Residents return to work after T8 is lowered
Many people were already on their way to work before the city's first gale or storm signal No. 8 of the year was lowered. This included a driver who had to arrive in Admiralty by 1pm. He said he had no way to get to Tai Po Market Station and had to walk as all public transport, except the MTR, was suspended. "Even though train services were available, it's not the case for connecting buses. KMB and Citybus had not resumed services yet, and there's no taxi," he said. "As there is only MTR, unless you live above the station, how can you get there?" Since the pandemic, some companies have rolled out work from home arrangements, allowing employees to work as usual during a typhoon. A man with the last name Ng was among those who could work remotely, but the arrangement only lasted for the morning. He hoped to continue working from home even after the No. 8 signal was lowered. "This could help alleviate the traffic pressure as everyone is flocking to their workplaces," he added.  A hospital staff member told RTHK that she got off work at 5pm, but didn't mind heading back to the office for just a few hours. "As I have to get things done, I am just going back to the office to continue working, so I am fine with that," she said. A university staff member decided to leave his home in Kennedy Town as late as possible to go to work in Hung Hom. "Because I am worried that there will be many people taking public transport," he explained. Another person said his MTR journey was smoother than expected. "It was fine. It was smooth. Not much waiting... I expected a much longer wait, but everything went well."