Due to a variety of operational constraints, however, the air conditioning in a bus compartment can be described as a complex three-dimensional distribution of temperature, humidity and air movement.

This dynamic situation is further complicated by operational factors, such as the number and distribution of passengers on board, alighting and boarding situations, and the movement of passengers inside the compartment.

To cope with all these operational variables, the air-conditioning system exercises various control measures aimed at maintaining the temperature within a bus saloon comfort zone of 23 to 25 degrees and relative humidity at 40 per cent to 70 per cent.

We would be grateful if Ms Patel could let us know the licence numbers of the buses that seem too cold, by calling our customer service hotline on 2745 4466 so that any necessary follow-up action can be taken promptly.

Susanna Sin, corporate communications department, Kowloon Motor Bus

What is the best way to promote community sport?

Promoting community sport is a good way to encourage Hongkongers, at all ages, to take part in sporting activities. Providing free entrance to government leisure facilities is a good start.

However, I think there should be more places, or discounts, for sports courses that are organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and various kinds of community sports competitions to attract people to play sport.

Even though the courses organised by the department are cheaper than those run by private sports clubs like the YMCA, people wanting to join up often have to wait a long time to get a place.

To promote community sport, the department should increase the sizes of these classes, provide more time slots or reduce the course fee in order to enable more citizens to take up sport.

More district-based sports competitions could also be held to promote community sports.

Sports competitions offer sports enthusiasts and beginners a valuable opportunity to meet up, exchange views and compete.

Such healthy competition can help to foster a more harmonious society and get more people involved in sport on a regular basis.

However, most importantly, the government should plan to build more sports centres and provide additional sport facilities.

It is still the case in Hong Kong that not every district has a swimming pool or sports centres.

Many sport lovers, myself included, often have to travel long distances to pursue sports activities and this sometimes puts me off getting involved.

Vicky Chan Wing-ki, Kwai Tsing

How can the city be more friendly to the disabled?

Not everyone is lucky enough to be able-bodied.

Some people who have a disability are confined to wheelchairs.

I would like to see this society recognise their needs and help to take care of them.

It is important that we show disabled people that we are willing to help them.

There should be adequate facilities for them in the city so they have more mobility, such as specially fitted escalators.

We should be willing to spend time with disabled people to help them get out more.

It is wrong if they cannot get out and about in the city and are confined to their homes.

Family members of the disabled need to communicate with them as much as possible.

Fian Lee Lai-sze, Kwai Chung

On other matters ...

The Association for Geoconservation, Hong Kong, is a society with the primary objective of promoting conservation of valuable landscape and geological heritage in Hong Kong.

The proposed Tseung Kwan O-Lam Tin tunnel and cross-bay link will affect an 800-metre-long stretch of natural shoreline. This comprises beaches and cliffs.

Much of the original natural shoreline in the city area, including around Tseung Kwan O, has been reclaimed.

Any remaining shoreline should therefore be considered a valuable asset.

We raised this issue with and expressed our concerns to the Civil Engineering and Development Department in July 2007 and had a meeting with the department the following month. In principle, the association supports the idea of building a tunnel and a highway link so that the congestion problem of Tseung Kwan O can be relieved.

However, we object to the extensive reclamation along the natural shoreline.

We strongly urge the government to reconsider the alignment of the toll plaza and interchange near Tiu Keng Leng in the preliminary design.

To be more specific, we suggest that the reclamation area should be separated from the shorelines.

Our proposed design has three advantages:

It retains the stretch of natural shoreline;

There will be a lagoon that greatly enhances the scenic value of local landscape; and

The reclamation area has the potential to become an urban fringe park linking the proposed cycle track facilities.

S. L. Ng, for Association for Geoconservation, Hong Kong

I hate seeing people selling mobile phones sitting on the street on chairs and smoking, often in front of hawker control officers.

I often see these people doing their lucrative transactions on crowded pavements in locations such as Times Square and Sogo.

They are carrying on their business in pedestrian areas and they are an inconvenience to the public.

Why should, for example, PCCW salespeople be allowed to occupy a space in front of Sogo and yet an old man trying to sell T-shirts is driven away by hawker control officers.

Why is there not a consistent policy?

Raja Iyer, Tai Hang