Untitled - Civic Exchange

SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT IN HONG KONG: DIRECTIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES
8. Until electronic road pricing (ERP) is introduced inclusive of goods vehicles (see Point 5),
goods vehicles (except for demolition/construction work) should be banned from the most
congested areas for a three- to four-hour period each day, split between morning and evening
rush hour periods.
The pedestrian experience:
9. The pedestrian experience must be treated by the Transport Department as an integral part of
every public transport journey. In addition, the responsible government departments (e.g.,
Transport, Planning, Works etc) must work together to ensure that walking on urban streets in
Hong Kong is safe, and, as far as is possible, pleasant.
• In particular, pedestrian walkways must be wide enough to avoid excessive crowding;
obstructions (permanent or temporary) must not force pedestrians onto roadways; there
should always be an interrupted sidewalk (on at least one side) for the entire length of each
urban block; and seating, shade, and shelter should be provided at intervals.
• For new development areas, uninterrupted pedestrian (and in some cases bicycle) corridors
should be provided to permit residents to walk between home and major transport access
points (as well as to shopping and amenity sites) without experiencing excess motor
vehicle exhaust and noise or the need to cross busy roads.
Greater transparency in policy formulation:
10. The Legislative Council should push for greater transparency and critical review of transport
issues and policy formulation.
11. The Transport Bureau should be re-structured so as to enable transport decision-making to be
integrated more effectively into overall planning in the HKSAR government.
• The re-structured Bureau should follow the lead of the Planning Department in holding
focused stakeholder public consultations to promote community involvement in
sustainability issues.
12. To make the assessment process more transparent and those leading it more accountable, the
Transport Bureau and Transport Department should seek public comment on the terms of
reference (scope of work) for all major transport planning assessments before these are finalized.
The whole of a consultancy study (not just the summary) should be released to the public
automatically upon completion.
A new approach to transport planning:
13. Government should explore the possibility of using Hong Kong Island South as a pilot area for
developing integrated (and far more sustainable) land use/transport/environmental strategies.
Table 8.1 summarizes the major elements of our vision for a more sustainable transport system for
Hong Kong.
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