A Trip to Hong Kong - Transportation
This is a part of 5 presentations in essays with pictures.
During December 29, 2009 to January 1, 2010, I and my family, Pracob, Natti, and Palm had a trip to Hong Kong
During the New Year 2010 Vacation. We spent 3 nights and 3 days in Hong Kong. Day 1, we visited Venetian Macau, the world largest Casino complex, with gambling areas, shopping area, and food service area. Day 2, we visited some places in Hong Kong, including the Kawloon side, via traveling by MTR, the Hong Kong subway, and taxi. Day 3, we went to shopping malls did some shopping and exploring more food.
I also present the transportation - how to travel to Hong Kong and in Hong Kong. We also concluded our viewpoints about Hong Kong in a very short summary - with some selected keywords. We are grateful for the useful materials from Wikipedia,the free enclycopedia.
Pracob Cooparat
E-mail: pracob@sb4af.org
The followings are the final part about the transportation to Hong Kong and within Kong Kong:
Transportation in Hong Kong
It is impossible for 3 of us to really sum up all information first hand about the transportation system in Hong Kong. However I found it very interesting and would like to have this blog serve more for the Thai - to learn English as well as to learn about the transportation system, which is highly advanced and integrated.
As a Bangkokian, it will be very valuable for us to learn from Hong Kong. We may not need to follow them in very means of transportation. Bangkok is flat, while Hong Kong is quite hilly. Bangkok is not as densely populated as in Hong Kong, so people in Bangkok can live more on the flat ground, with more stack-up buildings than we used to. However, we may not need as many high rise buildings as much as in Hong Kong.
Bangkok is not any island, so there may not be needs for the kind of ferries and tunnels like in Hong Kong. There are still many good lessons and examples we should learn from them.
Pracob Cooparat
January 7, 2010
Introduction
Hong Kong has a highly developed and sophisticated transport network, encompassing both public and private transport. Over 90% of the daily journeys are on public transport, making it the highest rate in the world.[1]
Picture - Octopus card
Since 1997, an electronic money system, namely the Octopus card, has been introduced to provide an alternative to the traditional banknotes and coins. Available for purchase in every station of the Mass Transit Railway system, the Octopus card is now a means of payment for not only public transport (such as trains, buses, trams, ferries and minibuses), but also widely used at parking meters, convenience stores, supermarkets, fast-food restaurants, and some vending machines. (Wikipedia, 2009)
Notes: There should be a coordinated plan for Bangkok to integrate all mass transport system - all lines of mass rapid transit system, buses, microbuses to facililate Bangkokians to commuting daily with less use of personal cars.
Escalators and moving pavements
Picture - Central-Mid-Levels escalator
The differences between Hong Kong and other global cities like New York, Londaon, or Paris, are that Hong Kong is noticeably dominated by steep, hilly terrain, which required the development of unusual methods of transport up and down the slopes. In Central and Western district, there is an extensive system of zero-fare escalators and moving pavements.
The Mid-levels Escalator is the longest outdoor covered escalator system in the world,[2] operating downhill until 10 am for commuters going to work, and then operating uphill until midnight.[3]
The Mid-levels Escalator consists of 20 escalators and 3 moving pavements. It is 800 metres long,[4] and climbs 135 vertical metres.[5] Total travel time is approximately 25 minutes,[2] but most people walk while the escalator moves to shorten the travel time. Due to its vertical climb, the same distance is equivalent to several miles of zigzagging roads if travelled by car. Daily traffic exceeds 35,000 people. It has been operating since 1993 and cost HK$ 240 million (USD $30 million) to build.
A second Mid-Levels escalator set is planned in Sai Ying Pun.
Rail Transport
There are two kinds of rail transport in Hong Kong - one is between Hong Kong and other cities, and the other is the internal rail system of Hong Kong.
