It's hard to believe, but Hong Kong's public transport system is reputed to be one of the best in the world. I suppose that is because it gets you where you want to go cheaply and - especially during public holidays - quickly.
Ironically, the ability to get passengers from A to B at great speed is also where the system goes awry.
Given the chance (i.e. roads unobstructed by heavy traffic), and buses, minibuses and taxis push for a velocity seen only at Formula One races.
Last Saturday's accident in which a Citybus double-decker overturned and killed three passengers is under investigation. According to witnesses, the bus travelled from near Chai Wan to Wan Chai in 10 minutes.
Ten minutes?! That means if you had boarded at Siu Sai Wan Bus Terminus playing the soundtrack of Evita on your discman, by the time you got off at Wan Chai, you would have just finished its third track, Oh What a Circus. I am not sure the MTR could travel that quickly, even without having to stop at all the nine stations in between.
But I should not be so shocked. Many bus accidents have been waiting to happen. A colleague said she once boarded a bus late at night and her journey from Central to Sha Tin took under 20 minutes.
