Walking mall idea a good one

I MUST support Joe Fijol who put forward the excellent idea, ''Make a walking mall'' (South China Morning Post, January 4).

I well remember New Year's Eve, 1983, in Holland where a similar tragedy (to that which occurred in Lan Kwai Fong) occurred in The Hague.

That tragedy took the lives of several people and their loved ones.

The authorities of The Hague and local businessmen from the area where the tragedy happened, took swift action and made this famous area into a walking mall, preventing the tragedy from happening again.

The cobblestones are still there, but have been given a sandblast treatment and are safe to walk on.

To offer people an alternative or to prevent them from drinking, are not solutions.

In a multi-national society, people like to joint together and celebrate.

The right form of city planning can take care of safety.

P. P. H. M. SNOEREN Sha Tin