THE E-MAIL FORUM Q Is it worth the cost of scrapping the Central reclamation? Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands Michael Suen Ming-yeung would have us believe that the Central reclamation and the Central-Wan Chai bypass and other related road systems to be constructed on reclaimed land will solve the serious traffic congestion problem on the north side of Hong Kong island. In his speech to Legco on Monday, he said: 'I believe that many here have long suffered from the traffic jams. It is on this major premise that the government undertakes the works.' Does this mean that the planning, approvals and millions already spent were solely so that our legislators would no longer have to suffer traffic jams? I think Mr Suen could have come up with a better premise than that. I think the proposed works are a near-sighted temporary solution to a complex problem. If the Central-Wan Chai bypass were to be built, how long would it be before the congestion and traffic jams become serious again? Surely the bypass cannot be the sole solution. What about prohibiting private cars from entering the area? Or creating designated car parks near MTR stations and bus and tram terminals in places such as North Point and Western? Or how about restricting deliveries to certain times in the morning and afternoon? Have all interested parties and government departments been consulted for possible solutions? A toll system of sorts may bring some relief, but to some owners, the convenience of door-to-door commuting will be worth any toll imposed. Outrageous import duties and vehicle taxes have not had a significant impact on the ever-increasing number of vehicles on our roads. The problem referred to by Mr Suen, although of a higher profile, is certainly not the only one that the rest of the people of Hong Kong have to face every day. Perhaps Mr Suen and his fellow legislators should ask their drivers to help them experience traffic conditions on the north side of our fast-disappearing harbour. Alvin Tsang, Sha Tin Our government certainly knows how to speak with a forked tongue. How ironic that we have Mike Rowse enthusing over how the Harbour Fest will showcase the beauty of our harbour, while the housing chief is doing his level best to fill it in directly in front of the stage at the Tamar venue and ... allow developers to create a canyon effect all along the island shoreline. I trust that Mr Rowse will clearly instruct the television camera crews to avoid the dredgers and steel piling. May I request that Mick and Keith include in their repertoire the message to our government planners that You Can't Always Get What You Want to reflect my own wishes for our harbour? This song is from the 1960s, when indeed Hong Kong did have a very fine harbour. Of course, Mr Suen may well respond that he is only following the Stones' advice of their most recent single, Don't Stop. Roger Emmerton, Mid-Levels Q Was the Rolling Stones deal handled well? Now that the Stones are back again in the 'will they, won't they' saga, I checked out the ticketing details. Then I checked out www.hkticketing.com , which says there is no wheelchair access at the Tamar site. So it seems that the Rolling Stones, with all their demands, are welcome, but those whose mobility is aided by the use of a rolling chair are not. Would the relevant authorities like to comment on this? Name and address supplied I have several concerns about the success of the Harbour Fest event and how it has been organised. In my view, not much attention has been given to promoting the event. A number of friends in other countries around Asia have told me they knew nothing or little about the event. I thought this event was intended to highlight Hong Kong and draw more visitors. Even in Hong Kong, the advertisements seem to be rather minimal for such a large event. It will clearly be a joke if some of these top acts are not well attended (not to mention disappointing for the many people who have already bought their tickets). The festival appears to be too ambitious. Since there are so many acts and the ticket prices are relatively high, several people I know are only choosing to attend one or two of the scheduled performances. Did the government and American Chamber of Commerce do any market research on the proposed acts and the number of performances? If the government or the chamber are to organise events like this in the future, they should leave it to experienced concert promoters who run events such as this for a profit. Name and address supplied
