HK hailed for showing that cars are not the way forward
8 April 2006
South China Morning Post

http://www.globalphotos.org/hongkong/20051012/OCT12-S01-060.jpg

Hong Kong could be a role model for China in terms of sustainable mass public transport, an expert in the field said yesterday while suggesting the mainland public was becoming too dependent on the use of cars rather than railways.

Peter ******, professor of city policy and director of the Institute for Sustainability and Technology Policy at Murdoch University in Australia, said extensive construction of roads and an over-reliance on cars were outdated modes of development.

He described the problem of dependence on cars as being as obvious as "an elephant in the room" and said it was the biggest problem of 21st-century cities.

He was speaking at a plenary session of the 12th International Sustainable Development Research Conference organised by the Centre of Urban Planning and Environmental Management, University of Hong Kong.

The South China Morning Post is a media partner of the event, which was attended by about 300 academics and researchers worldwide on a diversified theme of sustainable development.

"If you look at the Chinese cities now, there is lots of {hellip} development but no more bicycles in the street. Cars seem to be the future of China. In this regard, the Hong Kong model is important," he said.

It was estimated that if China's car ownership rate reached the same level of the United States, the additional number of cars would amount to 800 million, which would have serious implications for depleting oil reserves.

"Hong Kong will survive any oil crisis as it is structured to be able to," said Professor ******, who helped to draft a sustainable development strategy for Western Australia.

He added that Hong Kong had the edge in sustainable transport which was used by about 82 per cent of the population, compared with just 15 per cent in Perth. The passenger car usage rate was also much lower than other places.

It was estimated that the average kilometres per person travelled by car was just 930km a year, versus 13,500km in Perth.

He said generally roads were far less effective in terms of carrying capacity, saying that one rail could replace up to 12 lanes of freeway in Australia.

"It's all about space, and space is money in the city," he said.

The three-day sustainable conference will end today.

Only because HK is so dense. It doesn't work this way in most cities, ESPECIALLY those of the western world.

Lol his name was censored out - yea I read that article in today's SCMP.

Yea, most of HKers either take the bus or MTR/KCR.

Also, I think cars in HK cost much more than in North America for example. This has probably slowed the adoption of the car.

Gas prices are also absurdly high. I guess driving is for the wealthy. But I wouldn't drive in HK - there are too many options that are easier and less costly.

I dream of the day I can experience such great efficiency. 20 minutes waiting for the bus leaves me frustrated.

It's weird. I put in the name of the professor, but when I post it it automatically blocks out.

while mass transit won't work for western cities, it would definitely work in Chinese cities...

I'm surprised that the Chinese gov't, with its supreme control over the economy and foreign investment, didn't do something more daring in terms of transportation planning, such as requiring all foreign car companies to sell only hybrids or even go as far as allowing only Liquid Hydrogen or whteva HK taxis use... I think China totally has the power and influence to do it...

I don't think the technology is there to do a major shift to hybrid or renewable energy vehicles en masse. This is not even possible in many Western countries, so there will be a lot of resistance from the manufacturers to do so in China.

We definitely have the tech for hybrid... come to LA and see how many freaking identical Toyota hybrid prius are on the road... besides, it only seems impossible bcoz the US gov't is constantly lobbied by the car manufacturers... the tech has been here for a long time...

i think what with China being communist and all, the gov't can basically ask for anything from foreign companies coz they're so desperate to get in... I mean they got even Google to censor search results, why not get GM/Ford to sell only hybrids or something even better? same thing goes for gas companies and other automobile related industries...

It's weird. I put in the name of the professor, but when I post it it automatically blocks out.

I believe that is the same last name as one of the moderators. He said he doesn't want to be spammed, thus banned his last name from being posted.

We definitely have the tech for hybrid... come to LA and see how many freaking identical Toyota hybrid prius are on the road... besides, it only seems impossible bcoz the US gov't is constantly lobbied by the car manufacturers... the tech has been here for a long time...

i think what with China being communist and all, the gov't can basically ask for anything from foreign companies coz they're so desperate to get in... I mean they got even Google to censor search results, why not get GM/Ford to sell only hybrids or something even better? same thing goes for gas companies and other automobile related industries...
Can mainlanders afford the more pricey hybrids though?