Picture - Beijing-Kowloon Through Train, hauled by
a SS8 electric locomotive, passing through
Tai Po Market Station in Hong Kong
Picture - A train at Tai Wai Station of the MTR East Rail Line
MTR
Hong Kong has an extensive train network. Public transport trains are operated by the MTR Corporation Limited. The MTR operates the metro network within inner urban Hong Kong, Kowloon Peninsula and northern part of Hong Kong Island with newly developed areas, Tsuen Wan, Tseung Kwan O, Tung Chung, Hong Kong Disneyland, the Hong Kong International Airport, the northeastern and northwestern parts of the New Territories. The Hong Kong Tramways operates a tram service exclusively on northern Hong Kong Island. The Peak Tram connects Central, Hong Kong's central business district, with the Victoria Peak.
Notes: MTR in Hong Kong is not as large as the Subway of New York City (MTA), but they can serve the comparable size of population, when integrated with other means of transporation - buses, light rails, light buses, taxis, etc.
Picture - MTR or Hong Kong subway during rush hours
Picture - Natti on the MTR
Picture - Pracob on the MTR, working on the
There are all together ten lines in the MTR system, with a total of 83 railway stations and 68 light rail stops. The ten lines are East Rail Line, Kwun Tong Line, Tsuen Wan Line, Island Line, Tung Chung Line, Tseung Kwan O Line, West Rail Line, Ma On Shan Line, the Airport Express and the Disneyland Resort Line. Eight of the lines provide ordinary metro services, whereas the Airport Express provides a direct link from the Hong Kong International Airport into the city centre, while the Disneyland Resort Line exclusively takes passengers to Hong Kong Disneyland.
Picture - Light Rail in Hong Kong, looks more like a tram.
The Light Rail possesses many characteristics of a tramway, including running on streets with other traffic (at grades) on some of its tracks and providing services for the public in New Territories West, including Tuen Mun and Yuen Long.
All trains and most MTR stations are air conditioned.
Tram Ways
Picture - Hong Kong Tramways, double deckers
The Hong Kong Tramways is the tram (streetcar) system run exclusively with double deckers.[6] The electric tram system was proposed in 1881;[7] however nobody was willing to invest in a system at the time. In August 1901, the Second Tramway Bill was introduced and passed into law as the 1902 Tramway Ordinance. Hong Kong Tramway Electric Company Limited, a British company, was authorised to take the responsibilities in construction and daily operation. In 1904, the tram system first got into service. It was soon taken over by another company, Electric Tranction Company of Hong Kong Limited and then the name was changed to Hong Kong Tramways Company Limited in 1910.
The rail system is 13 kilometres (8.1 miles) long,[8] with a total track length of 30 km (18.6 miles),[9] and it runs together with other vehicles on the street. Its operation relies on the 550V direct current (d.c.) from the overhead cables, on 3'6" gauge (1067 mm) tracks. The trams provide service to only parts of Hong Kong Island: they run on a double track along the northern coast of Hong Kong Island from Kennedy Town to Shau Kei Wan, with a single clockwise-running track of about 3 kilometres (1.9 miles) around Happy Valley Racecourse.
Funicular railways
Picture - Peak Tram in Hong Kong
The Peak Tram is a funicular railway service which was inaugurated in 1888. It carries both tourists and residents to the upper levels of Hong Kong Island. It provides the most direct route to Victoria Peak and offers scenic views over Victoria Harbour and the skyscrapers of Hong Kong.
Picture - A view of Hong Kong at night, from Victoria Peak
(High definition downloaded from Wikipeida)
Airport people-mover system
Picture - The Kong Kong International Airport (HKIA)
Picture - Hong Kong International Airport Automated People Mover
The Hong Kong International Airport Automated People Mover is a driverless people-mover system located within the Hong Kong International Airport in Chek Lap Kok. It operates in two "segments". For departures, the train runs from Terminal 2 to the East Hall to the West Hall. For arrivals, the train runs only from the West Hall to the East Hall, where all passengers must disembark for immigration, customs, and baggage claim. Operation of the first segment was commenced in 1998, and the operation of the second segment was commenced in early 2007.
