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The Secretary for Transport and Housing, Ms Eva Cheng, today (June 18) spoke at the "Green Transport in Hong Kong, Asia's World City" exhibition and seminar in Shanghai. The event was part of Hong Kong's participation in World Expo 2010 Shanghai China (Shanghai Expo).
In her speech titled "Green Transport in Hong Kong", Ms Cheng shared Hong Kong's experience and strategic directions in developing a green transport system.
"Forbes magazine ranked Hong Kong's commute the best among 84 cities worldwide in 2008 because our transport system is reliable, efficient and very reasonably priced," Ms Cheng said.
"Our transport sector emits much less greenhouse gas on a per capita basis than its counterparts in most developed economies. Hong Kong relies heavily on public transport, with railways serving as the backbone."
Ms Cheng highlighted to the Mainland and overseas audience that around 90% of Hong Kong's residents use public transport every day, significantly reducing congestion on Hong Kong's roads.
"Our private car ownership rate is very low, which is only 56 private cars per 1,000 population," she said.
This helped reduce the environmental impact of meeting the transport needs of the community, she added.
Ms Cheng outlined four key strategies for the sustainable development of Hong Kong's transport system. They are:
* Integration of transport and city planning;
* Encouraging the use of railways and walking to reduce the demand for land transport;
* Improving the management of transportation and the efficiency of land transport; and
* Adopting green technologies to reduce pollution.
Ms Cheng was joined by the Secretary General of the Shanghai Urban and Rural Construction and Transport Commission, Mr Xu Jianqun; and the Director of Centre of Urban Studies and Urban Planning, The University of Hong Kong (HKU), Professor Anthony Yeh, in officiating the opening ceremony.
Other speakers from Hong Kong included the Deputy Director of Planning, Mr Jimmy Leung, who spoke about urban planning; and the Chief Executive Officer of MTR Corporation Limited, Mr C K Chow, who addressed the issue of financing green transport.
Professor David Banister from Oxford University in Britain also shared the international experience of green transport at the seminar.
In a separate panel discussion, the Deputy Director of Shanghai City Comprehensive Transportation Planning Institute, Mr Chen Bizhuang; Professor Pan Haixiao and Professor Peng Zhongren from Tongji University; and Professor Anthony Yeh from HKU discussed the development of green transport in Shanghai.
The event was jointly organised by the HKSAR Government, the Centre of Urban Studies and Urban Planning and the Institute of Transport Studies of HKU, the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in Hong Kong, and the Hong Kong Institute of Planners.
The seminar was held at Shanghai International Convention Centre, Pudong. More than 250 scholars and stakeholders from the transport and planning professions attended the event.
For more details about Hong Kong's participation in Shanghai Expo, please visit www.hkexpo2010.gov.hk.
Ends/Friday, June 18, 2010
Issued at HKT 16:48
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