>> Hong Kong - A Model for Sustainable Mass Public Transport

It's because we have HKT...:D

Yea, there is really no point to drive a car. You have a lot of taxi and mass transportation in HK.

It is really necessary to promote the pros of the public transport instead of private transport to the world! :speech:

November 16, 2008
Transport
On track for smooth rail development

Hong Kong's commuters can expect an even smoother ride in future thanks to the success of the Highways Department's transport planning model for railway development.

The system simulates rail links for different alignments, projects their patronage and revenue, and assesses their financial and economic benefits.

Yeung Kong-sang, senior engineer of the department's Railway Development Office, told news.gov.hk the system has been helping the Government plan Hong Kong's future rail links since its launch in 2000. Data and forecast assumptions from government departments and organisations are continuously fed into the system to enhance its accuracy.

"I now have even more confidence in our model as government departments now have more comprehensive data, such as on future road networks, population and job distribution, and the latest traffic statistics. My office validates these model forecasts with the actual figures annually," Mr Yeung said.

Trip computer

Engineer James Chu said the system can analyse the volume and distribution of people and traffic flow in each area, as well as commuters' choice of routes and mode of transport.

"Taking into account other transport competitors, the model can compare the costs and journey time for possible paths using different transport modes if a new railway is being contemplated, and forecast the passenger flow at each station at different times and the potential revenue generated," Mr Chu said.

"Such information is useful in planning the location and size of rail stations, the number of station exits, train compartments and headways, and interchange arrangements with existing rail lines."

Data input

The system has Hong Kong divided into 405 sub-zones, with each containing socio-economic data such as population, age distribution, employment, household income, school capacity, land use, hotel rooms, passenger figures at control points, container-terminal throughput and GDP.

Other inputs include transport infrastructure and network systems, such as future and existing rail and highway networks, and other public transport services, like franchised buses, minibuses, taxis, private cars and ferries, and their charges, routing, frequencies, stop locations and tunnel fees.

With all this information the system can estimate the number of trips generated and their distribution, the choice of transport modes and the loading on roads and services, and ultimately a detailed rail model analysis for the evaluation of rail operations.

When planning a new town, population is a key factor in deciding whether to build a new rail link, which is mass transit but high in cost, or to provide other transport options.

Cost effectiveness

Besides planning, the model can assess forecasts made in rail companies' proposals. Based on patronage, revenue and spending estimates, a financial analysis can be made to study whether a government subsidy is needed for a rail project.

"Although no simulations can be 100% accurate, particularly if it involves human behaviour, the model provides reasonable projections and achieves a good level of accuracy," Mr Yeung said.

To maximise this accuracy the system is kept up-to-date regularly to accommodate changes in the course of planning, such as the recent rail merger, alterations in bus routes or town and road planning, revised birth and mortality rates, and changes in other statistics.

These efforts will assure Hong Kong's rail network will remain one of the world's most efficient transport systems for decades to come.

http://www.news.gov.hk/tc/category/infrastructureandlogistics/081105/features/html/081105p013jpg.jpg
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What rubbish - more and more cars are registered every year and this will only get worse with cross border licences increasing. HK Gov is pro train, pro new infrastructure and that is where the strategy ends. They have no plan to manage congestion throughout HK that does not involve pouring concrete

Hey... look who came back! I'm not even going to dignify your posts with a response. Perhaps someone else might think it worthwhile to entertain you, though.

Hey... look who came back! I'm not even going to dignify your posts with a response. Perhaps someone else might think it worthwhile to entertain you, though.

lol same here!

