SCMP – 30 April 2012
On Sunday, April 22, I felt lucky to be living on a high floor above the street-side pollution and in the sunshine.
On the radio, I heard more warning messages about high levels of pollution for this most liveable of cities. People of my age were advised to stay indoors.
I understand that the expense of equipping our bus companies with virtually non-polluting buses (say HK$3 million per vehicle) is not possible given the cap on their profits and the return to their shareholders.
Why, when we have the funds available, can we not lend the money to the companies to buy the buses and stop all this business of fiddling about with catalytic converters year after year?
Of course, it would not be possible to do this all at once but say a long-term loan for 300 buses a year would begin to make a difference. Also, it would send a cheer from the choking travellers and, incidentally, district council voters of Causeway Bay.
David Akers-Jones, Yau Ma Tei