Mass transit in Hong Kong is moving with the times
Bernard Chan says we can do more, such as rationalise bus routes
We hear a lot about Hong Kong's future economic role. Much of the discussion seems to be little more than guesswork about which pillar industries or hi-tech sectors the government should encourage. Many economists, however, would say that the government should stick to the basics: welfare, education, housing, health care and transport.
These are all areas where government must play a critical role. Much of this is about upgrading or reform: exploring new ways to fund retirement and welfare provision for the elderly, modernising our exam-based education system, boosting housing supply, and modernising our approaches to planning and pollution.
Transport - especially affordable and dependable mass transit - is essential to a vibrant economy. It is one area this city has got right. Yet times and circumstances change, and the rail and bus systems that served us well 20 years ago need reforms of their own.
Recent reports on the transport system show a picture of a Hong Kong that gets things done. Our rail system is expanding its capacity and reaching into previously unserved neighbourhoods. These comprise extensions into Kennedy Town and Kwun Tong, a new line from Admiralty to Aberdeen, and a major new artery linking Sha Tin with Kai Tak/East Kowloon and Admiralty. There is also the express link to Guangzhou.
It is difficult to overestimate the impact of this expansion on people and business in Hong Kong. Links like these improve life for commuters; they also open up these districts to new types of business. Most of these projects will be up and running by 2015-16, with the Sha Tin-Central link taking another four to five years.
This could be an opportunity to reduce street-side air pollution, as commuters move to rail (currently 33 per cent of trips) from buses (37 per cent). The bus fleet, too, will have very important, if changing, roles.