Opinion | Why Hong Kong’s Kai Tak monorail plan needs to be revived
- The area is ill-served by the existing transport system, even as more residential projects are coming up
- A state-of-the-art sports stadium is expected to draw crowds to the area soon. A solution to current and future traffic problems must be found

While there are alternative modes of transport such as water taxis, they are not operated at a level that can ameliorate the traffic congestion in the area. Depending on which part of Kai Tak you live in or commute from, the nearest transport could be a 15-17 minute walk away. Kai Tak itself is too large for walking to be the main mode of traversing it, and bus stops are few and far between.
At present, the “multi-modal” transport network comprises little more than a system of bridges and buses which fail to provide adequate transport options to those getting around Kai Tak and those going to Kowloon Bay and Kwun Tong nearby.
Here, it must be stressed that the traffic congestion in Kai Tak, if left alone, is likely to worsen as more residential projects in the district are completed. More private residential properties could bring more private vehicles to the streets, thus causing greater pollution and traffic issues.