A proposed monorail for the West Kowloon Cultural District could be replaced with more eco-friendly transport, the arts hub authority told Town Planning Board members when it introduced its master layout plan yesterday.
The suggestion arose as board members said accessibility to the 40-hectare site was one of their major concerns, with one suggestion Venetian-style water taxis.
Board member Anna Kwong Sum-yee suggested the advantages of a water taxi system like that used in Venice. 'Given the availability of pontoons in the design, water taxi tours will be suitable and allows visitors to tour around the whole arts hub in half an hour,' she said.
Kwong said similar transport could be found in Singapore and Thailand.
Another board member, Dr Lo Wai-kok, said: 'How can a visitor walk from the Xiqu Centre in the east to the mega performance venue in the west? It's like walking from Jordan to the Star Ferry Pier in Tsim Sha Tsui.'
Lo urged the authority to plan extensively for connections within the site, especially for the elderly and handicapped. He also asked if the monorail proposal was still in the plan.
The authority's executive director, Dr Chan Man-wai, replied that the distance from the east side to the west side was about 1.5 kilometres, but the authority had planned transport within the hub to allow easier access, including a travelator, or moving walkway, to convey visitors from opposite ends of the site.