What do you think of the proposed Tsim Sha Tsui piazza? The government wants to move the bus terminus in Tsim Tsa Tsui and build a shopping mall there. Officials say it will form part of the plan to revitalise the Tsim Tsa Tsui waterfront and the area near the Star Ferry. I think this is a ridiculous proposal. Just why our government is so obsessed with maximising land revenue and satisfying the greed of developers would make a good subject for a thesis. There is already a huge shopping mall nearby - Ocean Terminal. If any of the relevant government officials have not been there, I would suggest they make a trip and go around the existing shops. They will then realise that there is absolutely no need for another mall in the district that is so close to the waterfront. The clock tower, Star Ferry and the piazza closer to the Cultural Centre must be retained with innovative waterfront and landscaping designs. Hongkongers keep talking about wanting a world-class promenade but look at what we have now. We have no right to even call it a promenade. Putting another mall in that area is an unacceptable joke. I would urge the government to show more sense. Our senior officials must use some of their spare time to actually walk around our city so that they can appreciate what is required. You cannot plan a city by simply looking at a few beautifully drawn plans. You have to get out there and see things. H. C. Bee, Kowloon Tong On other matters... I refer to the report ('Scare for 170 Cathay passengers as pilot forced to abort landing', June 26). A passenger, Peter Krien, was frightened by the aborted landing from Toronto. He said it was the scariest flight he had ever taken. The Airbus A340 approached Chek Lap Kok at 6am when both the No8 storm signal and the red rainstorm warning were in force. Mr Krien said: 'As the plane began to descend, the weather was so bad that I could not see anything but a grey mass outside the windows. And there was turbulence ... little kids were scared and some people clasped their hands and started praying.' He said when the screen on the seat back read that the flight was one minute away from landing, he felt the plane pick up speed rapidly and gain height. During inclement weather, the pilot in command makes a Category I Approach to Chek Lap Kok. The decision height (DH) for Runway 25, eastern approach, is 200 feet (60 metres). For aircraft making a western approach using Runway 6, the DH is also 200 feet. Should the pilot in command not be able to see the instrument landing system stroble lights upon reaching the decision height or if the crosswind is close to the maximum for the Airbus A340, then the pilot will execute a 'missed approach', which means pulling back the control yoke having applied full power on the engines and the aircraft will pick up speed rapidly and gain height. Therefore, let me assure Mr Krien not to be afraid of the bad weather in flight. Cathay Pacific Airways is one of the safest airlines in the world. Eugene Li, Deep Water Bay Following the fatal crash on Sunday on Garden Road, legislators acted instantly, putting all the blame on the steep road and asking for speed cameras on all such roads ('Speed trap to be installed at scene of Garden Road crash', July 1). First of all, the coach should not have been there, because only vehicles of 3 tonnes or less are allowed to use Magazine Gap Road. There does not appear to have been any sign of speeding in this accident, and I cannot see the point of putting speed cameras on all steep roads. We have to look at driving on Hong Kong's roads. The government should be looking at a range of issues, such as driving and the licensing system, but it does not want to go near these areas because politics and trade interests are involved. Those people involved in the transport trade should always regard public safety as the priority, in all circumstances. Our legislators should have the same attitude, but this is not happening. Look at the way Legco has responded to people being killed by reversing vehicles. Surely human life is more important than the profits of the transport trade. The instant reaction of legislators after an accident is to make changes to the road in question to alert drivers. This sends the wrong message to drivers and the transport trade that it is not totally their responsibility to drive and operate their vehicles safely on the roads. If legislators do not change their attitudes, there will be more fatalities. S. Lo, Central Much has been reported about the parlous state of our public health system and local hospitals. I recently spent a week at the Prince of Wales Hospital as a public patient in a surgical ward. The professionalism and care demonstrated by everyone, from the cleaning staff upwards, was both comforting and confidence-inspiring. Each member of staff showed a real sense of vocation and collectively they had a palpable esprit de corps. My follow-up treatment was done at the Ma On Shan Health Centre's general outpatient clinic and here, yet again, I was treated by pleasant and committed staff who were good at their jobs. Every system has its flaws, but my experience indicates that our system seems to work well, largely due to the commitment of those inside it. Our public hospitals and clinics are staffed by dedicated, hard-working health professionals who are a credit to themselves and to us as a society. We do not value them enough. David McKirdy, Sai Kung The heavy rainfall late last month left large amounts of rubbish on Lamma ('Lamma residents call for better cleanup as waves of litter crash on their beaches', June 24). The same thing happened on Peng Chau in the South Bay area. The situation was made worse because not all households had a proper drainage filtering system and waste went directly into the sea, which caused a very unpleasant smell. The government has a boat that can clean up this waste, but the water is too shallow at South Bay. I urge the Drainage Services Department to look into this matter and ensure that no waste goes into the sea without being properly filtered. M. Lau, Peng Chau
