In Hong Kong, trams are affectionately called "ding ding" by locals because of the sound their bells make. Trams have been in service for over 100 years. They are still one of the main means of public transport. Many years ago, when Hong Kong society was not affluent, trams were considered a luxurious form of public transport. Today, taking a tram is no long a symbol of social status. Rather, their cheaper fares make trams a good form of transport for low-income residents. Even though I live in the New Territories, every time I go to Central for meetings trams are still my preferred form of transport.

Trams are not only about nostalgia for the past. From a practical point of view, a tram is an inexpensive form of public transport. Its fares have been kept frozen for many years, despite the sharp increase in consumer prices. People also have great respect for the tram company, Hong Kong Tramways. Against this background, a recent suggestion to abolish the tram route between Admiralty and Central provoked a strong response from people. The suggestion made by a consultant who claimed trams cause traffic jams in Central was not well received. Many are against the idea of abolishing the tram service. The government also said it has no plan to change the current public transport system in Central.

Honestly speaking, every society has to progress. When a society is progressing, old things will inevitably be replaced by new ones. In theory, trams are no exception. No matter what role trams played in Hong Kong history, they cannot go on forever. Therefore, we should keep an open mind on the survival of trams. The point, however, is that trams still have a place in our public transport system. The demand for tram services is a good indication of their value. Also, the trams are operated by a private company which still aims to make a profit. If they are not making a decent profit, there is no reason to continue operating them. But from the tram company's expansion plans, it can be seen that the operator considers that the trams still have a great future. In Hong Kong we believe in the free market. When the market judges trams to have great prospects, there is no point arguing trams are obsolete.

The only issue to be considered is whether trams are really causing traffic jams in Central. If they are, then there is some point to advocating their abolition. The simple logic is that if trams are abolished, more road space can be used by cars and then traffic jams will ease. Nevertheless, this argument is an over-simplification which also has weaknesses. This suggestion will work only if the rights of road users are reduced so as to ease the traffic volume. However, if trams were not allowed to travel between Admiralty and Central, the vacant road space left by trams would soon be filled up by other vehicles. This means the number of road users would not actually decrease and traffic congestion would remain.

The central assumption behind the suggestion is that there would be no increase in traffic volume after abolishing trams. The truth is there would be a smoother traffic flow immediately after trams were taken off the roads. But once people learned that the traffic flow in Central had become smoother, more cars would drive through Central. This suggests that traffic congestion in Central cannot be resolved unless the increase in road space far exceeds the increase in traffic volume. Therefore, it is an unconvincing argument to say that traffic flow will improve if trams are abolished.

The real cause of Central's traffic congestion lies in outdated city planning rather than the existence of trams. Many buildings in Central do not have loading areas. Trucks need to park on the roads to deliver supplies to companies and individuals inside the old commercial buildings. This logistical arrangement, of course, causes many parts of the roads to be occupied by trucks. This can only be solved when urban renewal projects are undertaken in Central. Until we have large-scale urban renewal in Central, the traffic jam problem will continue. The abolition of trams will not help to solve Central's traffic problems.

(HK Edition 09/04/2015 page17)