Border-crossing trains
Inter-city train services crossing the Hong Kong-China border (often known as through trains) are jointly operated by Hong Kong's MTR Corporation and the Ministry of Railways of the People's Republic of China. Currently, Hung Hom Station (formerly known as Kowloon Station in Hong Kong, and Jiulong Station in China) is the only station in Hong Kong where passenger can catch these border-crossing trains. Passengers have to go through immigration and custom inspections before boarding a border-crossing train. There are currently three border-crossing train services:
Between Hong Kong and Beijing (Beijing-Kowloon Through Train)
Between Hong Kong and Shanghai (Shanghai-Kowloon Through Train)
Between Hong Kong and Guangzhou (Guangzhou-Kowloon Through Train)
A new border-crossing service, namely the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, has been proposed. A new train station, West Kowloon Terminus, will be built in Hong Kong to be served by this new railway.
Picture - Bus lane in Hong Kong
Road transport
Buses
Picture - A low-floor double-decker bus with wheelchair accessibility
Bus services have a long history in Hong Kong. In 2009, five companies operate franchised public bus services. There are also a variety of non-franchised public buses services, including feeder bus services to railway stations operated by the railway companies, and residents' services for residential estates (particularly those in the New Territories).
Founded in 1933, the Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited (KMB) is one of the largest privately-owned public bus operators in the world.[10] KMB's fleet consist of about 4,300 buses on 420 routes and a staff of over 13,000 people. In 1979, Citybus began its operation in Hong Kong with one double-decker, providing shuttle service for the Hong Kong dockyard. It later expanded into operating a residential bus route between City One, Shatin and Kowloon Tong MTR station. New World First Bus Services Limited was established in 1998, taking over China Motor Bus's franchise to provide bus services on Hong Kong Island together with Citybus. NWFB's owner company later bought Citybus, but the two companies have basically been operating independently.Public light buses
Picture - Public light bus
Public light buses (小巴) (widely referred to as minibuses, or sometimes maxicabs, a de facto share taxi) run the length and breadth of Hong Kong, through areas which the standard bus lines can not or do not reach as frequently, quickly or directly. Minibuses carry a maximum of 16 passengers; no standees are allowed.
The Hong Kong Transport Department (HKTD) allows and licenses the operation of two types of public light buses - (1) green minibuses that have route numbers, stop at designated stops (many routes have hail and ride sections along which passengers can board and exit anywhere unless it's a no-stopping zone) and whom have their fares, service and frequency regulated by the HKTD; and (2) red minibuses that may or may not have regular routes, may or may not be numbered, may or may not have fixed stops and whose fares and service levels are not regulated by HKTD.[11]
Red minibuses do often provide more convenient supplementary transport for riders not served by green minibuses or other public buses, and are thus quite popular. Where green minibus drivers are paid fixed wages to drive their routes, red minibus drivers often rely on their pick-up fares for a living and thus are often seen to be more aggressive drivers. The prevalence of aggressive driving has resulted in the HKTD making it mandatory for Hong Kong minibuses to be equipped with large read-out speedometers which allow passengers to track the speed at which minibus drivers operate. Currently, if minibuses exceed 80 km/h, the speedometer will sound an audible warning signal (begin beeping) to the driver and passengers. If the minibus exceeds 100 km/h, the beeping will turn into a sustained tone. However, it is almost without exception that this warning signal is ignored by both the driver and passengers.
The HKTD has also regulated, after a series of minibus accidents, that all new minibuses brought into service after August 2005 must have safety belts installed, and riders must use safety belts when there is one.
Taxi
As of April 2005, there were 18,138 taxis in Hong Kong, operating in three distinct (but slightly overlapping) geographical areas, and distinguished by their colour. Of these, 15,250 are red urban taxis, 2,838 green New Territories taxis, and 50 blue Lantau taxis.[12] Every day, they serve 1.1 million, 207,900, and 1,400 passengers respectively. Taxis carry an average of one million passengers each day, occupying about 12% of the daily patronage carried by all modes of public transport in Hong Kong.
