (respectively, an octagon and a downward-pointing triangle), signs giving orders are circular and are of two kinds:^[3]

Prohibitory signs (e.g. "No left turn") take the form of a black-on-white symbol inside a red-bordered circle, sometimes with the addition of a red slash through the symbol. Mandatory signs (e.g. "Turn right only") bear a white symbol on a blue disk.

Give way to traffic on major road
Stop and give way
Ahead only
Keep left (right if symbol reversed)
Turn left (right if symbol reversed)
Turn left at junction ahead (right if symbol reversed)
No stopping
No parking
No entry for all vehicles
One way traffic
Vehicles must stop at the sign (sign used by police)
Vehicles must stop at the sign (sign used by school crossing patrol)
Segregated pedestrian and bicycle/tricycle route. No motor vehicles
Bicycle/tricycle route. No motor vehicles
Cycling restriction – cyclists must dismount and push their cycles
End of cycling restriction
Light rail vehicles and trams only
Dual carriageway ahead
Direction in which the prohibition or restriction applies (symbol may be reversed)
Prohibition or restriction applies in both directions
Prohibition or mandatory order applies to vehicle class shown
One way road ahead
No stopping between 7AM-12AM
No stopping between 7AM-7PM
No stopping between 8-10AM and 5-7PM
No stopping at any time
End of 'no stopping' restriction
No stopping for public light buses between 7AM-12AM
End of public light buses 'no stopping' restriction
Restriction does not apply to vehicle classes shown to pick up or drop off passengers (wording may be varied to loading/unloading goods)
Pedestrian priority zone
Vehicles prohibited as indicated by supplementary plate
No motor vehicles
No motor vehicles except motor cyclists and motor tricycles
No motor cycles or motor tricycles
No buses and coaches
No public light buses
No goods vehicles
No learner drivers
No left-turn (No right-turn if symbol reversed)
No U-turn (symbol may be reversed)
No pedestrians
No pedestrians, rickshaws and handcarts
No pedestrians, pedestrian controlled vehicles, bicycles and tricycles
No bicycles
No use of horn
No overtaking
No vehicles over width shown (including load)
No vehicles or combinations of vehicles over length shown (including load)
No vehicles over height shown (including load)
No vehicles over gross vehicle weight shown (including load)
No vehicles over axle weight shown (including load)
Speed limit (in km/h)
Variable speed limit (in km/h)
Prohibitation does not apply to vehicles gaining access to premises adjacent to the road
Prohibitation does not apply to vehicles holding relevant licenses
Prohibitation or mandatory order applies to vehicles over the length shown
Prohibitation or mandatory order applies to vehicles over the gross vehicle weight shown
Prohibitation or mandatory order does not apply to vehicle classes shown
Time plate
Time plate
Day plate
Prohibitation or mandatory order does not apply to vehicle classes and time shown
Length over which the prohibition or hazard exists
End of the prohibition, restriction or warning
Left lane shows bus lane for franchised buses only during the time and date shown
Bus lane for franchised buses only
Contra-flow bus lane for franchised buses only
End of bus lane
End of rail only lane for light rail vehicles
No vehicles carrying dangerous goods of specified categories
Indicating the categories of dangerous goods
Parking place for vehicles other than medium and heavy goods vehicles, buses, coaches, motor cycles and pedal cycles
Parking place for goods vehicles only
Parking place for buses and coaches only
Parking place for motor cycles only
Parking place for pedal cycles only
Start and continuation of an expressway
End of an expressway
Taxi stand
End of New Territories taxis operating area
End of Lantau taxis operating area
Green minibus stand
Red minibus stand
Vehicles must use the left most lane except when overtaking
Vehicles must use the right most lane except when overtaking
Hard shoulder – do not use except in an emergency
Cyclists must dismount and use crossing to cross the road
Way out for vehicles
No exit for vehicles
Way in for vehicles
No entry for vehicles

Temporary/Construction

Temporary road signs (e.g. Red rectangular signs with instructions in white)^[4]

Right lane closed ahead (Red bar indicates that lanes are closed)
Right lane closed ahead (Red bar indicates that lanes are closed)
Left lane only ahead (Red bar indicates that lanes are closed)
Left lane only ahead on two-way road (Red bar indicates that lanes are closed)
Road works ahead
Divert to another carriageway to right ahead (direction may be reversed)
Keep right (keep left if symbol reversed)
Vehicles may pass either side to reach same destination
Road narrows on left ahead (right if symbol reversed)
End of road works
Used to indicate line painting (wording may be varied to suit nature of road work)
Temporary closure of lane or road
Temporary sharp deviation to left (right if symbol reversed)
Manually operated ʻStop/Goʼ sign ahead
Manually operated temporary ʻStopʼ sign
Manually operated temporary ʻGoʼ sign
Ramp or sudden change of road level ahead
Ramp or sudden change of road level
Temporary traffic cylinder
Traffic signals ahead
Road ahead closed to vehicles
Road closed to vehicles
Temporary routes for vehicles
Temporary route for pedestrians (arrow may be reversed)
Temporary route for pedestrians (both directions)
Used with temporary traffic signals. Vehicles must not proceed beyond the sign when red light shows.
Temporary closure of pedestrian crossing
Slippery road ahead
Loose chippings ahead
Uneven road surface ahead
Slow (Sign used by police in emergency)
Warn of road surfacing works (wording may be varied to suit specific hazard)
Other danger ahead (used with plate to describe the hazard)
Plate describing the hazard (wording maybe varied)
Single file traffic ahead (wording may be varied to 'Single track road')

Guide

Guide signs are generally rectangular (sometimes pointed at one end in the case of direction signage).^[5]

Direction sign
Direction sign
Direction sign for roundabout
Pointed direction sign
Route number along strategic route
Tunnel ahead
Hong Kong Cross Harbour Tunnel
Western Harbour Tunnel
Eastern Harbour Tunnel
Urban taxi pick up and drop off only
New Territories taxi pick up and drop off only
Lantau taxi pick up and drop off only
Direction to parking place
Direction to vehicular ferry pier
Direction to Mass Transit Railway (MTR) Station
Vehicles may pass either side to reach same destination
No through road
No through road on left
No through road on right
300m Countdown markers used to indicate the distance to an exit on the left side of a road (Background in green if on expressway) (Symbols may be reversed to indicate exit on right)
200m Countdown markers used to indicate the distance to an exit on the left side of a road (Background in green if on expressway) (Symbols may be reversed to indicate exit on right)
100m Countdown markers used to indicate the distance to an exit on the left side of a road (Background in green if on expressway) (Symbols may be reversed to indicate exit on right)
Sign showing lane indication arrows for each lane or temporary lane closure at junction ahead
Start of dual carriageway ahead
Passing place
Sign at start of single track road
For use by police at accident site
Prepare to stop if signalled to do so
Stop at 'Census point'
Census point
Get in lane
Street direction sign
Street direction sign with numbers