THB and TD hold Multi-stakeholder Exchange Forum for Public Transport Sector (with photos)
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The Forum was attended by around 100 guests representing stakeholders of the public transport sector including operators of railways, franchised buses, public light buses, non-franchised buses, taxis, trams and ferries.
The Secretary for Transport and Housing, Mr Frank Chan Fan, said in his opening remarks that over 12 million passengers trips are made on public transport services in Hong Kong every day, accounting for nearly 90 per cent of the total daily passenger trips, which is the highest level in the world. The Government has been adopting a public transport-oriented policy with railways as the backbone for years, and has been actively developing different public transport services to provide the public with more choices for added convenience.
Mr Chan said that, at present, different public transport services have their respective roles and positioning having regard to their efficiency and functions. They can effectively perform their functions and complement each other in healthy competition. He spoke on the Government's vision to continue developing different public transport services in the future, and outlined a number of new initiatives for enhancing public transport services and alleviating road traffic congestion in order to increase the efficiency of public transport services.
Mr Chan also described different future challenges faced by the public transport services, which include increasing demand for barrier-free transport, public concerns about the impact of road traffic on air quality, effective application of technology and opening up of data to enhance the quality and efficiency of the public transport services. He said he hoped that through the concerted efforts of all, the quality of public transport services and the public transport ecosystem could be further enhanced and improved to meet the new challenges.
Three guest speakers, namely the Deputy Director (Administration and Resources) and Head of the Centre for Logistics and Transport of the School of Professional and Continuing Education at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), Dr Dorothy Chan; the Associate Dean (Development and External Relations) of the Faculty of Engineering and Chair Professor of the Department of Civil Engineering of HKU, Professor Wong Sze-chun; and the Chief Executive Officer of Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited, Mr Peter Yan, were invited to the Forum to share their experiences and suggestions on three topics of concern to the public. These topics were "Promoting 'Transport for All'", "Promoting environmentally friendly public transport services" and "Using technology and opening up data for public transport services".
In the second half of the Forum, representatives of stakeholders of different public transport sectors exchanged views on "How the public transport operators can capitalise on the strengths of their established roles and positioning in the public transport system to meet the new challenges". The participants expressed their views enthusiastically and shared their experiences and suggestions.
The Commissioner for Transport, Ms Mable Chan, thanked all the participants and guests in her closing remarks for their innovative suggestions to improve the quality and operating environment of public transport services, which could maintain healthy competition and sustainable development among public transport modes. She indicated that with the extensive deliberations and joint efforts, the public could enjoy more efficient, environmentally friendly public transport services with higher service levels.
Ends/Monday, November 12, 2018
Issued at HKT 16:59
Issued at HKT 16:59
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