Most of the taxis in Hong Kong run on LPG (liquified petroleum gas) to reduce emissions. In August 2000 a one-off cash grant was paid to taxi owners who replaced their diesel taxi with an LPG one. Since August 2001, all newly purchased taxis run on LPG. By the end of 2003, over 99.8% of the taxi fleet in Hong Kong ran on LPG.[13]
Taxi fares are charged according to the taximeter; however, additional charges on the fare table may apply, such as road tolls and luggage fees. Urban taxis are the most expensive, while Lantau taxis are the cheapest. The standard of service among different kinds of taxis is mostly the same. The reason for having three types of taxis is to ensure service availability in less populated regions, as running in the urban centre is considered to be more profitable.
Private Cars
There are 517,000 cars licensed in Hong Kong, 64% of which are privately owned. As of 2003 the US Department of State reports that there are 523,767 licensed vehicles in Hong Kong and about 1,911 kilometres of roads, or 274 vehicles per kilometre of road. In terms of private car ownership, the number of cars per capita is half that of Singapore and one-third that of Taiwan. Private cars are most popular in newly developed areas such as Lantau and areas near the boundary with mainland China, as there are fewer public transportation options, and more parking spaces compared to other areas of Hong Kong.
Most cars are right hand drive models, from Japanese or European manufacturers. Hong Kong does not allow left hand drive vehicles to be primarily registered in Hong Kong. However, Hong Kong registered vehicles may apply for secondary mainland Chinese registration plates, and these can be driven across the border to mainland China; likewise, left-hand drive cars seen in Hong Kong are usually primarily registered in mainland China and carry supplementary Hong Kong registration plates.
Cars are subjected to a first-time registration tax, which varies from 35% to over 100%, based on the size and value of the car. The level of vehicle taxation was increased by a law passed on 2 June 1982 to discourage private car ownership,[14] and also as an incentive to buy smaller, more efficient cars, as these have less tax levied on them. First-time registration tax was doubled, annual licensing fees were increased by 300%, and $0.7 duty was imposed on each litre of on light oils.[15]
In addition to the heavy traffic at times, parking may be problematic. Due to high urban density, there are not many filling stations; Petrol in Hong Kong averages around US$1.55 per litre, of which over half the cost is taxes.[16] It was suggested in the news that that the government had deliberately impeded the use of new environmentally friendly diesel engines by allowing only light goods vehicles to be fuelled by diesel. While it cannot be determined why exactly the government does not allow private cars to be fuelled by diesel, it has been pointed out that the government does receive a tax that is 150% of the actual fuel cost. This is mostly to discourage car ownership for environmental reasons.[17]
There is a waiting list for local driving tests, while a full (private car) driving licence valid for 10 years costs around US$115. Residents of Hong Kong holding licences issued by other Chinese authorities and some foreign countries can get a Hong Kong driving licence exempt from tests if they can adequately show that they obtained their licence while residing in the place concerned (common proofs are school transcripts or employer's documentation). Some private car owners, known as white card drivers, provide a taxi service for a nominal fee.
Ferries
Picture - Cotai Jet sailing between Hong Kong and Macau
Picture - TurboJET's Jetfoil (model Boeing 929)
Picture - The cruise-ship pier at Ocean Terminal
is also a port of entry to Hong Kong.
Picture - Tsim Sha Tsui Pier, a pier for Star Ferry services
Gondola lift
Picture - Gondola Lift in Hong Kong
There are two gondola lift systems in Hong Kong:
Ocean Park, Hong Kong Island - A 1.5 km in-park cable car system between Nam Long Shan Headland and Wong Chuk Hang, opened in 1977.
Ngong Ping Cable Car on Lantau Island, a 5.7 km cableway between Tung Chung MTR station and Ngong Ping Terminal near Po Lin Monastery, opened on 18 September 2006.
Ports and harbours
Picture - the port of Hong Kong
The port of Hong Kong has always been a key factor in the development and prosperity of the special administrative region, which is strategically located on the Far East trade routes and is in the geographical centre of the fast-developing Asia-Pacific Basin. The sheltered harbour provides good access and a safe haven for vessels calling at the port from around the world. In terms of tonnage of shipping using its facilities, cargo handled and the number of passengers carried, Hong Kong is undoubtedly one of the major ports of the world.
