A consulting company has suggested cancelling the tram route from Central to Admiralty to reduce traffic congestion in the area.
In a submission made to the Town Planning Board, Intellects Consultancy Limited proposed to eliminate tram services from Jubilee Street to Arsenal Street in order to ease the traffic in the area, reported local media. It said that the MTR has replaced the function of trams in the Central and Western District.
The proposal pointed out that tram tracks and their stations occupy 30 percent of the roads in the Central District, especially Des Voeux Road Central. It suggested slowly phasing out trams on Des Voeux Road Central and Queensway to improve road efficiency.
The consulting firm added that the decision depended on Hong Kong Tramways as well as relevant policy makers.
The proposal drew criticism online, with many netizens denouncing the idea of eliminating the iconic mode of transport. An opinion piece in Oriental Daily said that the problem of congestion in Central should not be attributed to trams, but rather to “chauffeurs waiting on the side of the road.”
Intellects Consultancy Limited is reportedly headed by retired government town planner Sit Kwok-keung, who was behind a proposal last year that called for the People’s Liberation Army’s Hong Kong garrison in Admiralty to turn into a hotel.
