How Northern Metropolis plan could help Hong Kong step up as a logistics hub

The Hong Kong government announced the development of a Northern Metropolis covering 300 sq km in the north of the city to be developed into an international information technology hub while housing 2.5 million people. The plan has drawn support from various quarters. It will strengthen ties between the Qianhai economic zone in Shenzhen and Hong Kong, as well as enhance social and economic development in the two cities.

The administration should pay attention to the fact that most of the land in the New Territories is now undeveloped agricultural land and brownfield sites with low productivity. It also includes a large number of open container yards, car parks, open storage and recycling yards.

The volume of cross-border land freight has steadily declined in recent years, as has the use of many container yards. In the implementation of the Northern Metropolis, attention should be paid to the operators of these container yards and open storage yards with relocation policies put in place for them. Those policies should also tell the public how the revitalisation of abandoned agricultural land will be implemented.

Hong Kong is one of the biggest container ports in China. I suggest our government take advantage of Hong Kong’s free port status and make use of the vast area in the Northern Metropolis for container yards, open storage and other logistics operations.

These could leverage the use of new cloud-based container management technology to connect customers, customs and freight transport systems. The data of operators, drivers, container yards and shipping companies should be processed centrally to save manpower and time.

Goods from the Greater Bay Area and Dongguan could be shipped overseas via Hong Kong, making Hong Kong the largest and fastest freight logistics centre.

On the other hand, the pandemic has accelerated the use of online technology in the logistics industry. Logistics businesses no longer simply involve solutions for warehousing and transport but also cloud supply chain solutions.

For example, when manufacturers encounter unforeseeable situations during the delivery process, they can track the shipment location through the cloud system and understand the delivery progress of the goods in a timely manner. This improves inventory management. Currently, cloud management systems are widely used in Europe and the United States.

James Tsui, Kowloon Bay

Sai Kung roundabout needs attention

All those going into Sai Kung Country Park must go past a hideous roundabout that does not befit rich Hong Kong. The roundabout is concrete with no flowers or even cultivated grass.

Knowing what a good job the Leisure and Cultural Services Department has done with many roundabouts, such as those at each end of Sai Sha Road in Sai Kung, I asked the department to renovate this roundabout visible to all walkers going into the park.

However, the department said work “was not supported from the relevant government departments, which in turn is not a favourable environment and provision for our future maintenance of the plants there”. I ask, through your columns, for the aforementioned government departments to give some understandable reason for not taking up this good work.

Alan Crawley, Sai Kung

Pedestrians also play a role in road safety

I am writing in response to the many traffic accidents being reported in the news these days. Apart from errant drivers, the careless and perilous behaviour of pedestrians could also be at fault.

It is common to see pedestrians walking on the roads despite the traffic, especially when the pavements are narrow.

Melody Leung, Lam Tin