How can community sport be promoted? I was appalled to see the suggestion that the Leisure and Cultural Services Department is proposing converting squash courts to other purposes because of low usage ('Low use means tennis, squash courts to go', April 18). The figure quoted for such 'low usage' was 51 per cent. I assume the figure represents total court bookings divided by the number of courts available, including those in the middle of working and school hours, when relatively few people can use them. Clearly, if courts were full during these off-peak hours, they would be in short supply during the peak evening hours, when people can actually play. Why does the department not make the courts available at 2am? Then the 'usage' would be even lower. Hong Kong is becoming one of the world powers in squash, with a junior squad that is truly world class. The sport is perfect for Hong Kong's cramped conditions and busy lifestyles. It is also potentially an Olympic sport and we currently have Rebecca Chiu Wing-yin, 14th in the world rankings; Annie Au Wing-chi, ranked 17; Christina Mak Pui-hin, ranked 41; and Jaclyn Hawkes, who is now playing for New Zealand but developed as a junior in Hong Kong and is ranked 18. What other sports does Hong Kong excel in like this? The proposal is to convert courts for basketball. Clearly a sport at which Hong Kong is likely to become world dominant? Give me a break. Dallas Reid, Shouson Hill What do you think of the Tramways deal? As someone who rides the trams several times a day, I love the fact that the carriages and core technology have not changed much since the second world war - or even longer. It is true that in mid-summer, the trams are hot and sticky, but what a relief that is from the excessively air-conditioned buses, with their loud video advertising. And the rest of the year, enjoying breezes through the windows while watching the cityscape go by is a very pleasant way to get from A to B. I would like to extend my best wishes to the new partnership in their management of the trams. Please, just do not change anything simply for the sake of change. Gregg Schroeder, Wan Chai How can the use of electric cars be promoted? Half of all the pollution generated by a car is created before you buy it. That goes for electric cars too. Buy a used car or, better yet, use the chauffeur-driven taxis. If you really want to drive a car, rent a nice one every now and then, and drive it when the roads are not crowded. Annelise Connell, Stanley What can be done about Hong Kong's waste problem? I refer to the report 'Outdated games consoles add to waste woes' (April 20). I decided not to throw out my old Gameboy because I can still use it. I sometimes take it out and play, and I still find it interesting. I think nowadays people are very wasteful. They are always buying new mobile phones, games and other kinds of electrical equipment and then throwing away their outdated models. The government should ask companies selling such equipment to offer a discount to customers who are willing to bring in their old models. This is the best way to reduce the amount of waste, and it can ensure the old models are recycled or donated to charities. Education is also important. Teachers should try to get the message across to their students not to be wasteful. They need to make pupils understand that accumulated waste can adversely affect them directly. Young people must learn to cherish what they have. If more of us think before we throw something away, this will be beneficial to the environment. Mandy Tang Man-yu, Tsuen Wan On other matters... Ernest Lau of HKR International Limited (Talkback, April 18) was quite right while discussing ferry overcrowding and saying: 'No one is allowed to stand [on Discovery Bay ferries]. It is a different situation with the buses.' Discovery Bay residents have long been complaining about the inadequacy of the bus services to Sunny Bay and Tung Chung. On Saturday, I caught the Sunny Bay bus at Greenvale. It was standing-room only, but just about everyone at my stop got on anyway. The driver, to the dismay of standing passengers, then stopped at Neo Horizons, the next stop, and waved a long line of passengers onto the bus. He repeatedly asked us all to move back in the bus, but we were already jammed in. The doors struggled to close. Does the Transport Department not take the overcrowding of such transportation seriously? During the Easter weekend, visitors flooded into Discovery Bay. Special bus lines were formed and controlled. Buses were constantly coming and going to cope with the extra need. So, Mr Lau, you can arrange an adequate service when it comes to a profitable occasion; how about doing something on the transportation side to please residents? Because, sadly, all you are doing at the moment is getting residents' backs up with what a great many of us see as an overpriced and inadequate Tung Chung and Sunny Bay bus service. Sandra Wyatt, Discovery Bay
