With an ageing population, Hong Kong faces manpower shortages in certain sectors. ­Importing helpers and giving them suitable training would help to solve the problem of a shortage of carers.

It is difficult to get young ­local school leavers to train in this profession. Also, imported helpers taking care of the elderly at home would ­reduce the pressure on public hospitals and nursing homes, where there is often a shortage of beds.

Jason Luk, Tseung Kwan O

Taxi operator should waive booking fee

I enjoyed my trip from the ­airport with my husband during our short stay in Hong Kong, using premium taxi operator Jumbo Taxi. We had a lot of ­luggage and so appreciated the spaciousness of the vehicle.

It was a very comfortable trip, but my only reservation was that the fare was quite a bit more than an ordinary cab.

Normally, getting a taxi from the airport to our condominium in Causeway Bay would be around HK$300. With Jumbo Taxi it was just over HK$400.

I think it would be better if the company’s call centre either lowered its HK$50 booking fee or waived it altogether, except for fares during weekday and weekend peak hours.

We wanted to book another Jumbo Taxi mid-afternoon on ­Saturday, a relatively quiet time, but decided not to take it when we were told we would have to pay a HK$50 booking fee.

Maybe this fee is only applicable at weekends. I would ­appreciate clarification on that point from the company.

I understand Jumbo Taxi is planning to expand its fleet, so maybe it is time for it to consider my suggestion.

Eunice Li Dan-yue, Shanghai

E-learning can help keep city competitive

I agree with correspondents who argue that students can benefit from more e-learning in schools and universities. I for one would like to see e-learning being used in more subjects.

For one thing, it offers youngsters an enormous quantity of material online. With the right approach, teachers can use this form of learning for more ­effective teaching outcomes, for ­example, by using virtual reality.

Some schools are standard bearers in this field. For example, Pak Kau College in Tin Shui Wai has what it calls “advanced interactive technology classrooms”. These classes ­enable teachers to fully utilise virtual reality.

Universities are rapidly ­expanding their internet use. Stanford University in the US ­offers a number of ­online courses, which include video lectures and peer ­assessment.

In science subjects, students will often sit in a crowded lab. With virtual reality goggles, they can be transported, for example, to Hong Kong Wetland Park and ­study in a more interesting and rewarding way.

Hong Kong is falling behind other economies when it comes to the fields of technology and science. ­Hopefully we can rectify this and catch up by expanding ­e-learning.

Cassandra Choi, Tsing Yi

Kindergarten reports must be bilingual

All of these reports should be in both English and Chinese. Hong Kong is an international city and a lot of parents here cannot read Chinese. It is not fair to them, as it is difficult for them to make the right choice for their children. They want to be able to read these reports so they can make quality comparisons.

Surely bureau officials realise that this is a problem which should be rectified as soon as possible.

Cherry Tang, Kowloon City

Let restaurants list salt, sugar levels on menu

A study by the Consumer Council and Centre for Food Safety “discovered alarming levels of salt and fat in 10 popular Hong Kong-style dishes”.

In Hong Kong, most of us live at such a fast pace. We seem to be in a rush in all aspects of our lives, including what we eat.

If we have a lot to do in the ­office we want to grab a meal that can be ordered and eaten ­quickly, and we often do not pay attention to the ingredients, such as sugar and salt content.

Restaurants can help by providing details of the ingredients of meals on their menu, listing things like salt, sugar and fat content. This will allow diners to make informed decisions.

Mani Lau, Tiu Keng Leng