旺區倡低排 八成小巴貨車禁入
(明報)2009年8月27日 星期四 05:05
【明報專訊】為改善行人環境，環境局建議在中環 、旺角 及銅鑼灣 設低排放區，禁止歐盟 三期或以下標準的商業車進入彌敦道、皇后大道中 、軒尼詩道等街道，惟本港逾八成小巴、客貨車及貨車均未達歐盟四期標準。有區議員建議分階段實施，確保業界有足夠緩衝期換車，另政府將研究透過增高齡車牌費，加快更換環保車的步伐。

要配合低排放區，當局希望加快淘汰舊型車，政府自2007年撥款32億元資助業界換車，截至今年7月底僅批出5.2億元，反應冷淡，但環境局長邱騰華 表示不可能再「加碼」（見另稿）。據了解，待資助計劃於明年3月截止，政府會探討以懲罰方式加速淘汰舊車，邱騰華說︰「政府已向運輸業付出不少（資助），但一直無罰則。」

旺角中環銅鑼灣主街道 歐三或以下禁入

根據《空氣質素指標檢討》研究報告，3個低排放區涉及多條主要街道（見圖），其中旺角區低排放區範圍甚廣，包括太子道西至碧街的一段彌敦道、亞皆老街、弼街、旺角道等，銅鑼灣低排放區則包括天樂里以東的軒尼詩道、駱克道、堅拿道東及堅拿道西等，中環的德輔道中及皇后大道中亦被建議納入低排放區。

在低排放區內，所有歐盟三期或以下標準的商業車均不得內進。據悉，政府未確定低排放區的實施時段、每周日數、執行細節等，亦未有實施時間表。

港大機械工程系教授梁耀彰指出，低排放區會將污染物轉移到其他區域，對實質減排無作用，但外國近年仍普遍採用，原因是鬧市污染最嚴重，人口密度最高，低排放區可令最多人受惠。他認為措施有助鼓勵市民轉用環保車，如電動車，建議政府同時禁止舊型號的私家車進入低排放區，因其人均排放量遠較巴士高。

建議納入旺角低排放區的的弼街、旺角道等常有小巴行走，新填地街、廣東道等則佈滿建築材料店，常有客貨車上落貨，但本港逾八成柴油輕型貨車、中型及重型貨車及小巴均未達歐盟四期標準（見表）。

公共小型巴士總商會主席凌志強表示，本港1700多架公共小巴中，仍有數百架屬歐盟二期或前期，絕大多數為紅色小巴。他指旺角、中環、銅鑼灣均屬交通旺區，大部分小巴路線行經有關街道，「單是旺角已影響800至900架小巴，全線預料1000多架小巴受影響」。

倡分階段實施 遷就上落貨

他透露，更換一架小巴的成本約44萬元，會為業界帶來加價壓力。油尖旺區議會 交通運輸委員會主席侯永昌建議按上落貨時段及街道分階段實施低排放區，「現時經濟不好，政府補貼又不多，很難一刀切要求業界換車」。

東區區議會交通及運輸事務委員會主席許嘉灝認為，銅鑼灣低排放區接近紅隧出入口，影響客貨車進出商業區。中西區區議會交通及運輸委員會主席楊浩然認為，中環較少紅色小巴及客貨車出入，較有空間盡早實施低排放區，「應該一早就做，始終政府都宣傳換車多年」。

明報記者 何嘉敏 馬耀森 古治雄

(Source: http://hk.news.yahoo.com/article/090826/4/dwq9.html)

^^ Sounds like a plan. Would love to see it happens, but it is going to take a every fortune Yau has to get through the the district council and the legislators at this point of time.
So the bottom line will be...... forget it.

Probably won't be too easy to enforce as well...

Probably won't be too easy to enforce as well...

There is another article about this from Ming Pao listing where this policy is being implemented right now.

I think it is Sweden or one of the Viking countries put a special sticker on the vehicle to identify which engine is the vehicle using. So that the police can find out which vehicle is in violation of the law, and prosecute it accordingly.

In London this involved setting up cameras and checking the registration number (similar technology to the Congestion Zone) and comparing it to the database. HK probably need to find a cheaper way around it.