Ride-sharing could help Hong Kong realise its full potential as smart city

Hong Kong is a high-density city, and that prevents us from moving efficiently across town.

As much as I try not to cross the harbour because of our infamous and horrendous deadlock right by the entrance of our harbour tunnels, it’s something I cannot escape from doing as a city person.

Whenever I am caught in traffic at the tunnel, I look aimlessly at the never-ending queue of cars trying to get through to the other side. I ask myself why I have to be stuck here for 15 to 30 minutes when it is really only a five- minute ride to get to the other side of the city.

Is it ever possible for Hong Kong to turn into a congestion-free city?

Then I think about how we could potentially reduce the number of cars on the road with the magic of ride-sharing. Ride-sharing apps and platforms such as Uber leverage on technology to redistribute unused or underutilised cars to people who are willing to pay for the services, therefore putting more people in fewer cars and increasing their economic efficiency. Now that is smart, isn’t it?

A smart city is not a dream. PricewaterhouseCoopers published a Consultancy Study on Smart City Blueprint report for Hong Kong in June. It sheds light on how Hong Kong could be more innovative, thanks to a wider digital application of data and mobility in transport.