Untitled - Civic Exchange

Introduction & Summary
service within the HKSAR as a whole would improve. More importantly, the external benefits associated
with these changes would improve the quality of life for everyone in Hong Kong. 5
Elements of a more sustainable transport system
Our vision of a more sustainable transport system for Hong Kong focuses on six major elements:
1. Changes in government support for different modes of mass transport, specifically in
terms of government financing for passenger rail systems.
The HKSAR is exceptional, and probably unique, in requiring its passenger rail systems
to be largely self-financing. As a result, even though Hong Kong has the highest
population density in the world, the coverage of rail network is fairly limited compared to
that in other "world cities." The external benefits of replacing bus with rail service,
including improvements in air quality, noise levels, and congestion, are significant.
Although it is now government policy to give priority to rail development, there are no
plans to change the current rail financing system or promote better bus-rail coordination.
2. Re-assessment of the appropriate balance between competition and coordination among
different transport modes.
While competition between transport modes and a greater variety of modal choices (bus,
rail, tram, taxi etc.) benefit travelers, wasteful competition may actually impose higher
external costs on the community as a whole by increasing congestion and the
environmental impacts of transport. Better coordination of different transport modes
would improve energy efficiency and lower the external and internal costs of transport.
3. Re-examination of the feasibility of tethered electric transport (electric trolley buses and
modern trams) for Hong Kong, especially in highly polluted and noisy urban areas.
Tethered electric transport systems should be integrated into plans for all new
development areas and selectively introduced on the most polluted and noisy roads in
older urban areas, with the goal of replacing most or all diesel buses. Reliance on diesel
vehicles in dense urban areas is simply incompatible with attaining acceptable air quality
at street level or reducing harmful levels of noise.
4. Mandated use of cleaner engines and fuels in road transport vehicles.
(a)
(b)
The Hong Kong government should encourage and assist Guangdong authorities in the
development of the planned Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal. The transition to a
natural gas economy throughout the Pearl River Delta is perhaps the most promising
option for improving regional air quality.
We also recommend that government facilitate the use of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)
in single-decker buses and medium goods vehicles and test its application in doubledecker
buses and heavy goods vehicles.
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Given the resources available for this project, we are unable to quantify future costs for consumers, and the impact
on government expenditures/revenues with adequate precision. Nonetheless, we are confident that the overall
picture outlined here is accurate, although we would welcome a detailed study on these points from government.
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