Advertisement
Advertisement
South China Sea
Get more with myNEWS
A personalised news feed of stories that matter to you
Learn more

Letters

Give us back our sky and open places

I could not agree more with James Warren's view about Hongkongers deserving open areas instead of congested, nightmarishly overdeveloped Tsim Sha Tsui ('Kaohsiung sets a fine example in harbourfront rejuvenation', April 29).

As he said, hardworking citizens of this city deserve somewhere to sit and enjoy pleasant harbour breezes and see a star or two.

I recently did a biking trip around Taiwan. It was such a pleasure to ride where cyclists' rights are well respected by car drivers.

On my last business trip to London in March, I was amazed to find a lot of office workers in the city centre commuting by bike between home and office. If London and Taiwan can, why can't Hong Kong?

There is a lot that our government officials and the Tourism Board can learn from Taiwan in developing tourism and rejuvenating historical sites or buildings.

Give us back our harbourfront where we can walk and jog and cycle. Is it an unattainable wish that one day there could be a round-Hong Kong Island marathon or that we could ride our bicycles around Hong Kong alongside other road users without fear?

Give us back our wide blue sky, not the slices we can only see at present between the mega-towers of our high-rises.

Susan Yu, Tai Hang

The case for electric buses

Our transport and environmental protection departments are beginning to show an interest in electric cars.

Why has it taken so long? Electric vehicles were already in use in the 19th century, and a fairly small city like ours should be ideally suited for such cars, especially those driven briefly to and from work.

Almost all cars are parked in garages where recharging outlets could be readily available. But what about public transport?

The greater part of roadside pollution comes not from cars used once or twice a day, but from taxis and buses that run all day and night.

They emit tonnes of noxious gases right at street level - pollutants that cause respiratory diseases, even possibly lung cancer over the long run.

The main avenues of most advanced cities have electric buses powered by overhead cables, or hybrid buses that can run either on cables or internal combustion engines when using less busy streets.

Why are we so far behind? As an example, Nathan Road should long ago have been strung with such power cables and only buses that use electricity should be allowed on this busy thoroughfare.

The pollution caused by generating the needed power is dissipated far from the heart of the city not at roadside directly into our lungs.

Will the transport and environmental protection departments, as well as the various bus companies, please tell us what they are doing to bring cleaner, quieter and healthier public transport to Hong Kong? Do we have to wait for the 22nd century?

J. Garner, Sham Shui Po

Levy's priority is environment

The government is going to implement a 50-cent levy on plastic bags. It argues that after the new tax comes into force in July, people will use fewer plastic bags.

Reduction in usage has been the aim of environmental groups and so they have welcomed the new tax.

The point they have made in backing their claims is that, unlike some other refuse, these bags do not decompose.

Nor can they be burned in an incinerator as they would give off toxic fumes.

For these reasons I back the imposition of the levy.

I note that plastic bag wholesalers have argued that imposing the levy would, in the long run, harm their industry. Demand would drop if people used fewer bags and this could lead to workers in this sector losing their jobs. In the short term there would be little effect as stores would cut orders gradually, but I accept that in the longer-term, the effect of the levy on these firms would be severe.

The fact is, however, that we have to support this tax as it will make people more aware of the need to protect the environment.

It is important that initiatives like this are introduced to enhance that awareness.

However, the government should heed the concerns expressed by those companies in the plastic bag industry.

It should be willing to help them find other business opportunities.

With the co-operation of different sections of society and business I think the plastic bag levy can be successful.

Mak Tsz-yan, Tseung Kwan O

Students need to speak mind

I agree with the views expressed by Albert Cheng in his column ('Dissent by media', April 25).

Some media outlets sought to make political capital out of the comments of the president of the University of Hong Kong's student union, Ayo Chan Yi-ngok ('Students grapple with Tiananmen anniversary', April 12). Mr Chan's words [regarding the June 4 student leaders] were often taken out of context and reports were not always balanced.

Whether or not Mr Chan is backed by any political party, he should be allowed to explain his position. Like everyone else he is entitled to freedom of expression and the media has no right to distort that freedom. Moreover, most Hong Kong people are well-educated. They can decide what they think of his comments.

When sections of the media resort to slogans, this can in the long run discourage some individuals from engaging in serious political debate.

I applaud Mr Chan for having the courage to make controversial statements even if I do not necessarily agree with him. It does not bode well for a society, if its students do not dare to speak their minds.

Leon Ho, Tai Hang

Support Cathay in difficult time

Cathay Pacific is hurting and it is part of the responsibility of Hong Kong people to support our local carrier as much as we can. Cathay cannot rely on government subsidies to offset losses and must compete in one of the most aggressively discounted airfare sectors in the world.

It is easy to see Cathay as just another part of the global meltdown. But when Oasis collapsed, who picked up its stranded passengers? When local charities need to send people to events, who is it that often donates their seats?

Cathay staff, from the board down, have been asked to take unpaid leave and forgo bonuses. Hong Kong travellers need to show that we, too, are proud to help and ensure an icon of Hong Kong survives.

Mark Peaker, The Peak

Lessons lost on Sir David

I refer to the rather tired opening clich? of Sir David Tang's letter: 'Those who do, do; those who don't teach' ('West Kowloon project can be a raging success', April 29). Your correspondent might channel his thoughts into considering the benefits he doubtless received from those involved in his own education.

On reflection, however, he may have good reason to be so dismissive of his teachers, for clearly he failed to learn a most basic lesson; one rarely wins an argument by insulting those one hopes to convince.

Christine Pickering, Cheung Sha Wan

Post