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Why noise pollution in Mong Kok will remain even after the street performers are gone
I refer to the article, “Hong Kong pedestrian zone to be scrapped after more than 1,000 complaints about Mong Kok street performers”, May 17).
Some politicians have suggested a licensing plan for performers, but I disagree. A licensing system would not be effective in solving the problem of noise. The street performers would move to other pedestrian zones and the situation would remain unchanged.
Besides, there’s the question of allocating licences. There would be only a few hundred licences for performers. And if the criterion is to be the quality of performers, the question is, why should bad performers not be allowed in public areas? They may be passionate about their acts.
Watch: Street performers in Mong Kok draw crowds ... and complaints
Art should not be judged as good or bad. The licensing system undermines the freedom of performing art.
Moreover, if the pedestrian zone is reopened to traffic, the noise problem will resurface as people will then complain about traffic noise.
Why Mong Kok’s street performers are not music to the ears
I think monitoring the decibel level of performers in the city would be more effective. A maximum volume of 85 decibels should be set. There may be a need for supervision, with warnings and punishments issued, on weekends.
Chow Sin Ying, Ma Wan
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