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SCMP Reporter

Should there be more facilities for cyclists?
 Austin Wong pretty much covers the issues (Talkback, March 25), and as someone who used to spend my school holidays  pedalling quite extensively around bits of Britain, I sympathise with him, with reservations. 
As it stands, anyone cycling on a main road in Hong Kong is in a dangerous situation. 
These roads are not built with cyclists in mind, so they should not be there. 
For extended social riding, cyclists do need a separate space at least wide enough for two, otherwise they endanger themselves or pedestrians. 
If limited to two, it's not very sociable, so room for three would be much better. And as Mr Wong points out, people need somewhere to learn how to ride a bike in a safe environment, to which I would add, in an unselfish and law-abiding manner. 
They also need somewhere to keep their bike in a safe place and where it does not cause a nuisance or an obstruction. 
But it must be recognised that with all the physical restrictions, cycling, compared  with walking, will remain a minority activity for both commuting and as a pastime in Hong Kong.
As far as possible, cyclists need to be separated from walkers, particularly mountain-bikers. 
They severely damage natural wilderness paths, making parts unusable for the majority, the walkers. 
This induces the government to lay much-criticised hard surfacing to protect paths. (The choice of materials for one across Lamma is most inappropriate.) But, as a 70-odd-year-old taxpayer, I am not totally against this. 
It allows me to get to places I could not otherwise go. And as a taxpayer, I don't see why my needs are to be ignored and accordingly why I am to be consigned to the physical scrap heap. Currently I am also very happy with handrails. But, all things in moderation. 
This leads me to the vital question, who pays for all this? Mr Wong points out that 'cyclists do not have to pay fares'. Why not? Do they deserve a free ride on my tax money, all 45 years of it? 
If I am to help finance extensive and exclusive cycle paths, why shouldn't cyclists  at least contribute towards their cost by, for example, licensing of bikes and/or charging a fee for the use of the dedicated cycle paths?
Peter Berry, Lamma
What do you think of plans to widen Hiram's Highway?
 I would love to know who in government is proposing projects such as the potential widening of Hiram's Highway. 
It doesn't take a genius to work out that wider roads mean more vehicles, which means more traffic congestion, more people, more pollution and more frustration. 
It is already virtually impossible to get in and out of Sai Kung  during weekends.
 I cannot see any benefits  for anyone by widening this road. If the government wants to get more people into an already overcrowded Sai Kung, why doesn't it propose something less obtrusive, such as an MTR link?
 Having an MTR station in the Sai Kung area would create  jobs,  improve infrastructure,  have very little long-term impact on the environment and  reduce vehicular congestion. 
Widening Hiram's Highway is a ludicrous proposition  that would undoubtedly bring misery to Sai Kung's residents who, on weekends, have to time their visits to Sai Kung town so that they don't clash with the very predictable rush-hour traffic. 
Andrew Maxwell, Sai Kung
The local politicians and developers just don't get it. 
They do not look at other cities to see what is causing road chaos and pollution. The latest half-baked proposal for a  [divided highway] to Sai Kung is an excellent example of such blinkered thinking. 
Sai Kung is crowded  during weekends with Hongkongers seeking fresh air and a change of scene from their busy lives and urban pressures. Wider roads do not mean less congestion, they produce more cars, more pollution, more crime and less peace. We need fewer cars, not wider roads. 
The public transport is excellent and, I am sure the mathematicians among us will agree, more efficient than the private car. Why not a more imaginative approach to 'park and ride' schemes and a concerted effort to promote cycle lanes?
Time and time again local councillors have proved how out of touch they are with modern transport management. 
The road is not needed. It is yet another way of making money for the developers at the expense of the environment.
 For a world city, we are years behind when it comes to traffic control.
John Brennan, Sai Kung
What do you think of the  new typhoon system?
 The new system of typhoon warnings drawn up by the Observatory aims to make the public more aware of the nature and severity of some storms. 
I think this fine-tuning of the tropical-cyclone classification system will make citizens better prepared. To most of us, a typhoon is just a typhoon. 
Usually we do not have any idea about its intensity. Even if we know the signal, the grade, the direction and the wind speed, the typhoon is something that is almost abstract to all of us. 
Now with the classifications - 'typhoon', 'severe typhoon' and 'super typhoon' - Hongkongers can make informed decisions and take the necessary precautions. It will be easier now for them to decide  whether they should stay at home or can go to work. 
There will still be people who will ignore the typhoon warnings. They will continue to go surfing when there are extreme weather conditions, and consequently there will be tragedies. 
All the Observatory can do is  emphasise the power of the typhoon and advise people on the precautions we should take. 
After getting a clearer understanding of how strong a typhoon is, it is still the responsibility of Hongkongers  to protect themselves by heeding typhoon warnings.
Sophia Man, Sha Tin
On other matters ...
  I work on the Kowloon side and I cannot help but notice the very bright flashing signboard on top of a building in Tin Hau  from my office window. It is so bright that it is visible through the smog in daytime. 
Unlike most advertisement signboards on the island that are only switched on at dusk, this particular signboard is flashing the whole afternoon. I find this signboard very intrusive  because of its size and the unusual intensity of the light.
 Is there any regulation regarding this sort of light pollution? Perhaps the relevant government departments would like to explain.
Wu Shun-ping, Sha Tin



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