Bridge to Kwun Tong 'preferred option' in East Kowloon monorail plans

The city would be better off building a bridge between the old Kai Tak airport runway and Kwun Tong for its planned monorail system rather than making use of an existing taxiway that would take passengers via Kowloon Bay before heading to Kwun Tong.

Both ideas for the East Kowloon monorail involve crossing water, but the first is described as the "recommended option" in the government's second stage of consultation, which was launched yesterday.

The monorail is to run through the old Kai Tak airport runway, Kwun Tong, Kowloon Bay and part of Kowloon City, with about 10 stations along the way. The area is being dubbed the city's next Central.

The project is controversial because of its high cost - estimated at HK$12 billion - and the government's failure to consider other ideas, such as one presented in April by French operator Veolia Transport, which runs the Hongkong Tramways.

Veolia suggested building a tram system that included the taxiway at a cost of HK$2.8 billion - less than a quarter of the monorail estimate.

It argued that this would also eliminate the need for a new bridge at the tip of the runway that could block ships with high-masted ships from entering the Kwun Tong typhoon shelter.

At the consultation launch yesterday, the government left out the tramway proposal but said it recognised the advantage of employing the old taxiway.