Do you prefer private or public transport?
Pulcheria Chung, 18 St Mary's Canossian College
The city has an efficient public transport network. Hate traffic jams during rush hour? Take the MTR or KCR. If you are travelling a long distance, the MTR is definitely the best choice. If you drive, the journey could take several hours if you get caught up in traffic. Besides, there are double-deckers and mini-buses which will take you to your destination safely and comfortably. And if you want to go somewhere fast, there are plenty of taxis around. The public has many options and the fares are cheap.
I would not buy a car because petrol prices in Hong Kong are among the highest in the world and there is also a problem finding parking space. The registration fees and car park charges are high.
Moreover, vehicle exhaust fumes is one of the main causes of Hong Kong's deteriorating air quality. If we care about our city, we should use public transport.
Oliver Kwan, 18 Delia School of Canada
I prefer private transportation any day. I hate to have to do what everyone else is doing.
But the biggest reason is that public transport workers make me unhappy.
I'm used to a very different kind of service where you're respected as a person.
I expect a bus driver who will smile and ask me what I am studying and tell me where to get off, unlike some locals who completely ignore their passengers.
Hong Kong's bus drivers are not friendly at all. Some of them even shout at people.
Taxi drivers are not much better. They rarely smile and treat the highways as their own private race track.
Mini-buses are also guilty of speeding, which has resulted in so many deaths over the years.
Even the MTR's image has been tarnished by a spate of breakdowns during peak hours.
People tend to think that private transportation will clutter up highways.
Maybe, but it's a lot safer and easier than taking a bus, train or taxi.
