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Letters

Cycle licences won't make roads safer
As a regular cyclist and also a car driver, I can understand Barbara Winterbourne's frustration at what she sees as dangerous road use by cyclists ("Restrict and regulate dangerous cyclists to protect pedestrians", August 24).
I was always taught to ride defensively and with regard to other road users, not least because a cyclist is likely to come off worst in a collision, and negative feelings towards cyclists reflect on all those who ride.
However, I do not think that cycling licences are the solution. I commute from the New Territories to Kowloon and it is no exaggeration to say that on a daily basis I witness several incidences of stupendously ignorant, selfish, impatient and dangerous driving.
Most commonly this includes overtaking on the inside, cutting in, excessive speed and lack of signalling.
Such poor driving endangers the lives of all road users, but is carried out by people who have presumably passed a test and obtained a licence in order to drive a car.
Hong Kong is a very small, densely populated place where the roads are often narrow and everyone appears to be in a hurry.
Rather than requiring cyclists to obtain licences, I would suggest that the city would be a safer place if people slowed down and showed a little more patience and respect for others, rather than attempting to blame one particular sector of society, as such an attitude is merely divisive and unhelpful.
Steve Potts, Sheung Shui
 
Bike sharing scheme would keep city tidy
The problem of illegally parked bicycles is becoming serious in Hong Kong. I believe that we could deal with it effectively by imitating the shared bike plans that exist in some places on the mainland.
Over the past seven years, since these schemes were first introduced, bicycle sharing systems have really taken off.
People are given a key or a code to unlock a bike at various locations throughout a city. They then leave the bike in a self-locking dock when they reach their destination.
These schemes are proving effective in helping to tackle air pollution problems and also traffic jams, by reducing the number of people using private cars.
A bike scheme like this would also solve the problem of illegal parking of bikes, as people would no longer need to buy bicycles. The low fees paid to be part of the scheme are used to maintain the bikes.
Illegally parked bikes are unsightly. With fewer of them, public areas will be cleaner and tidier.
With shared bike schemes, more residents will be encouraged to cycle and this will lead to a greater number of Hongkongers getting regular exercise. The financial burden of provision of medical care for a government falls when it has healthier citizens.
Vicky Chan Hei-ling, Ho Man Tin
 
Cathay cheap fares offer a waste of time
Cathay Pacific promised a promotion offering several thousand HK$100 tickets on Tuesday morning.
My own experience involved waiting an hour on the Cathay website and the page never moving forward. At the same time, the normal booking facility for the same destination and dates worked fine.
This is farcical and cynical. It's questionable whether a premium airline such as Cathay ought to be playing around with discount lotteries in the first place.
But if they do, they should at least have a reliable and efficient sales interface rather than wasting thousands of people's time gratuitously.
Christopher Ruane, Sheung Wan
 
James Foley a martyr in war on terror
The late yogi B.K.S. Iyengar said, "Live happily and die majestically" and that is just what American journalist James Foley did.
He died bravely; if his captors expected him to cringe and cower they were disappointed. His aggressor hid his identity but James Foley, facing such despicable horror, impacts every one of us.
Muslims should decry the atrocities being perpetrated by jihadists, as terror is not Islam.
Foley is an inspiration, an example of good versus evil, and the eradication of this evil must be fully supported by every government and religious body; there is no room for pacifism.
These deviants would rather the whole world reverted to the dark ages and this must not be allowed to happen.
The inhuman acts they carry out are meant to shock; fear is a powerful weapon.
Foley died, but in the battle for hearts and minds, Islamic State failed miserably.
The militants encourage martyrdom and Foley, in the face of adversity, became a true martyr.
His parents have every right to be proud of their son because he was magnificent.
Joan Miyaoka, Sha Tin
 
Chief executive election not an internal affair
I must take issue with the letter by Michael Ko ("Democracy vital to ensure future stability", August 22).
Your correspondent talked of, "Hong Kong people ruling Hong Kong", "Hong Kong enjoying a high degree of autonomy", and said electing Hong Kong's chief executive "is entirely an internal affair for our city".
It should be stipulated that any person wishing to become chief executive has to show loyalty and respect for the central government and should never betray our country. This leader should act as a bridge between Beijing and the people of Hong Kong, conveying to the country's leaders our views and aspirations.
This election cannot be regarded as an internal affair.
Under the Basic Law, Hong Kong enjoys a high degree of autonomy, but this does not mean independence.
Policies cannot be implemented without notifying or consulting the central government.
A sound, tailor-made electoral mechanism should be formulated that caters to the needs of the government and citizens.
Progress has been made towards democracy, given that in 2017 we will all be allowed to vote for the candidates standing in the chief executive election.
Conflicts and confrontation in the run-up to the election can only make things worse. We should try to solve the political differences that exist through reaching a consensus.
Barry Kwok, Wong Tai Sin
 
Transparent pricing helps patients
We refer to the report ("New hospital touts transparent pricing to serve middle class", August 22) regarding Chinese University's new private teaching hospital.
Matilda International Hospital supports the need for open and transparent pricing, as was highlighted in the article. We have been offering a range of hospital packages at predetermined prices to cover the most frequently performed procedures for more than 10 years.
We design the packages to include all nursing care, room and meal charges, and treatment normally associated with the procedure.
As doctors with admitting privileges at the hospital are independent private practitioners, their fees are not included in the packages and come from the doctor directly, enabling the patient to have a clear breakdown and more accurately reference insurance coverage should they require.
In the case of treatment being given that is not normally associated with a procedure, additional costs may be incurred.
On occasions, certain surgery may be highly specialised and we work closely with individual surgeons to adapt packages so that patients and insurance companies can benefit from predetermined health-care costs.
Price transparency is important, and packages provide a necessary reference for people requiring treatment.
We publish package prices for the most frequent procedures on the website, while patients requiring specific surgery can request an estimate from our service team.
Lynne Fung, Matilda International Hospital
 
Celebrities must behave responsibly
Some celebrities have been arrested for alleged illegal activities, most recently, Jaycee Chan - better known as Jaycee Fong Cho-ming - and Taiwanese actor Ko Chen-tung, who were detained in Beijing over alleged use of marijuana.
Celebrities found guilty of such offences deserve to be criticised for their actions as they are often expected to be role models. What they do can have a negative impact on those teenagers who idolise them. There is always the risk that some impressionable youngsters will copy their idols.
They may think that if their favourite singers or actors are caught using illicit drugs, it cannot be that bad, and this can have disastrous consequences.
These celebrities are in privileged positions and they should recognise this and appreciate that they have responsibilities when it comes to their behaviour.
They should seek to be a positive influence on young people.
Phoebe Shing, Kowloon Tong


Letters to the Editor, August 29, 2014

Courageous James Foley was an inspiration. Photo: AP

Restrict and regulate dangerous cyclists to protect pedestrians

Letters to the Editor, August 22, 2014

Xi Jinping is determined to wipe out corruption. Photo: EPA

New hospital touts transparent pricing to serve middle class

Professor Joseph Sung Jao-yiu said the hospital would be the first in the private sector to offer "straightforward package pricing". Photo: Paul Yeung

Opinion

As a regular cyclist and also a car driver, I can understand Barbara Winterbourne's frustration at what she sees as dangerous road use by cyclists ("Restrict and regulate dangerous cyclists to protect pedestrians", August 24).