The Victoria Harbour is one of the busiest ports in the world.[18] An average of 220,000 ships visit the harbour each year, including both oceanliners and river vessels, for both goods and passengers. The container port in Hong Kong is one of the busiest in the world.[19] The Kwai Chung Terminal operates 24 hours a day. Together with other facilities in Victoria Harbour, they handled more than 20 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) in 2005.[20] Some 400 container liners serve Hong Kong weekly, connecting to over 500 destinations around the world.
Hong Kong has a fully active international airport. The famous former Kai Tak International Airport retired in favour of the recently constructed Hong Kong International Airport, also known as Chek Lap Kok International Airport. The airport now serves as a transport hub for East Asia, and as the hub for Cathay Pacific Airways, Dragonair, Hong Kong Express, Hong Kong Airlines (former CR Airways), and Air Hong Kong. Ferry services link the airport with several piers in Pearl River Delta, where immigrations and customs are exempted.
As of March 2009, the airport is the third busiest airport for passenger traffic,[21] and second busiest airport for cargo traffic in the world.[22] It is popular with travellers — from 2001 to 2005 and 2007-2008 Hong Kong International Airport has been voted the World's Best Airport in an annual survey of several million passengers worldwide by Skytrax.
According to the Guinness World Records, the passenger terminal of the HKIA was the world's largest airport terminal upon opening, and is at present the world's third largest airport terminal building, with a covered area of 550,000 m² and recently increased to 570,000 m².[23] The Airport Core Programme was the most expensive airport project in the world.[24]
Shek Kong Airfield, located near Yuen Long, is a military airfield for the People's Liberation Army, which is of limited operating capabilities due to surrounding terrains. The only aircraft operating on the airfield are PLA's Z-9 helicopters, which is the license-built version of the Eurocopter Dauphin.
Heliports
Picture - Heliport at the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal
Hong Kong has three heliports. Shun Tak Heliport (ICAO: VHST) is located in the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal, by the Shun Tak Centre, in Sheung Wan, on Hong Kong Island. Another is located in Southwest Kowloon, near Kowloon station. The other is located inside Hong Kong International Airport.
Heli Express operates regular helicopter service between Macao Heliport (ICAO:VMMH) on the Macau Ferry Terminal in Macau and the Shun Tak Helipot. There are around 16 flights daily. Flights take approximately 20 minutes in the eight-seater aircraft.
There are also a number of helipads across the territory, including the roof of the Peninsula Hotel (which is the only rooftop helipad in the territory, excluding the rooftop heliport of Shun Tak Centre and those in hospitals) and Cheung Chau Island, between Tung Wan Beach and Kwun Yam Beach.
Highways
There are a total of 1,831 km of paved highways in Hong Kong. These roads are built to British standards with maximum of three lanes with hard shoulders.
There are 9 roads classified as highways in Hong Kong and re-numbered from 1 to 9 in 2004. Route 1 to 3 are in north-south direction and crossing three Cross-Harbour Tunnels while others are in east-west direction:
CCTV Cameras
There are 120 CCTV cameras monitoring traffic on these highways and connecting roads which is available on demand (now TV) and on Transport Department's Website.
Highways in Hong Kong use two types of barrier system for divided highways. Older roads use metal guard rails and newer roads use the British Concrete step barrier.
All signage on highways and roads in Hong Kong are bilingual (traditional Chinese below and English above). Street signs use black text on a white background. Highway and directional signage are white lettering on blue or green background.
Bus lanes
A bus lane on Gloucester Road in Wan Chai, with the words "bus lane" painted in English and "巴士綫" in Chinese
There are approximately 22 km of bus priority lanes in Hong Kong.
Bridges and tunnels
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Picture - Tsing Ma Bridge, part of Route 8,
is the world's longest rail and road suspension bridges.
Picture - Kap Shui Mun Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge
connecting Ma Wan and Lantau Island, and is also part of Route 8.
There are 15 vehicular tunnels (3 currently under construction) in Hong Kong. They include three cross-harbour tunnels and nine road tunnels.
Picture - The entrance of the Cross-Harbour Tunnel,
which is part of Route 1, in Hung Hom, Kowloon
the second under-water tunnel across Victoria Harbour,
and is part of Route 2.
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