Letters | How MTR can play fairy godmother to Hong Kong’s nightlife
- Readers discuss how transport at night could boost the government’s ‘Night Vibes’ campaign, and cases of unauthorised building works at a luxury residential estate
Five major tube lines in London run a 24-hour service on Fridays and Saturdays. Called the Night Tube, the overnight train service, which was launched in 2016, plays an active role in supporting the nightlife and economy of the city.
According to the mayor of London, the Night Tube helps to boost the city’s economy by £77 million per year (HK$733 million) and supports 2,000 permanent jobs.
More importantly, the Night Tube supports many workers who travel to and from work in the early hours. This population amounts to 50 per cent of London’s night bus users. As such, the night tube services also benefit an often overlooked group which supports the workings of the city after dark.
Given that the Night Vibes campaign will include a night bazaar along the Wan Chai promenade, and special activities in Lan Kwai Fong, Disneyland and Ocean Park, it would make practical sense to extend MTR services to support these events, allowing locals and visitors alike to travel across the city and access the array of activities available.
While MTR’s planned “ride five, get one free” promotion after 10.30pm is encouraging, offering an extension of train services well past midnight on Friday and Saturday night could practically facilitate, sustain and enrich the nightlife culture of Hong Kong. Drawing on London’s experience, such overnight train services could begin with a couple of major lines that cut across the city in four cardinal directions, with train services every 10-20 minutes.
In the case of Hong Kong, service extensions on MTR’s Island and Tsuen Wan lines could boost attendance at the planned night bazaars and activities in Hong Kong’s nightlife hubs of SoHo, Mong Kok and Tsim Sha Tsui, which these two MTR lines serve. A further expansion to other lines could also be considered based on the public’s reception of such service extensions.
Hong Kong has a cornucopia of nightlife options ripe for the picking. It would prove useful to provide the transport infrastructure that would enable locals and tourists to reach them.
Joanne Tsang, London
Slippery slope of illegal structures needs tough action
The owner of House No 74 at first refused to allow government officers to enter. The authorities later executed a court warrant to inspect the premises and found extensive unauthorised modifications there.
The three houses initially identified had illegally occupied government land. The authorities decided to issue statutory orders to the owners, requiring them to remove the unauthorised building works and reinstate the parts affected.
The owners will probably try to delay punishment by abusing the lengthy appeal process. The authorities will eventually take prosecution action. The court will then impose a fine that will not pinch the owners too hard – and that’s all. I hope what I have predicted will not come true as it will hardly relieve public anger.
This seems to be the most serious case of unauthorised building works that has ever been reported. The court should take this background and the uncooperative attitude of the owner during the course of investigation into account.
It is also time for the whole of society to review whether the penalties or fines imposed by the court have enough of a deterrent effect to stamp out illegal alteration.
Jordan C.M. Tam, Tseung Kwan O
