You must be careful too about illegal taxis. How do you identify them? To avoid robbery and fear of being kidnapped, you should look for three things that must be present in a legal taxi: the driving licence in the front, the fares table posted on a back window and the receipt machine near the fare metre. Another tip is that illegal taxis always gather around tourist spots such as the Summer Palace and the Forbidden City. When you leave, they will try to persuade you to take their 'taxis'.

It is a dream for every one of us to witness the gradual promotion of Chinese in every field. Economic development has improved many people, but their qualities often lag behind. When many foreigners go to Beijing in 2008 to watch the Games, will it become a shame to all Chinese?

STEPHEN LAI, Mid-Levels

Drivers avoid crisis

Professor S.C. Wong ('Both bypass and ERP needed to curb congestion,' May 14) has chosen the wrong word when discussing harbour reclamation.

It is not controversial - it is illegal.

He also need not fret about the public. I was proud of the civic-minded way that drivers responded to the Eastern Harbour Tunnel toll rise amid the warnings of gridlock. They simply adjusted their travel patterns or moved to public transport. We are all keen to do our part to reduce traffic congestion. It took hurricane-force winds and heavy rains to cause traffic jams, not Hong Kong drivers.

As to the congestion price, the 2001 ERP consultation report, on the government's website, said the people surveyed would choose to avoid driving at rush hour if the charge was as little as $30, which is less than a two-hour parking charge in Central. If we look at the paltry $10 increase at the eastern tunnel and its huge impact on traffic, it is clear that the public will respond if they have to pay any fee.

As to the need for a $10 billion Central-Wan Chai bypass, you can create a bypass for free with ERP by giving a 100 per cent discount to through traffic and it can be done three years faster than the bypass. Is it really reduction of traffic congestion that Professor Wong advocates or a $10 billion make-work project - jobs for the boys in the civil engineering fraternity?

JOHN BOWDEN, chair, Save Our Shorelines

Return surplus capital

I refer to the column 'Timid exchange's stock-in-trade attitude proves costly over time' (May 16), by Jake van der Kamp. I am an elected independent non-executive director of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEx) and a member of its investment advisory committee.

I disagree with the implication that listed companies should put their surplus cash on the stock market, rather than returning it to investors, as HKEx did in 2004 by means of a special dividend. HKEx also has a 90 per cent payout ratio on net profits, although I believe there is still surplus capital in the business, which dilutes the return on equity. Investors in listed companies are generally better qualified and entitled to make portfolio investments of surplus capital themselves and do not wish to delegate that decision.

HKEx is not an investment company. It does not publish a daily net asset value. It does not, in my view, have a delegated mandate to speculate with surplus capital. By returning surplus capital, listed companies can improve their return on equity, focus on their core business, reduce the risk to shareholders, and allow investors to make their own investment choices.

I am constantly pressing many of the undervalued, cash-rich companies in which I have invested to return their surplus capital so that I can put it to good use, possibly by buying their shares. Some have responded. Others prefer to sit on the cash, speculate in securities or property markets, or embark on non-core ventures.

Readers should also be aware that much of HKEx's investment income derives from prudential funds intended to protect the integrity of the clearing system and margin deposits from the futures exchange in which depositors have a proprietary interest.

DAVID M. WEBB, Mid-Levels

Protect beach creatures

Country and marine parks, ecotours: what else can you think of to protect the environment in Hong Kong?

I want to share what I saw a few days ago on Wu Kai Sha beach in Ma On Shan. There are many tiny creatures on the beach. With the reflection of the setting sun, these form the most wonderful view I have seen in Hong Kong. What disappointed me was that inconsiderate people dug to find creatures in the sandbank when the tide went out. The elderly went there with buckets, youth with bottles, and children with digging toys. Their goal was to fill containers with tiny crabs, shells, actinians and tadpoles.

You may think that my criticism is ridiculous. Let me ask: are the lives of those creatures less valuable than those of refugees in Rwanda? Do you donate money to the victims of tsunamis but feel no mercy for Hong Kong's beach creatures? I hope the government can protect the non-famous beaches, especially those near residential areas. At least, educational notice boards should convey the message to visitors.

DEREK CHEUNG, Sha Tin

Music not just for elite

I heard on the radio on May 6 that a beautiful new music training centre will be opened in Foshan , Guangdong. It will be like Tanglewood of the US. Music masters from around the world will hold classes. This should be good news, but those wishing to take lessons from these famous teachers will be restricted to an upper age limit of 30.

I have heard it said that only those under 30 should be seen as music students, and that those older can only be teachers. I cannot accept this. It is like the MTR granting student concession fares only to under-25s. This is age discrimination. With life-long learning, the number of students over 25 has increased considerably.

Some people cannot learn a musical instrument in childhood. When they have a chance to learn, it is unfair if people turn their backs on them. The aim of the Foshan centre is to produce elite musicians. Elitism and ageism are closely connected. Conservatories the world over produce young musicians to take part in local and international competitions. This turns them into factories making competition machines. I suggest also setting up music schools which are less elite-oriented.

WARMY CHIU, Pokfulam

Voting member

I refer to the article 'How many can still vote?' by Kennedy Wong (May 11). While it is correct that Richard Li Tzar-kai no longer serves on the council of City University, he is a member of the council of Polytechnic University and as such continues to be a higher education sub-sector representative on Hong Kong's Election Committee.

JENNY FUNG, head of group communications, PCCW