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1. Does Hong Kong need the South and West Island MTR lines?

1. Does Hong Kong need the South and West Island MTR lines?
SCMP, 16 February 2007

Hotels are being planned at Ocean Park and development between Pok Fu Lam and Aberdeen has been rampant. Huge high rises are going up. And, again, all of this is being done without the proper infrastructure in place to cope with the increase in people and cars.

Anyone who lives in the south will disagree with the "no traffic jam" assessment ("Low priority for South Island Line", C4, February 13).

Clearly, no one from Legco has ever sat in the jams at the Aberdeen tunnel or squeezed their way through Kennedy Town to get up to Pok Fu Lam.

These two bottlenecks are the prime access to the south side. Already they are feeling the strain. Building the line will give tourists proper access to Ocean Park and their hotels, better access to Cyberport, which may finally become more attractive to tenants, and open up opportunities to Aberdeen , with its factories crying out to be recycled as cool loft living space.

But, most importantly, a decision as to when the line should go ahead should never, ever rest with the minibus lobby. If I had my way there would be no more minibuses in Hong Kong . The minibus drivers' dangerous driving practices, including stopping wherever and whenever they choose, in the middle of the road and on street corners, make them a liability to all other drivers.

Their lobby has too much influence. How can you possibly equate the jobs of 300 people with the overall needs of thousands, especially as the minibuses will find new routes anyway?

Furthermore, for the sake of our environment, we should be encouraging the use of rail rather than road.

Karen Prochazka, Shouson Hill

I have lived in Pok Fu Lam over the past two years and seldom go to Cyberport. The development hardly qualifies as a "shopping complex".

It has been more than two years since the grand opening and yet the mall is vastly empty. It is a shame as the mall is so spacious and the architecture is so beautiful. So far, the stores are turnoffs. How often do people shop for wedding gowns, get married in a mall wedding chapel, or purchase toys from Wise Kids?

With hardly any dining options except a selected few fast-food outlets in the food court, the mall has been a disappointment.

With an MTR line to Cyberport in development, I strongly urge the government and the developers of Cyberport to activate the future-tech development. Currently, the most popular attraction is the Broadway Cinemas. Not only are tickets reasonably cheap, the seats and sound system are great.

With so many residential and office buildings in the surrounding area, I am positive that restaurants and shops in Cyberport would take in strong revenue. The government can also promote more events, such as last year's Cirque du Soleil, by Cyberport.

Grace Lien, Pok Fu Lam